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Some of my recent community writing classes include a free Fiction I <br />class to sev en patrons of the Durham Public Library (funded by the <br />library) and a Fiction I class to six participants from the Jackson <br />Center (funded by a grant from the Orange County Arts Commission). <br />The Durham County class was offered in April-May 2020, just as the <br />pandemic was shutting down opportunities for community gathering <br />and sharing, and prov ided a much needed av enue for connection. A <br />participant from the Durham Public Library class said: “I just wanted <br />to mention how much fun I had with this class. Namely because you <br />are all a bunch of v ery different and interesting people...It was fun <br />and challenging and pushed us out just enough of our comfort <br />zone.” <br />A participant from the Jackson Center Fiction I class said: “I am <br />thankful for this class, hav ing an opportunity to connect with others <br />and learn about creativ e writing. You hav e wonderfully lead this class <br />and I hav e enjoyed ev ery minute of it.” Another participant said: “I <br />sincerely enjoyed the workshop part of the class. You created a v ery <br />safe space for new and upcoming writers to spread their literary <br />wings without fear of harsh judgement [sic]. I also liked that each <br />class was dedicated to one important aspect of creating a compelling <br />story, whether that be plot, dialogue or attention to detail.” <br />In addition, in April, Emily and I cotaught an afternoon class at the <br />Durham Center for Senior Life, where we instructed eight middle- and <br />low-income seniors in a crash course in writing yourself as a <br />character in memoir. By the end of the workshop, in the words of a <br />senior center employee, the residents were “glowing.” <br />A participant from Emily’s Memoir class, who will hav e the <br />opportunity to continue learning about the craft of memoir in my <br />proposed Memoir II class said: “Taking this memoir class for the past <br />few months has been awesome. It has not only giv en me a set time to <br />write and reflect but it focuses on the importance of understanding <br />who I hav e been ov er my lifetime. The experience was awesome and <br />one that I would suggest for ev eryone to be a part of if they can...” <br />And finally, through continuing to include marginalized students in <br />our Redbud courses through our scholarship program, we hav e seen <br />remarkable outcomes: an incredible improv ement in their writing <br />skills, serious amounts of work done on worthwhile nov els and <br />memoir projects. <br />This year’s grants from Orange County would allow us to continue to <br />reach these community classes and reach and empower students <br />from all walks of life. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 9309A9E8-2459-45D2-8930-0A2506F7BD3B