By Claudia Taller
Take your kids to Lake Erie Ink to work with words this Wednesday, and come up with a plan for the summer. Lake Erie Ink, the relatively new creativity engine on the east side, is trying to entice kids over to their house to play on Wed 4/3 from 1-5PM. Creativity could be sparked so much that summer camp will be on the agenda for those long days of summer.
Kids in grades 2-8 can spend the day playing outside, making pinwheel poems and garden flags, and getting in the mood for spring. It promises to be a mind-opener. The cost is $25 per student and family discounts are available. Lake Erie Ink is located at 2843 Washington Blvd., Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118. The afternoon is a preview to the upcoming summer camp, which begins on 6/17 and ends 8/9. During the summer, Summer Ink will help children from 4th grade up be less restricted and more inventive while working with words. They’ll have the chance to create comics, tell stories with graphics, write plays, stage puppet performances, and engage in all kinds of imaginative writing projects from 1-5PM each day.
Lake Erie Ink, a writing space for youth, is a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities to young people in the Greater Cleveland community to express themselves. Children write poetry, short stories, and essays in the safety of a non-judgmental atmosphere. Upcoming workshops in poetry and digital media are scheduled. Staff can also help kids with homework. Just imagine how empowered a young person can be just by being able to put authentic thoughts on paper.
The organization grew out of the lunchtime and after-school creative writing programs teachers Amy Rosenbluth and Cynthia Larsen offered on the east side of Cleveland. They recently expanded their poetry clubs. Both Rosenbluth and Larsen are passionate about encouraging kids to write: Rosenbluth has been facilitating the Heights Teen Poetry Slam for 11 years and Larsen taught project-based creative writing in collaboration with teachers at Boulevard and Coventry Elementary for four years. Their programs give youth a voice and teach them skills to communicate effectively.
Rooted in Cleveland’s inner city, Lake Erie Ink has partnered with Ohio City Writers have for the screening of Dear Mr. Watterson, an exploration of Calvin and Hobbes, at the Cleveland International Film Festival. The film explores the impact the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip has had on our society through interviews with fans of Mr. Watterson and other comic lovers. Tickets are on sale now for screenings on Tue 4/9 at 5:30PM and Thu 4/11 at 9:45PM at Tower City and Wed 4/10 at 10PM at the Apollo Theater in Oberlin. Go to http://clevelandfilm.org for tickets.
Register for next Wednesday’s creative play by calling 216-320-4756 or emailing Amy or Lydia at staff@lakeerieink.org.Can’t make it? Lake Erie Ink has plenty other events on tap. Have a passion for writing that you want to share? Sign up to volunteer by calling 216-320-4757 or emailing arosenbluth@lakeerieink.org. http://LakeErieInk.org.
Claudia Taller is the author of Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries and has been a Cool Cleveland contributor for many years. She helps writers and other creative people discover possibilities for their lives through Igniting Possibilities events, including Word Lovers retreats. She has written articles for numerous publications over the last decade and blogs at http://ClaudiaTallerMusings.blogspot.com. Her book can be purchased at http://OhioLakeErieWineries.blogspot.com and makes a perfect gift for history buffs and wine lovers.