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YouthWrite Peak II Experience 2025

July 6 - July 11, 2025

Overnight Camp For Ages 15-19
An unforgettable experience for creative youth, spending time with quality instructors and other talented peers discussing ideas and sharing their work.

$800.00 CAD
$
$800 Base Price
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$800 Subtotal
       

Peak II Experience!

PLEASE NOTE: REGISTRATION CLOSES ON JUNE 23, 2025

Day and Overnight Options

  • Ages 15-19
  • July 6th - July 11th, 2025
  • Overnight Camp. Campers arrive Sunday evening and stay until Friday afternoon.
  • SR1 Site (Formerly Kamp Kiwanis): 241001 Range Road 42, Rockyview, Alberta, T0L 0K0
  • Tuition - $800 - Overnight at SR1 

YouthWrite Fees Include

12 hours of daily instruction/activities led by highly qualified instructional and supervisory staff, supervised meals, break times, evening programs. All supplies are provided as are daily breakfasts (overnighters only) lunches, suppers, and snacks. Each participant is required to dress for the weather, bring PPE, indoor/outdoor shoes, and will receive a complimentary copy of YouthWrite: The Magazine.

For those of you new to YouthWrite:

Registration steps continue after registration on this site. After you complete the registration on this site, we ask that you proceed to Campfax, a secure camp database, and:

  • fill in important details
  • provide a letter of reference from a teacher/mentor
  • provide the answers to the four YouthWrite questions
  • provide a short sample of writing

You are not fully registered until all steps are completed.



Please note

Refunds:
All fees include $100 non-refundable fee.  No refunds will be made if registration is cancelled after June 23, 2024.

A full refund will be possible in the event an applicant is not accepted into the program or if COVID restrictions require that we cancel or reconfigure camp. YouthWrite Society Canada reserves the right to cancel courses and restrict enrollment. Courses, instructors and supervisors may be subject to change.

Medical:
In consideration of our campers' and staff well-being, we strongly advise that all attendees be up-to-date on vaccinations for measles, rubella, and mumps.




When

July 6th - July 11th, 2025

Full Week

Where

The Site

241001 Range Road 42, Rockyview, Alberta, T0L 0K0

Who

Guest instructors thus far:

Timothy Anderson
Moe Clark
Aaron Coates
Mike Czuba
Wally Diefenthaler
Rachel Drouillard
Cecilia Ortiz Luna
aloT of Poetry
MLE Tremblay
Thomas Trofimuk
Spyder Yardley-Jones

More TBA SOON!


Blue-Pencil Café:

Mike Czuba


Our Special Guest Presenter:

TBA


Our Super Supers:

Jessica Davidson

Elise Leske

Lead Super Joey Lucius

Mason Repka

Emily Smith

MORE TBA!


YouthWrite Director-Coordinator:
Gail Sidonie Sobat


Guest Instructors



YOUTHWRITE INSTRUCTORS: THE CREAM OF THE CROP!


Throughout YouthWrite's history, we have prided ourselves on the calibre of our fine instructors.


YouthWrite invites superbly talented and reputable instructors who represent the many facets of the performing, visual, musical, dance, film, and written arts. 


MORE AMAZING INSTRUCTORS TBA SOON!

Timothy Anderson


Bio

Timothy Anderson - is a writer, editor, instructor, performer, director, composer, and visual artist whose career has taken him from Yellowknife to Singapore, Australia to Greece, Carnegie Hall to Dollywood, in live productions. He's performed on radio, television and film, and written poetry, novels, screenplays, short stories, opera texts - all with a view to expanding minds and hearts.


Course

Small Writing, Big Impact - You don't have to write a novel for your words to change the world. Create memorable mottoes, slogans, affirmations, proverbs and more on themes of joy, wisdom, nature, challenge and dreams.




Moe Clark


Bio

Moe Clark is an âpihtawikosisâniskwêw (Métis/ mixed-settler) multidisciplinary artist and a 2Spirit singing thunderbird. Working across disciplines of vocal improvisation, sound design, land-based oskapêwis facilitation (Elder support), and performance creation, Moe’s work centres embodied knowledge, 2Spirit Indigenous resurgence, and creative kinship. Originally from the prairies in Treaty 7, Moe is a proud member of the Otipimêsiwak Métis Governement (Alberta) and currently resides in Tio'tiá:ke/ Mooniyang/ Montréal. As a composer, drum carrier and vocalist, Moe’s music and voice have appeared in documentaries, films, theatre and dance performances alike. Their last solo album, Within, toured across North America and her collaborative video poem, “nitahkôtân,” won best Indigenous language music video at the ImagiNative film festival. Moe is co-founder of Weather Beings, a 2Spirit performance collective with Mâori artist Victoria Hunt, an intersection of Métis wâhkôhtowin and Mâori whakapapa (kinship systems) to reclaim, restore and re-matriate feminine and queer knowledge into performance practices. Moe teaches from a deep commitment to Indigenous land-based practices, and has performed the world over, including the Lincoln Centre (US), UBUD Writers & Readers Festival (ID) and Origins Festival in London (UK).


