Worldbuilding Summer Camp for BIPOC Teen Writers Interest Form & Application

Interest Form Submission & Application: World Building Summer Camp for BIPOC Teen Writers
 

Program Dates: July 7-11 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Daily

Join us for five days of exploration in various facets of speculative fiction, such as worldbuilding, defamiliarization, science fiction, urban fantasy, the supernatural, horror, and hermit crab fiction (stories told in unusual formats like transcripts and reports).

Our subject matter will range from the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of space, technological advances, and life beyond death. Each day will include readings and discussions of published stories, featuring the work of women and BIPOC writers, as well as prompts and writing time for students to work on their own stories. Participants will also learn how to workshop fiction and will have the opportunity to read their work to an audience of their peers.

Monday
Rituals and Traditions

Tuesday
Worldbuilding

Wednesday
Supernatural and Horror

Thursday
Workshopping and Hermit Crabs

Friday
Technology and Readings

Location: yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective

This camp is free upon acceptance. Interested applicants must apply through the survey form by May 30th. 
Camp capacity is 20 students. Students must submit the application survey and will be notified of acceptance by June 6. 

Registration is a 4-step process:

1. Parents or legal guardians must submit this interest and registration form as part of the application process.

2. Parents or legal guardians will receive a confirmation email and a student application survey after submitting this form. 

3. Students must submit the application survey by Friday, May 30, 2025. 

4. If selected, parents or legal guardians must submit the Teen Camp Agreement at least one week before camp begins. 

Application:

Students are asked to complete the application form by May 30, 2025, and will be notified by June 6, 2025

Eligibility: Students entering 9th through 12th grade high school. Centering marginalized Black, Native, and youth of color (BIPOC). This Worldbuilding Camp for Teens, hosted by a partnership with Clarion West and yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective, is a week-long experience for 20 high school students. This program will help you build your writing skills, introduce you to new speculative fiction by prominent BIPOC authors, and introduce you to writing workshops and closer reading skills. 

Instructor: 

Tara Campbell is an award-winning writer, teacher, Kimbilio Fellow, fiction co-editor at Barrelhouse, and graduate of American University's MFA in Creative Writing. Publication credits include Masters Review, Wigleaf, Electric Literature, CRAFT Literary, Uncharted Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, and Escape Pod/Artemis Rising. She's the author of the eco sci-fi novel TreeVolution, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, and two short story collections from feminist sci-fi publisher Aqueduct Press. Her sixth book, City of Dancing Gargoyles (SFWP), is a finalist for the 2025 Philip K. Dick Award, and is on Reactor Magazine’s “Best Books of 2024” list, Locus Magazine's Recommended Reading List, and SFWA's Nebula Reading List. She teaches creative writing at venues such as Johns Hopkins University, Clarion West, The Writer's Center, and Hugo House. Find her at www.taracampbell.com