The Week at Harriman
Sunday
Students arrive at Harriman State Park between 3 and 5 pm. Many have carpooled with other students from their area. Some have come in via Salt Lake Express, a shuttle bus service that covers southern Idaho and stops at Last Chance, just a few miles from the park. Someone on staff, probably the director, picks them up and takes them to the park.
The proctors—all former Writers at Harriman students—check everyone in, assign them to their rooms, and answer questions. Students learn who their main writing instructor is. We try to match up student interests with the skills and experience of the instructors.
At 5:30 everyone meets in the dining hall to learn about the evening’s activities and have their first meal.
Following dinner, we introduce each other and start to make connections.
At 7 pm students meet in their groups for the first time. No group is larger than ten students. On the first evening they get to know each other and find out what everyone hopes to get out of the week at Harriman.
From about 9 to 10 campers settle in and get ready for bed. There’s probably a campfire going that some of them will gather around.
From about 9 to 10 campers settle in and get ready for bed. There’s probably a campfire going that some of them will gather around.
Monday
Monday morning at 6 am the camp director will lead a nature hike for those interested. This is a great time to watch the sunrise and get up close to some of the park fauna, especially sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans. They might even spot a moose.
Breakfast is at 8 am. It’s important that everyone shows up to meals on time. That’s when we do a head count and lay out the schedule.
At 9 am everyone gathers in the Scovel Center where the director will introduce members of park staff who will talk about the wildlife in the park.
At 10 am students will join their teaching writers for a two-hour session. These take place at several indoor and outdoor locations around the park.
At 12:30 everyone meets in the dining hall for lunch and announcements.
The electives start at 1:15 and go until 3:15.
At 3:15 students can take their pick of optional activities, including paper making and visual arts led by artists from the Idaho Art Lab in St. Anthony.
Dinner is at 5:30. We can take care of special dietary needs.
At 6:30 camp naturalist Allen Dale will lead everyone on a nature hike to Silver Lake and beyond. Students are encouraged to bring their cameras and smart phones. They will get some basic instruction on how to improve their landscape and wildlife photos.
Following the hike campers have free time to wander on their own, work on their writing, or gather around the campfire.
Following the hike campers have free time to wander on their own, work on their writing, or gather around the campfire.
Tuesday
At 6 am the camp naturalist will conduct a nature hike for anyone interested.
Breakfast is at 8.
The first of our writer’s talks takes place at 9 am in the historic Boys House. One of our teaching instructors spends an hour with the students talking about their writing experiences and reading from their work. This is Malia Collins, Idaho's Writer in Residence and one of the teaching writers at camp.
At 10 am students will join their teaching writers for a two-hour session. These take place at several indoor and outdoor locations around the park.
At 12:30 everyone meets in the dining hall for lunch and announcements. This is Chef Drew (on the left).
The electives start at 1:15 and go until 3:15. Students dive deeper into a writing topic, maybe about dialogue, rhythm in poetry, character development, and so forth.
At 3:15 students can take their pick of optional activities, including paper making and visual arts lead by artists from the Idaho Art Lab in St. Anthony.
Dinner is a little early on Tuesday. The chef will lay out the makings for sandwiches and the students will fix themselves a sack meal they can take along on a little adventure.
At 5:30 everyone walks to the horse barn where the cowboys will fit saddle stirrups to the individual campers in preparation for an evening trail ride. About half the students will ride to a special picnic destination, while the other half ride along in a horse drawn wagon. On the way back, they switch so everyone gets a chance to ride a horse. Students who prefer not to ride can ride in the wagon or stay back in camp.
After the ride it’s free time, campfire chats, and writing revision.
After the ride it’s free time, campfire chats, and writing revision.
|
|
|
Wednesday
At 6 am the camp naturalist and director will conduct a nature hike for anyone interested. This is a sandhill crane in flight. You'll see them a lot and hear them even more often. These are big birds, almost as tall as some of the students.
Breakfast is at 8.
