Write Out is a free two-week celebration of writing, making, and sharing inspired by the great outdoors. It is an open invitation to get out and create that is supported with a series of online activities, made especially for educators, students, and families, to explore neighborhoods, parks, and other public spaces.
This year’s Write Out theme is Poetry for the Planet.
Write Out will run Oct. 13-27, 2024, including Indigenous People’s Day and the National Day on Writing. To support the theme, Write Out 2024 will be organized around all the poetic ways we can experience and celebrate this planet we call home.
Write Out is in its seventh year and is sponsored by the National Writing Project.
Here’s one of the prompts shared by Write Out this summer:
Here’s a prompt inspired by Ada Limón’s Poetry in the Parks project: a poetry dedication to Mary Oliver at the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Today, take a moment to listen to Ada Limón reading Mary Oliver’s, “Can You Imagine?” Carve some time to find a tree in your yard, neighborhood, or park nearby. Study that tree. What life has it lived? Who has it seen and what? Can you describe it in detail?
In 4-5 lines, write an ode to these beautiful giants that give us breath. Start with “can you imagine?”
Write Out prompts are designed by NWP educators and National Park Service rangers to work with writers of all ages and across content areas.