Scotiabank Write Away! Young Adult Literature Non-fiction Workshops 2023

The free workshop series for the third annual Scotiabank Write Away! Young Adult Literature Project is open for student registration. Funded by the Scotiabank Foundation, this year’s project edition, run by the Bocas Lit Fest in collaboration with the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), aimed to equip young writers and communication enthusiasts with the skills needed to succeed in their future careers.

The Project was announced in July 2023. This year, Scotiabank Write Away! focuses on preparing youth for the world of work by honing critical reading and non-fiction skills. Students now have access to five engaging videos covering various aspects of non-fiction writing, including narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative non-fiction. The series seeks to shed light on the practical applications of non-fiction writing, from its relevance in entrepreneurship to the distinctiveness of spoken word poetry.

The free workshop series for the third annual Scotiabank Write Away! Young Adult Literature Project was funded by the Scotiabank Foundation, and run by the Bocas Lit Fest in collaboration with the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT). It aimed to equip young writers and communication enthusiasts with the skills needed to succeed in their future careers. 

Ten workshops conducted by The Ken Gordon School of Communication, Creative, and Digital Media, COSTAATT at their campuses in Port of Spain, Chaguanas, San Fernando and Tobago.

The workshop schedule:

  • Business Writing (October 3, 9am –12pm)
  • Multi-Media Journalism (October 5, 9am – 12pm)
  • PR & Marketing (October 12, 9am –12pm)
  • Social Media Communication (October 13, 9am – 12pm)
  • Business Writing (October 19, 9am – 12pm)
  • Feature Writing (October 20, 9am – 12pm)
  • Copywriting (October 23, 9am – 12pm)
  • Broadcast News Writing (October 25, 9am – 12pm)
  • News Report Writing (October 27, 9am – 12pm)
  • Scriptwriting (October 31, 10:30am – 12:30pm)

Schoolteachers, principals or school administrators can learn more about the project and register their schools for upcoming workshops.

For more information, please contact: Melvina Hazard

Children’s Programme Manager [email protected]

Introducing the Scotiabank Write Away!  Non-Fiction Series. 

At the Bocas Lit Fest, a part of our mission is to foster a love for reading and writing among students. We understand that finding the right books to read and learning to write well in preparation for the world of work after graduating can
be challenging. 

We are excited to introduce you to these lessons about narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative nonfiction. We’re on a mission to help students prepare for the world of work. This material helps make the transition informative as well as fun. 

We recommend the series for all students from Form 3–6. The series includes 5 videos, each 5 minutes long, a workbook, a workshop, and student internship opportunities.

In a series of five (5) short and engaging videos, we’ll answer all the questions your students have about non-fiction writing and how it applies to the real world of work (sometimes in ways you never thought about), like: 

  • How can persuasive nonfiction writing be useful for entrepreneurs? 
  • What makes spoken word poetry different from other forms of poetry?
  • What are the 5 Ws (and 1 H) of journalism?
  • How does expository writing provide context for complex issues? 
  • What are some of the styles of creative nonfiction? 
  • What is the Golden Rule of non-fiction writing? 
  • How does expository writing provide context for difficult issues

About the project

The Scotiabank Write Away! offers engaging digital content to support online English classes, available to all secondary schools via the Ministry of Education’s School Learning Management System (SLMS). The videos are also available on the Ministry of Education’s YouTube Channel  Produced by the Bocas Lit Fest and sponsored by The Scotiabank Foundation, the project is designed to keep students and teachers motivated and engaged in reading, writing, and online learning.

In 2023, Scotiabank Write Away! focused on preparing for the world of work by developing critical skills in reading and writing non–fiction. The series featured lessons, examples, and exercises on how narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative nonfiction translate into the professions of their choice- whether as entrepreneurs, entertainers, social media content producers, media professionals, technical writers, and more.

In addition to the video series and workbook, the project included 10 workshops conducted by The Ken Gordon School of Communication, Creative and Digital Media, COSTAATT on:

  • Feature Writing
  • News Report Writing
  • Broadcast News Writing
  • Scriptwriting
  • Business Writing
  • Copywriting
  • Social Media Communication
  • Multi-media Journalism
  • PR writing and preparation 
  • Business Writing

Videos of these workshops is available on demand for all Caribbean secondary school teachers and students. 

In the 2021–2022 academic year, Scotiabank Write Away! looked in-depth at reading and writing poetry. The project included a virtual creative writing workshop series and a digital booklet of excerpts from award-winning Caribbean poets, giving students access to exciting, culturally-relevant books of all genres. Led by the 2021 National Poetry Slam Champion, Derron Sandy, the poetry workshop broke down the essentials of poetry writing and performance, The Scotiabank Write Away! Fiction material is still available via the Ministry of Education’s SLMS.  

Both the Scotiabank Write Away! Poetry and Fiction video series are also available here: Ministry of Education’s YouTube Channel

The free workshop series for the third annual Scotiabank Write Away! Young Adult Literature Project is open for student registration. Funded by the Scotiabank Foundation, this year’s project edition, run by the Bocas Lit Fest in collaboration with the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), aims to equip young writers and communication enthusiasts with the skills needed to succeed in their future careers.

