29th annual Aspiring Young Authors Festival to be held
WAYNE — The Nebraska State Literacy Association and Wayne State College will sponsor the 29th annual Aspiring Young Authors Festival on Saturday morning, March 28. This event will be in Brandenberg Education Building second floor from 8:30-12:30 The public is invited to attend.
This year the authors will be Mary Meinking Chambers and Stacy Kreycik Miller.
In addition, nine students from Verdigre will return to the festival. They attended last year’s festival and were inspired to write a book about their experiences in the historic 2019 flooding.
Students from all schools in Northeast Nebraska are invited to attend and are chosen by their schools. Their selection is based on a creative, informative, or poetry original writing piece by the students. This event is not a competition. The festival is an opportunity to allow young writers to “shine” with their talent. It is an opportunity to meet students from other schools with this same interest, and to meet a nationally known and local author. An inspirational assembly is held for the total group, and then small group sessions continue to inspire, give guidance, and a chance for the students to share their writing. Education students from Wayne State College provide small group activities and encouragement. This festival allows students to receive recognition for their writing talents, just as athletic contests do the same for talent in sports.
This event has always been funded by a small student fee to attend, and the Northeast Reading Council. The Northeast Reading Council ended six years ago, and the treasury was transferred to the Nebraska State Literacy Group to be used for the Aspiring Young Authors Festival each year. The funds for the festival will be depleted after paying expenses, and there will not be enough money to hold a festival in the years to come. Although the Nebraska State Literacy Association has provided grant money for this event every year, the amount is not enough to fund the entire festival next year.
There has never been a profit , except for the tremendous joy it brings to the students and their parents and guests each year. We are in need of donations of any size in order to continue this festival. If you can help with the funding, contact Jenny at 402-750-7040.
