CHICAGO, IL- April 2, 2013— After a successful launch in January, the AKArama Center in Chicago’s South Side is again offering free writing classes for adults.
The AKArama Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood will again be hosting an Adult Writing Center on Saturdays beginning this April 27, and registration is now open to all interested adults interested in improving their writing skills.
The Adult Writing Center was established at AKArama Center this past January as a collaboration between the AKA Foundation, the Illinois Humanities Council’s (IHC) Odyssey Project, the Black Star Project and the University of Chicago’s Civic Knowledge Project. The sessions provide focused instruction in memoir writing, creative and business writing, grammar, and poetry through the use of techniques in arguments, mechanics and style. Classes are led by alumni and current students of the IHC’s Odyssey Project. Special guest lecturers and field trips enhance the curriculum.
After 10 weeks, students were able to demonstrate improvement in writing skills and confidence.
“[The Adult Writing Center] has allowed me to say what I feel without being judged or talked about, and I have decided to be a writer. This class has given me the courage and strength to go for it,” mentioned one of the participants.” Said another, “This class has allowed me to be a better me. They say your eyes are the window to your soul. Writing has been a window to my soul.”
The classes will take place Saturdays, 2-5pm beginning April 27 to June 29, 2013, and will take place at AKArama Community Services Center (6220 S. Ingleside Avenue, Chicago, 60637). Classes are free, although registration is required. To register, contact Jamie Golden at the Black Star Youth Project at (773) 932-5927 or akawritingcenter@gmail.com.
About the Odyssey Project
The Odyssey Project is a program of the Illinois Humanities Council in partnership with the Clemente Course in the Humanities, offering free college-level introductory course in the humanities in Chicago and Champaign, Illinois. Alumni and current students from the Odyssey Project, which has classes at AKArama, will run the Adult Writing Center.
About the Black Star Project
Founded in 1996, The Black Star Project’s mission is to provide educational services that help pre-school through college students succeed academically and become knowledgeable and productive citizens with the support of their parents, families, schools and communities. Their ongoing Saturday University program will be the template for their work with AKArama U.
About the Illinois Humanities Council
The Illinois Humanities Council is an independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. The IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
Media Contact:
Carlos Velázquez
(312) 422-5580, x233
cav@prairie.org
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