Enrichment Classes for Gifted and Talented Middle School Students

Interactive Fiction with Twine

Take your readers on adventures where their choices drive the story and bring your creative writing to life! In this class, students will learn how to use Twine, an open source, HTML based non linear storytelling tool, to create interactive fiction. Students will create Choose Your Own Adventure stories and worlds for their reader to explore. No HTML knowledge is required; we will learn together! All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8. Instructor, Maria DiGiovanni.

Mondays

• 12pm PST

• July 6 - August 24

• $400 (8 sessions)

Thursdays

• 11am PST

• July 9 - August 27

• $400 (8 sessions)

Writing Clinics

Participate in guided writing exercises with a focus on syntax, vocabulary and grammar. Both creative and essay prompts are presented. Individualized feedback is provided in real time. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below.

• July 13 - 17

• 4pm PST

• $250

Essay Writing

Read sample essays and identify effective/ineffective elements. Explore personal narratives and persuasive rhetorical devices. Formulate a claim and write essays using details and textual evidence to substantiate your ideas. Receive feedback and revise your essays. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8. Instructor: Robin Russell

Persuasive

• July 27 - 31

• 4pm PST

• $250

Personal Narrative

• August 10 - 14

• 6pm PST

• $250

Reading Comprehension

Engage in discussion and activities that strengthen your critical thinking and reading comprehension skills. Through short stories, articles, writing exercises and discussion, we'll explore how authors convey deeper meaning for greater understanding. Preparatory work and homework provided. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8.

Non-Fiction

• July 13 - 17 at 1pm PST

• August 3 - 7 at 1pm PST

• $250

Fiction

• July 20 - 24 at 6pm PST

• $250

Creative Writing

Engage in activities that hone your skills and foster your love of writing as storytelling. Areas of focus are Sentence Fluency and Word Choice with the goal of cultivating descriptive language, specifically in employing similes, metaphors and other literary devices. Optional homework activities are provided. All sessions are online, via Zoom. To register, complete the form below. Limit 8.

Wednesday Writers

• Wednesdays

• 5pm or 7pm PST

• July 8 - August 26

• $400 (8 sessions)

Characters & World Building

• Saturdays

• 10am PST

• July 11 - August 29

• $400 (8 sessions)

Playwriting & Performing

• Saturdays

• 11am PST

• July 11 - August 29

• $400 (8 sessions)

Plots & Characters incorporates big-picture concepts related to world-building, character development, as well as structuring plots and sub-plots to build suspense and engage the reader.

• July 6 - 10 at 2pm PST

• August 10 - 14 at 1pm PST

• $250

Descriptive Writing focuses on the details - including literary devices to paint a picture in the mind of the reader and how to implement dialogue in a way that propels the story forward or deepens the readers’ understanding of the characters.

• July 27 - 31 at 2pm PST

• August 24 - 28 at 10am PST

• $250

Public Speaking & Presentations

Being comfortable in front of an audience and able to express your ideas concisely are valuable skills to possess. Being able to capture the undivided attention of your audience and keep them in the palm of your hand as you rally them to action are skills that can transform both the audience and the speaker. Learn how to project your voice, gesticulate effectively, end your sentences definitively and engage your audience. All sessions are online, via Zoom. Limit 8. To register, complete the form below.

Persuasive

• July 20 - 24

• 2pm PST

• $250

Informative

• August 17 - 21

• 2pm PST

• $250

Academic Skills

• Reading Comprehension

  • Finding Evidence

  • Identifying Main Ideas

• Grammar Foundations

  • Parts of Speech

  • Subjects & Predicates

  • Run-on Sentences

• Essay Outlines

• Vocabulary Expansion

All sessions are online, via Zoom. Limit 8. To register, complete the form below.

• August 24 - 28

• 6pm PST

• $250

Middle School Summer Schedule at a Glance

Weekly

• Interactive Fiction with Twine (Mondays @ 12pm PST: July 6 - August 24)

• Interactive Fiction with Twine (Thursdays @ 11am PST: July 9 - August 27)

• Characters & Worldbuilding (Saturdays @ 10am PST: July 11 - August 29)

• Playwriting & Performing (Saturdays @ 11am PST: July 11 - August 29)

• Wednesday Writers (Wednesdays @ 5pm PST: July 8 - August 26)

• Wednesday Writers (Wednesdays @ 7pm PST: July 8 - August 26)

Daily

July 6 - 10

• Creative Writing: Plot & Character (2pm PST: July 6 - 10)

July 13 - 17

• Reading Comprehension: Non-Fiction (1pm PST: July 13 - 17)

• Writing Clinic (4pm PST: July 13 - 17)

July 20 - 24

• Public Speaking & Presentations:: Persuasive (2pm PST: July 20 - 24)

• Reading Comprehension: Fiction (6pm PST: July 20 - 24)

July 27 - 31

• Creative Writing: Descriptive Writing (2pm PST: July 27 - 31)

• Essay Writing: Persuasive (4pm PST: July 27 - 31)

August 3 - 7

• Reading Comprehension: Non-Fiction (1pm PST: August 3 - 7)

August 10 - 14

• Creative Writing: Plot & Character (1pm PST: August 10 - 14)

• Essay Writing: Personal Narrative (6pm PST: August 10 - 14)

August 17 - 21

• Public Speaking & Presentations:: Informative (2pm PST: August 17 - 21)

August 24 - 28

• Creative Writing: Descriptive Writing (10am PST: August 24 - 28)

• Academic Skills (6pm PST: August 24 - 28)

Summer 2026 Registration

Note: If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your Junk Mail.