There have been human-eating marshmallows, damsels in distress, and unicorns made of blubber. What will happen next?!?
We are attempting to write the world’s longest story (we’re talking Earth, here–who could compete with the scribes of Jupiter?) and we need your help. If you happen to pass by the ITA, please contribute a sentence (or 12) and help us write the longest story known on this planet.
How would you like to be the new face of the Intergalactic Travel Authority? Do you have keen retail sense? Entrepreneurial spirit? Love of coffee and space travel? If you answered ‘Yes!’ to all of these, then click on the link below to read the job description, and apply!
We know many of you are wondering what kinds of programming you are able to sign your kids up for this fall. Here is the scoop!
Right now, we aren’t offering our free, after-school homework and creative writing programming due to funding constraints–we hope this will change in the near future! If we receive the grants we have applied for, we will launch after-school programming as soon as is humanly possible. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter (which you can do on the homepage of our website) so that you are the first to know about any programming updates or registration information.
We do, however, have two new programs launching this October!
One is a Young Filmmakers Project. It is a free 8-month mentorship program for youth aged 13-18 where they will delve into all aspects of filmmaking and learn to tell their stories through this medium.
The other program is a Digi-Storymaking Project for youth aged 13-18. This free workshop will run for 12 weeks and will focus on using different forms of technology to tell stories.
Both of these programs are currently open for registration, so if you are interested in signing up (or getting more information), please email Joe at Joe@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca or give him a call at 416-645-1049.
In addition to free programming, we’re currently looking at offering some paid workshops. These will answer the many calls we have for creative workshops while helping us raise money for our free programs, so be sure to stay tuned for more information on this!
More to come!
Last week, Story Planet partnered with Young Inventor Challenge and Maker Kids to offer our first Toy and Game Inventor Summer Camp. All week, 16 amazing campers created never-before-seen games and toys, like a full-size gumball pinball game and a board game complete with portals and secret keys! We loved having them here, and it was exciting to explore the Maker Kids space as well. Thanks so much to the fantastic companies who donated money, games, and time to make the camp a success.
Are you between 16 and 19 years old? Do you like playing games and working with kids? Looking for a fun way to get your 40 volunteer hours?
If you are available to volunteer one day (or many days) from July 29th to August 2nd at our amazing Toy and Game Inventor Camp hosted at Story Planet and Maker Kids, email katherine@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca by Thursday July 25th at 1pm to find out how to apply.
This July, Story Planet is partnering with MakerKids and Young Inventor Challenge to host a summer camp. The camp will run from July 29-August 2 and is for children aged 8-12.
Visit the events page for more information on registration.
Our after-school students created maps of their heroes’ quests, and David filled his with many traps and foes. After his hero defeated the Nature Monster with multi-coloured roses growing out of his head, it was onto the Iron Golem. Unlike traditional Iron Golems this one has been turned rainbow-coloured because a unicorn barfed on him (the barfing unicorn is still hovering nearby). We suspect that this has made the Iron Golem an even deadlier foe.
What makes a hero a hero? Here at Story Planet, we’ve been tackling this perplexing question head-on, and our kids have been coming up with amazing stories as a result. Mithulaa’s hero is a snow woman named Charlie. Charlie is very strong because “she never stops growing.” From there, Mithulaa’s story works its way up to a cliff-hanger of Dickensian proportions.
On June 1st, dozens of high school students came from all over the city to join us at U of T for some one-on-one help from some extraordinary volunteers.
Together, volunteers and students tackled the most challenging of school assignments: The Essay! From thesis statements to conclusions, students worked alongside their volunteers, receiving the guidance and support that many needed to get the job done.
Essayists and volunteers celebrated essay victory with a BBQ and campus-wide movie-themed scavenger hunt in the afternoon. A big thanks to Innis College and the Centre for Community Partnerships at U of T and to everyone who came out!
When asked to create a map of obstacles for his newly invented hero, grade one student, Pragadheesh, created a challenging course that his hero would have to navigate, which included a big snake, a giant cube, and an eyeball monster.
When explaining how his hero would make his way through this treacherous setting he mentioned “there is also a very easy short cut, but that doesn’t make a very good story.”
Writers, take a note from Pragadheesh – Shortcuts may keep your heroes safe, but they won’t keep your readers satisfied.
