Meet your summer camp instructor Sami Conover!

Our summer camps provide writers with a creative, enriching experience that allows them to explore their imaginations while also building confidence and developing literacy skills.

We spoke with Sami Conover, who is teaching The Lightbulb Lab for rising 1st & 2nd graders (Weeklong: July 25 – July 29, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET, Red Bank Borough Schools) to find out more about her and what to expect in this camp.

Read more about The Lightbulb Lab here.

PWN: What is your favorite writing exercise or activity?

SAMI: One of my absolute favorite exercises with young writers is to create realistic fiction story ideas. I love to show students how they can come up with stories that feel authentic by going through a few steps. First, give your character a name and decide what they will be (person, animal, object). Then, imagine them in a place. After that, brainstorm typical problems or adventures that could happen in that place. And boom—you’ve got a story that is ready to write! So simple and so effective. 

PWN: What should campers expect from The Lightbulb Lab?

SAMI: The Lightbulb Lab is going to be all about storytelling. Writing stories in the air together as a class, acting out stories, creating tons of story ideas and putting a lot of those on the page. We are going to be doing lots of dramatic play to really breathe life into the characters and plots we create!

PWN: What is a story that you’ve written at any time in your life that you remember and love?

SAMI: Recently, I wrote a picture book with my nephew that I absolutely loved doing. It’s all about a penguin who wants to try out for a sport called “Bird Ball,” but he is the only bird who can’t fly, which causes him a lot of trouble. We had a blast writing that together!

PWN: Why do you write?

SAMI: I write for so many reasons. I write to process tricky emotions, to get out a creative urge, to gain a sense of accomplishment, very often just to have fun!