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Show Writing gives children a voice and validates their feelings, says Enid Santiago Welch, who organizes workshopsfor kids. She callsit... ‘\ Gill No OneGan Take Away 9 To live in the projects is to be not noticed, to be thought of as less April Thierren, now 18 can Nick Oefinger, 18, of Belchertown, Mi it gives me a chanceto sort them out.” B Nick has H attended a THESE LINES WERE PENNED FIVE years agoin a writing grouporganized by Enid Sa ch. The classroom was her“tiny. tiny living room” ina public housing project in Chicopee. Mass three years. “I just started asking kids who were hanging out in the parkinglot if they wanted to write.” ives childrenavoice lings.” she says “That's a gift no one cantake away.” Asasingle mother of two youngchildren, Welchfirst participatedin a 1986 workshopsponsored by Amherst Writers & Artists. an organizationfoundedby Pat empowering experience withchildrenin the housing projects. “They don’t have much,” she says. “ hey know they’re poor, and often they don't dowell in school. Writing helps themfe “After | read, I feel I can do anything.” says Bonnie Eldredge, 12. There are no in the dark” tor Nick, who suffers from depression. teens,” says Baldwin, a formerscientist whowascertified as an instructor by the Amherst Writers & Artists Institute. “THOUGHTS FOUND not grammar, though spelling and punctuationare laterintroduced. Welch con- ROA CATR SET) sTee eam coke: MoT) Or progress to the wild COTMeat om eM TL sidersthe activity to be “sac ‘ed—something that brings healing and truth.” Welch’s efforts as an « ganizer of writ- AES mee OR CCR ee mre te ing workshops have sparked groupswith migrantchildren, children infoster c andyouths in detention CRUamt ty Cee Temole WA Ct Ud centers. She says BR eleRe} shehas seenfumilies transformed: “Some- Be WiC Nee Cle PMS hsCog CyAUee due times their mothers start writing too.” In 1992, spurred by her success in the red pens to correct errors during the 9()Chicopeeprojects, Pat Schneider foundminute weekly sessions. Instead. Welch ed the Amherst Writers & Artists Instiintroduces aline of poetry or an object or lets the children write on any topic for 10 minutes. Those who wish to can read aloud, thenothers tell what they liked about the work. “I like to express what Ihave inside.”says Awilda Roman, 16 The emphasis is on detail and emotion Claire Baldwin. 55, says Pat Schneider alsoinspired hertostart a writing group. in 1995 in the library in nearby Belchertown, “I wanted to combinemylove of Ueteeerhoa BVNICKOOERINGER, 18 to give low-income womenachanceto self-expression wouldhelp hemgain their experiencesin their ownvoice, says Chandler, a professorof nursing. Mostofthe teenagers in her group come from supportive middle-class families, but Baldwin notes: “Theywant to write. No one makes them come.” Their work Schneider. an author, poet and teacher. Schneider beganthe Chicopee workshops. enoughself-esteem to riseout of poverty In 1989. Welch decided to share the wards, but I've never seen anything that makes kids feel so safe and able totell writing with my interest in working with andvalidates their f write about their lives.in hopes that this “I’ve beenonlots of adolescent psych His mother, recalls Welch, 38. Soon, children aged 8 to 10 were crowding into the crampedspace. sharingtheir ideas and dreams. “Writin aged 12 to 17 after working at the Amherst (Mass.) Shelter for Adolescents. four-day, intensive writing workshops pi a UCL) Bora OLSa Gtea Ceaeee atoe OTRee eaeet Such as runaways. low-income workers and the homeless. One of its certified instructors. Ginny Chandler, 48, started 4 writing grouplast year for runaways CESS Rove aeattost BGAMITWeatECot iethetReteiecte VATeet8 tseee eevee a tute. 4 nonprofit organizationthat offers solely for “underserved populations,” +r eee Pete often reflects unhappiness andanger, like this fragmentof an essay by Audrey Markarian, 13: “Christmas is atimefor giving. I'll give you something, but what? Should | give you kind things? Makethemfill your hateful heart? «Maybe I'll give you a big punchin the nose. Or a giant clock, se you'll be on timefor once whenpeople needyou.” Nick Oefinger, 18, who hasattended Baldwin's groupfor three years, was shy| at first to show his work orreadit aloud. His mothersays the group has been a “candle in the dark” for Nick, who suf- fers fromdepression. “Writing doesn’t change myfeelings,” he explains, “but it gives me a chance tosort themout.” Asfor Welch, her grouphas expanded fromeight children to 150 overthe years. “They keep coming back,” she says ~That is what is amazing to me still.” Ik For more information, contact the Amherst Writers & Artists Institute, PO. Box 1076, Dept. P, Amherst, Mass. 01004. PAGE14 NOVEMBER1, 1998 PARADE MAGAZINE |