Ohio school to host "writing for children" conference

Storyteller SALLY CRANDALL will kick off the sixth annual Writing for Children conference March 19 at St. Joseph Montessori School, Columbus, OH, cosponsor of this year's event with the nearby Second Avenue (Public) Elementary School and help from the Midtown Parents and Kids organization. Created as a public-private partnership to bring together parents, teachers, writers, and illustrators devoted to nurturing children as writers, the conference honors the Ohio Bicentennial in 2003 by featuring authors and presenters from the state. The Ohio Arts Council helps to fund Writing for Children with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

On the 2 days following the initial evening of storytelling, award-winning authors ANGELA JOHNSON, DENISE FLEMING, and CHRIS WOODYARD will take their lessons to classrooms at the participating schools. They also will deliver keynote speeches at the Saturday all-day session March 22 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Columbus. Other Ohio presenters include authors CONSTANCE McGEORGE and SHELLEY PEARSALL, screenwriter ERIC WILLIAMS, editor ALICE POPE, art consultant ROSE AUDETTE, attorney CAROL STOVSKY, student/author ERICA SHERMAN and former teacher JERRI SHEARER. For preregistered conference attendees, Pope also will conduct manuscript evaluations and Audette will conduct illustration portfolio evaluations.

Proceeds from the Writing for Children conference are shared between Second Avenue Elementary, winner of the Exemplary Achievement Award for Columbus Public Schools, and St. Joseph Montessori, a National Blue Ribbon School. The conference also supports "the write place," a community resource center dedicated to all those who want to write, located in the St. Joseph Montessori School library.

Admission is $55 for full-time high school and college students and $105 for all others. Lunch is included. Look for a schedule of events on-line at www.sjms.net/conf.

For more informa

tion contact JIM MENGEL, director of development at St. Joseph Montessori at 614-291-- 8644, or Email writingforchildren@mail.com.

-Jim Mengel, St. Joseph Montessori