Course

radical + ritual futurity (through personal + collective dreaming)  - In an ever turbulent and trying world, how do we personally + collectively create sites of refuge, in our bodies, minds, and spirits, to take shelter from the storm? From these sites of refuge, how do we dare to dream more vibrant and radical futures for ourselves, our earth relatives, & beyond-human kin… seven generations backwards into the future?Create with practices derived from Indigiqueer futurism, medicine wheel teachings, land-based ceremony and improvisation to awaken the 'always alive inside of us’ dream. Cast spells of repair and creativity to renew our commitments to our collective future. Explore embodying, writing, and singing-into-being, your dreams. Discover somatic practices and breath work, visualization and dream writing, and move into voice and looping pedal creations.Come prepared to explore your edges with softness and curiosity. May we be bold and defiant while we tenderly affirm our most potent desires. As Métis leader Louis Riel once said: “my people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirits back.”



 

Aaron Coates


Bio

Aaron Coates is a director, writer, actor, and acting teacher. He studied acting at Mount Royal University and at École Philippe Gaulier in Paris. Aaron has written comedy shows, true crime dramas, opera libretti, a new adaptation of Greek tragedy, and devised work with actors, singers, and performers of all ages. He spent nine seasons with Dirty Laundry, Calgary’s improvised soap opera, where he directed over 150 episodes.


Course

Eye Say - Discover characters by taking a walk in their shoes! We’ll improvise to find out what makes someone tick, and then write from that experience. Where’s the story going to go? You’ll be in charge of it. Through the creation of an improvised TV show, we’ll dream up a vibrant group of characters and take them on a rollicking adventure.




 Mike Czuba


Bio

Mike Czuba is a writer with a BFA and MFA in Playwriting. Originally from Montreal, he is currently an instructor at the University of Calgary. In 2023 he released the book No Shortcuts – The Five Chambers, a Practical Guide to Finding Your Own Creative Process. His play I am I (Original Works Publishing) has been internationally produced. A scene from his play Reprise is published in Playwrights Canada Press’ new anthology, Refractions: Scenes (2020). His most recent play, After Mourning, Before Van Gogh, had its World Premiere in March 2025 with Shadow Theatre. His TYA play Boy Sees Flying Saucer was awarded the international Laurie Award from The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, and has now been turned into a feature screenplay called Girl Who Cried Flying Saucer and is being developed as a CAN/US co-production for a 2025 shoot.


Course

Themes Don't Have Stories; Stories Have Themes - Using playwriting exercises as a base, discuss and explore how to present themes within a story structure. It’s amazing how much playwriting can inform and influence other genres: character creation, pacing, conflict, action, story arc! Try out some of the techniques gleaned from playwriting to explore in your writing the themes that mean the most to you!





 Wally Diefenthaler


Bio

Wally Diefenthaler - Wally Diefenthaler is an aspiring writer and poet who believes that each of us can find beauty in this wonder of a world if we go beyond merely opening our eyes to really “see”.  A believer in the right of all beings to an authentic and meaningful existence, he is more of a student than a teacher, although he taught social studies concepts (human rights, ecology, critical thinking) for many years at the high school and university levels. Wally attempts to honour the maxim “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily, to not dare is to lose one’s life.” — Soren Kierkegaard


Course

Belonging! - Who are “we”? What does it mean to be part of a community? How can we foster a sense of belonging and support for each other? Bayanihan focuses on the importance of community and collective action where everyone’s effort is respected and deemed worthwhile. Spend the week exploring understandings of belonging and community as we seek paths to impact our world in a positive and loving way. Share your thoughts, words, and voices on the importance of nurturing relationships, building community, and honouring Bayanihan.





Rachel "Sunflower" Drouillard


Bio

Rachel Drouillard's yoga journey started with a $5 Ginger Spice yoga video in 2001. In 2011, she proudly became an instructor. In 2012, she packed her bags and ventured to India for a year to learn more. Since then, she's become a yoga sponge, soaking up knowledge by taking countless hours of training from kids' yoga to yoga therapy. She is a lively individual who tries to live life to the fullest. Rachel's happy and light-hearted self shines through in all her classes. She is transparent, honest, and real, and encourages you to show up on the mat 'exactly as you are’. Besides yoga you can find Rachel at the climbing gym, hiking, riding her bike, writing, snowboarding, reading, or hanging out with her family. 


