Press Release
Writers in the Schools
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Jennifer Watson
713-523-3877
jwatson@witshouston.org
Writers in the Schools Honors Creative Self Expression at Young Writers Reading Event
Houston, TX— Writers in the Schools (WITS) will celebrate some of Houston’s most talented young artists at its Young Writers Reading, an annual literary event held May 2nd, 3 pm at Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston. The event is free and open to the public.
WITS Young Writers Reading event enriches the lives of students ranging from elementary to high school age by giving them the chance to read the work they have written under the
guidance of a professional writer. Each student has been chosen from a juried competition based upon
his or her ability to create powerful poems, stories, and essays. WITS publishes the best work in a bound anthology called Blooms.
Former Councilwoman Ada Edwards will kick off the reading with her keynote address.
The Young Writers Reading Series began in 1989 as a way to celebrate the achievements of the city’s most gifted young writers. This year, in collaboration with Travelers Insurance, WITS offers an afternoon of creativity for the whole family through a variety of writing activities and booths that will be set up along the Andrea and Bill White Promenade from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM. The reading will begin at 3:00 PM.
The 2010 Young Writers Reading is made possible through generous donations from Travelers Insurance, Kroger, Books-A-Million, and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
For more information, visit www.witshouston.org.
About WITS
WITS, a local non-profit organization, provides students with year-long creative writing programs in schools, community centers, hospitals, and homeless shelters with the mission to engage students in the pleasure of reading and writing. Ranked the number one literary organization in Texas by the Texas Commission on the Arts, WITS professional poets, fiction writers, and playwrights work in year-long programs in over 350 classrooms in order to help students develop their creative and analytical thinking skills. WITS is also involved in national initiatives, such as mentoring other writers-in-schools programs, serving as a model for multidisciplinary arts educators, and designing curricula for use in schools.
About The Honorable Ada Edwards
Ada Edwards is a humanitarian who fights for the rights of all people, a former City Council Member, a spiritual leader, a pillar in the community, a talented speaker, a successful entrepreneur, a nurturer of all those who cross her path, and a devoted mother of five and grandmother of eleven.
Ms. Edwards was elected in 2001, 2003 and again in 2005 to Houston City Council District D to represent the district she calls home. As Council Member she chaired Housing and Community Development, the State of Emergency HIV/AIDS Task Force and the Flooding and Drainage Issues Committee. She also served on six other committees of City Council. Houston Press named Ms. Edwards “Best Politician” in 2003.
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