Our writer’s talks continue at 9 am in the historic Boys House. One of our teaching instructors spends an hour with the students talking about their writing experiences and reading from their work. This is Chris Dempsey. He's been a teaching writer since the beginning of Writers at Harriman. He's a poet who teach English at Eagle High School.
At 10 am students will join their teaching writers for a two-hour session. These take place at several indoor and outdoor locations around the park. This group is on the deck at the Jones House. The reflective windows behind them give you a sense of what they see when they're in class.
At 12:30 everyone meets in the dining hall for lunch and announcements. On Wednesday, they also have an opportunity to sign up for Story, Story, Story.
The electives start at 1:15 and go until 3:15. Teaching writers often build their class around the environment at Harriman.
Wednesday is mid-week clean-up. Campers will be assigned clean-up tasks by writing group.
Dinner is at 5:30. Announcements, of course, and the last opportunity to sign up for Story, Story, Story.
At 6:30, Jessica Holmes, one of the founders of Boise’s popular Story, Story Night series, will give students a crash course in how to use a mic and how to structure a story from their personal experience.
Following the Story, Story, Story ideas session, the students have free time.
Following the Story, Story, Story ideas session, the students have free time.
Thursday
At 6 am the camp naturalist and director will conduct a nature hike for anyone interested. You have to get up early to catch the sunrise over the Henrys Fork.
Breakfast is at 8.
Our writer’s talks continue at 9 am in the historic Boys House. One of our teaching instructors spends an hour with the students talking about their writing experiences and reading from their work. This is Nicole LaFavour. She writes poetry, prose, memoir, and even some science fiction.
At 10 am students will join their teaching writers for a two-hour session. These take place at several indoor and outdoor locations around the park.
At 12:30 everyone meets in the dining hall for lunch and announcements.
The electives start at 1:15 and go until 3:15. The teaching writers often ask camp naturalist Allen Dale to come along during their sessions to help students notice and understand the flora and fauna around them.
At 3:15, those who signed up for Story, Story, Story meet with Jessica to pull their stories together in preparation for a performance that evening.
Dinner is at 5:30. We keep the students pretty busy, but they still find time to get creative.
At 7 pm we have one of the most anticipated events of the week, the Story, Story, Story presentation. Students who have taken part in the instructional sessions will perform for everyone. It is typically a stand-up comedy routine where students bare their souls, often telling stories that would be embarrassing in any other venue.
If they can quit laughing, everyone has free time following Story, Story, Story.
If they can quit laughing, everyone has free time following Story, Story, Story.
|
|
|
|
Friday
At 6 am the camp naturalist and director will conduct a nature hike for anyone interested.
Breakfast is at 8.
The last of our writer’s talks takes place at 9 am in the historic Boys House. One of our teaching instructors spends an hour with the students talking about their writing experiences and reading from their work. This is Dwayne Blackaller. He's a playwright, an actor, and a great storyteller.
At 10 am students will join their teaching writers for a two-hour session. At this point they’re polishing their stories for the public performance that evening.
At 12:30 everyone meets in the dining hall for lunch and announcements.
At 1:15 the students meet in their writing groups to revise and rehearse, getting last minute tips from their teaching writers.
At 3:15 everyone meets behind the Boys House for a group picture. They receive their Writers at Harriman t-shirts prior to the photo.
Following the group picture the director will explain how the reading will proceed that evening. The students will gather in their writing groups and come forward to the podium one at a time for a practice session reading. This helps us work out any issue there might be with timing and equipment.
Dinner is at 5:30. There will be announcements and very probably the proctors will have a surprise of some kind. Following dinner the students return to the dorm to get dressed for the evening performance.
At 7 pm the students give their readings. Each student gets about three minutes to present. Members of the Island Park community come to hear them, and parents are encouraged to attend. Everyone brings blankets and camp chairs so they can be comfortable on the lawn behind the Boys House. Following the readings there is a reception back at the Scovel Center for parents, students, and staff.
|
|
|
Saturday
Saturday is the day for cleanup and goodbyes. Students help us ready the buildings at Harriman for the next group who will use them. Parents pick up their writers before noon.
|
|
|
Writers at Harriman is an educational program of Friends of Idaho State Parks