Course

Together We Rise - Ohh, we will stretch, breathe, write, and rise — together. Through yoga, journaling, meditation, and movement games, explore what it means to be rooted in community, to listen to your body, and to stand up with courage and compassion. Try out different styles of yoga; spark new ideas through writing, and play with what it means to be powerful and kind. Every day brings a new theme and new ways to move, reflect, and connect — with ourselves and each other. Let your body speak, your voice shine, and your story rise.




Cecilia Ortiz Luna


Bio

Cecilia Ortiz Luna - is a Philippine-born novelist and community organizer. Pre-Canada, she was a criminal lawyer, horoscope writer and karaoke queen. She loves books, reads a lot of them, wrote a few of them, and has formed book clubs to talk about them. Her novel, Blood Compact, was shortlisted for the Jim Wong Chu Asian Canadian Writers Award and longlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Unpublished Manuscript Award. She is currently finishing her novel on Filipino mythological monsters. As co-founder of arts non-profit Salingpusa Creatives, she organizes arts events to support and showcase emerging Filipino and BIPOC artists.


Course

Show and Tell: Storytelling Styles in Popular Culture! - Explore different story structures used by bestselling authors and TV and movie screenwriters! Then build your own story and develop iterations based on the following storytelling formats: Save the Cat Method – by Blake Snyder, Snowflake Method – by Randy Ingermanson, South Park Method – by the creators of South Park Animated TV Series, Disney Method, Marvel Universe Method. Sound intriguing? Learn some tricks of the trade from some of the most successful industry models!




 aloT of Poetry


Bio

aloT of Poetry is a Nigerian-South African poet and spoken-word artist. Her diverse poetic works range from social commentary to the beauty of simply being alive. Amidst her kinesiology studies at University of Calgary, she delved into performance and arts community engagement, collaborating with Arts Commons, CSPACE, The Grand Theatre, AuArts, University of Calgary, Writer’s Guild of Alberta, The League of Canadian Poets, Action Dignity, Ruth’s House and more. Her pieces have been exhibited at Gallery@501 and featured in academic and arts publishing. As the founder of Poetic Designers, aloT of Poetry aids independent artists in navigating art and business through brand and web design. With moving performances, she fosters unity, urging self-love and empathy. Explore her current and upcoming work and events at alotofpoetry.com


Course

Finding Your Poetic Voice - Dive into turning your thoughts and feelings into poetry that really speaks to you and others. Explore how writing poetry can be a therapeutic outlet, helping you express the unspoken words we may sometimes find hard to communicate to others. Then, get hands-on with poetic performance, playing with pauses, inflection, gestures, and breathing techniques— to help you deliver your words with impact and authenticity. 




MLE Tremblay


Bio

MLE. (they/them) is a character artist based in Mohkinstis, Treaty 7 Territory (Calgary), Alberta, Canada. They have practiced art since they could hold a pencil which has so far led to the self-published graphic novel series, The Face King Chronicles, designing characters for commission, and consulting on independent films. MLE. finds joy in sharing the arts by instructing animation and illustration with Quickdraw Animation Society, and with the Alberta University of the Arts as well as freelance tutoring. They will keep making art until they can no longer hold a pencil.


Course

Quickdraw Animation: Moving Poetry -  Poetry meets movie magic in this collaboration between YouthWrite and the Quickdraw Animation Society! Use your experience in writing in poetry and prose, choose narrative or abstract storytelling to create a free-form film which amplifies your creative voice and genius.



Thomas Trofimuk


Bio

Thomas Trofimuk writes poetry, micro-fictions, plays and novels. He’s published and reviewed in literary magazines across Canada, and on CBC radio. He has five novels out in the world: The 52nd Poem, Doubting Yourself to the Bone, This is All a Lie, The Elephant on Karlův Bridge, and Waiting for Columbus. Waiting for Columbus won a fancy-pants literary award (the City of Edmonton Book Prize), and was nominated for the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He’s a long-time teacher at YouthWrite. Thomas lives in Edmonton, Alberta with his wife, several neighbourhood cats that visit, a healthy fear of Death, and far too many books. 


Course

Only Seven Stories in the Known Universe - Star Wars, Harry Potter, Cinderella, The Lord of the Rings, Romeo and Juliet – all these stories are examples of narratives drawn from the so-called ‘seven types of stories.’ From ‘Overcoming the Monster,’ to ‘The Quest,’ to ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Comedy,’ explore and play inside these general categories. And perhaps, discover there are more than seven types of stories. Lots of writing time in this class.  