The Project was announced in July 2023. This year, Scotiabank Write Away! focuses on preparing youth for the world of work by honing critical reading and non-fiction skills. Students now have access to five engaging videos covering various aspects of non-fiction writing, including narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative non-fiction. The series seeks to shed light on the practical applications of non-fiction writing, from its relevance in entrepreneurship to the distinctiveness of spoken word poetry.

The free workshop series for the third annual Scotiabank Write Away! Young Adult Literature Project is open for student registration. Funded by the Scotiabank Foundation, this year’s project edition, run by the Bocas Lit Fest in collaboration with the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), aims to equip young writers and communication enthusiasts with the skills needed to succeed in their future careers. 

Ten workshops conducted by The Ken Gordon School of Communication, Creative, and Digital Media, COSTAATT at their campuses in Port of Spain, Chaguanas, San Fernando and Tobago.

Please follow the link below to register your students for a Workshop via Zoom.

The workshop schedule:

  • Business Writing (October 3, 9am –12pm)
  • Multi-Media Journalism (October 5, 9am – 12pm)
  • PR & Marketing (October 12, 9am –12pm)
  • Social Media Communication (October 13, 9am – 12pm)
  • Business Writing (October 19, 9am – 12pm)
  • Feature Writing (October 20, 9am – 12pm)
  • Copywriting (October 23, 9am – 12pm)
  • Broadcast News Writing (October 25, 9am – 12pm)
  • News Report Writing (October 27, 9am – 12pm)
  • Scriptwriting (October 31, 10:30am – 12:30pm)

Limited spots are available for each workshop via Zoom for participants to experience personalised guidance in a supportive learning environment. Teachers are encouraged to register their students for these workshops based on their locations. A total of ten students from these workshops will be selected for one-week internships at organisations in December.

Schoolteachers, principals or school administrators can learn more about the project and register their schools for upcoming workshops.

For more information, please contact: Melvina Hazard

Children’s Programme Manager [email protected]

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Introducing the Scotiabank Write Away!  Non-Fiction Series. Coming to your classroom in September 2023!

At the Bocas Lit Fest, a part of our mission is to foster a love for reading and writing among students. We understand that finding the right books to read and learning to write well in preparation for the world of work after graduating can
be challenging. 

We are excited to introduce you to these lessons about narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative nonfiction. We’re on a mission to help students prepare for the world of work. This material helps make the transition informative as well as fun. 

We recommend the series for all students from Form 3–6. The series includes 5 videos, each 5 minutes long, a workbook, a workshop, and student internship opportunities.

In a series of five (5) short and engaging videos, we’ll answer all the questions your students have about non-fiction writing and how it applies to the real world of work (sometimes in ways you never thought about), like: 

  • How can persuasive nonfiction writing be useful for entrepreneurs? 
  • What makes spoken word poetry different from other forms of poetry?
  • What are the 5 Ws (and 1 H) of journalism?
  • How does expository writing provide context for complex issues? 
  • What are some of the styles of creative nonfiction? 
  • What is the Golden Rule of non-fiction writing? 
  • How does expository writing provide context for difficult issues

About the project

The Scotiabank Write Away! offers engaging digital content to support online English classes, available to all secondary schools via the Ministry of Education’s School Learning Management System (SLMS). The videos are also available on the Ministry of Education’s YouTube Channel  Produced by the Bocas Lit Fest and sponsored by The Scotiabank Foundation, the project is designed to keep students and teachers motivated and engaged in reading, writing, and online learning.

This year, Scotiabank Write Away! focuses on preparing for the world of work by developing critical skills in reading and writing non–fiction. The series will feature lessons, examples, and exercises on how narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository, and creative nonfiction translate into the professions of their choice- whether as entrepreneurs, entertainers, social media content producers, media professionals, technical writers, and more.

In addition to the video series and workbook, the project includes  10 workshops conducted by The Ken Gordon School of Communication, Creative and Digital Media, COSTAATT on:

  • Feature Writing
  • News Report Writing
  • Broadcast News Writing
  • Scriptwriting
  • Business Writing
  • Copywriting
  • Social Media Communication
  • Multi-media Journalism
  • PR writing and preparation 
  • Business Writing

Videos of these workshops will be available on demand for all Caribbean secondary school teachers and students. 

Click on the tab above to register your school to receive the videos, a student workbook, and exclusive in-person workshop and internship opportunities for graduating students. Alternatively, click this link to register.

In the 2021–2022 academic year, Scotiabank Write Away! looked in-depth at reading and writing poetry. The project included a virtual creative writing workshop series and a digital booklet of excerpts from award-winning Caribbean poets, giving students access to exciting, culturally-relevant books of all genres. Led by the 2021 National Poetry Slam Champion, Derron Sandy, the poetry workshop broke down the essentials of poetry writing and performance, The Scotiabank Write Away! Fiction material is still available via the Ministry of Education’s SLMS.  

Both the Scotiabank Write Away! Poetry and Fiction video series are also available here: Ministry of Education’s YouTube Channel

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