Meadow Brook Hall opens its estate to hundreds of students for a youth writing camp series each summer. Meadow Brook Writing Camps (MBWC), hosted by the Meadow Brook Writing Project, provide K-12 students the opportunity to explore the mansion while nurturing their creative writing skills.
The MBWC, which hosts hundreds of student participants each summer, has been held at Meadow Brook Hall since 2008. The camps are apart of the National Writing Project, a network of teacher-leaders that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of writing.
Student campers are led by a collaborative team of Oakland University faculty, K-12 writing teachers and Meadow Brook docent.
Rebecca Vornberger is the MBWC coordinator and a faculty member of OU’s Department of Writing and Rhetoric. Vornberger believes the Meadow Brook camps allow students to find their unique voices through writing.
“These camps provide students with the opportunity to explore the history of the Meadow Brook estate while challenging them to think creatively about what they learn,” Vornberger said. “One piece a lot of students use for inspiration in their work is the ‘Strawberry Girl’ painting — many find the portrait creepy because the girl’s eyes seem to follow the viewer across the room.”
During the weeklong camp, master teacher alumni of Meadow Brook Writing Project’s Summer Institute introduce different literary devices and writing styles to the students.
The K-2nd campers learned about personification by choosing a stuffed animal and writing a story to bring the plush toy to “life.”
Alex Cammarata, an OU alumnus and Holly Schools teacher, taught the high school students about poetry in the estate gardens. He encouraged students to draw a garden plant and create a poem alongside their artwork.
“By incorporating different mediums of literary expression into the MBWC, we are able to successfully teach students how to construct sophisticated, freeform prose,” Cammarata said.
Sarah Wandrie, an OU sophomore, has experienced the MBWC as both a camper and a student leader. Wandrie is now a docent, assisting in leading camp activities and lessons.
“It’s so fulfilling to experience MBWC as a leader after having been a camper myself,” Wandrie said. “I am proud to watch the skills and confidence of each camper grow throughout the week.”
In addition to being taught by master educators in a one-of-a-kind historical setting, campers also enjoy full access to exclusive rooms and ground areas of the mansion. The K-2 campers decorated their journals in an upper-level playroom while the middle school group explored the campus playhouses.
OU junior Zoe Nichols worked as a docent for the K-2 group. As an elementary education major, her work at the camp reaffirmed her desire to pursue a career in teaching.
“It has been so nice to see the creative minds of the youngest campers shine,” Nichols said. “I have gained valuable experience and teaching skills at these camps.”
For more information about the MBWC, visit the camp’s webpage. Daily updates on camper activities can be found on the MBWC Facebook page.
