Druidawn Creations is a company devoted to helping young writers grow through an innovative tabletop game, set in the world of Druidawn, where magical creatures roam free from the destructive influence of humans. "Leveling up" each character is determined by how many words are written each week, and engaging in group problem-solving during ingame adventures provides plenty of material to write about. The first half of each session is also devoted to roundtable critique, teaching writers how to appeal to a wider audience.
I worked with Druidawn during my first two years of college, managing my time between classwork and preparing for each weekly session. The latter involved drafting conflicts the party of characters would face, coming up with my own characters for them to interact with, and keeping track of how many words each student had written. Most importantly, in the sessions themselves, I made sure roundtable critique was well-mannered yet thoughtful, and offered mini-lessons on various writing techniques. Over time, I watched as my students gained more confidence in their creations, delved into their favorite genres, and developed their characters far beyond what was written on their initial character sheets. Some of their works made me laugh, and others nearly moved me to tears. I gained a deep respect for the potential young minds have to weave tales just as captivating as an adult's.
For more information on Druidawn, visit their website.