Spyder Yardley-Jones


Bio

Spyder Yardley-Jones (he/him) is an internationally recognized cartoonist, painter and sculptor who's been teaching at YouthWrite since its inception. Spyder's artwork has been on exhibition in the USA and Canada including at the Art Gallery of Alberta and most recently at the YardBird Suite. He has illustrated an award-winning graphic novel, Jamie’s Got a Gun, written by Gail Sidonie Sobat, in addition to creating artwork for The Roxie Theatre's production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and illustrating the graphic story, The Lofts, by Rylan Kafara. 


Course

As Not Advertised - Create a fake consumer product with a social commentary or just a silly, fun product - examples: Instant Karma Food Mix, Canned Anxiety - it’s up to your imagination! Pick a handmade product container to paint up, draw up, or bedazzle by marker. Batteries not included.


 

Blue Pencil Café with Mike Czuba


Bio

Mike Czuba is a writer with a BFA and MFA in Playwriting. Originally from Montreal, he is currently an instructor at the University of Calgary. In 2023 he released the book No Shortcuts – The Five Chambers, a Practical Guide to Finding Your Own Creative Process. His play I am I (Original Works Publishing) has been internationally produced. A scene from his play Reprise is published in Playwrights Canada Press’ new anthology, Refractions: Scenes (2020). His most recent play, After Mourning, Before Van Gogh, had its World Premiere in March 2025 with Shadow Theatre. His TYA play Boy Sees Flying Saucer was awarded the international Laurie Award from The Growing Stage – The Children’s Theatre of New Jersey, and has now been turned into a feature screenplay called Girl Who Cried Flying Saucer and is being developed as a CAN/US co-production for a 2025 shoot.


Activity

Blue Pencil Café - Share a piece of writing with our resident editing expert and get constructive feedback on your wordsmithery! Poetry, fiction, dialogue, plots, operas, plays - our Blue Pencil expert can help you with your craft. Sign up is daily at camp.


The Amazing Supers

Handpicked and multi-talented, YouthWrite Supers are the centre of our camps. As artists, teachers and mentors, they bring the X-Factor to YouthWrite.


MORE AMAZING SUPERS TBA SOON!

Elise Leske

Elise Leske is a past YouthWriter who now dabbles in comedy, camerawork, and crossword puzzles.  When she’s not on set or doing stand up, she likes painting and crushing her opponents in board games (she often loses).  She is also Gail’s favourite. 



Joey Lucius

Joey Lucius - Lead Super


Joey Lucius is a Canadian Comedy Award-winning performer and has been a staple at Edmonton’s Rapid Fire Theatre since 2007. He’s also a real life certified teacher! As a writer, Joey is a contributor to the online Beaverton, and is currently developing a project about the Filipino-Canadian experience that received a letter of interest from the CBC. He thinks birds are cool! And he knows he is Gail’s favourite!



Mason Repka


Mason (he/they) is a YouthWrite Communications Manager, working with Gail and Tania behind the scenes to make sure YouthWrite events go swimmingly. Mason loves to teach writing through roleplay, whether it be Live-Action or Table-Top. He has had the pleasure of teaching adults and youth alike the joys of table top gaming and group storytelling through private events, Jube School, and at YouthWrite. He is a professional Game Master, the Director/Coordinator of Dark Ascension LARP, and is returning to defend his title as Gail's favorite. 




Emily Smith

Emily Smith is so stoked to be joining the YouthWrite team this year! Emily recently graduated from the first MacEwan BFA program and is an actor, playwright, and clown in the Edmonton area. Currently, they are working on a cabaret and writing a musical! When not working in the arts, Emily works in North Edmonton mentoring at-risk youth. Emily's favourite things to write are plays and poems, and some favourite books include A Series of Unfortunate Events, Barkskins, and any play that Sarah Ruhl writes! She is also Gail's favorite!




YouthWrite Director- Coordinator

Gail Sidonie Sobat


is a multi-award-winning teacher and author, with twelve books for children, teens and adults, and a number of educational and academic articles. A Global News Woman of Vision and an Arts and Culture Citation Award recipient, she is the YouthWrite creator/ coordinator, an international presenter, an instructor in the professional writing program at MacEwan University and in the Faculty of Education at U of A. Gail was The Writers’ Union of Canada Regional Representative for Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, and writer in residence with the Metro Edmonton Federation of Libraries. 


She has moved forty times in her life from Badlands to Siksika Nation Reserve to hideous suburbs to Istanbul to the Sunshine Coast to her writer’s garret in a century-old temperamental house. She adores all of her Supers & Coordinators equally, and loves YouthWrite like a madwoman!



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