Every writer wants to see their work published and read in well-regarded publications. So it’s big news that the International School of Beijing (ISB) and The New York Times have entered a partnership that will see students’ work appear in a special edition of the newspaper.
Last Friday, New York Times editors came to campus for a workshop with the Middle School’s Young Writers Association, a new after-school club. Members of the club will submit articles for publication in The New York Times for Kids in January.
A few of the cub reporters sniffed out the story and filed the following reports on what has been happening with the club so far.
Angela W, Grade 8
The Young Writers Association (YWA) will include both English and Chinese writing. This after-school activity (ASA) focuses on improving our writing skills. If you are writing in English, the teachers will pair you up with another incredible Chinese writer or have someone help you translate.
Some of our articles may even be published in The New York Times for Kids. We can submit stories written for the ASA to the editors and they will decide if they want to publish it or not. Even if your writing does not get published, it will be a valuable experience and could be relevant for college applications.
During the last ASA meeting, the New York Times editors came to our school and asked us our opinions on the newspaper. We all read the New York Times Kids edition from November and answered questions about it. We discussed which topics we wanted to write about for the newspaper.
We will start writing articles now. I think this is a phenomenal experience for students in our school who want their work published or just like writing.
The Young Writers Association after-school club was packed out for the visit of New York Times editors
Sophia P, Grade 7
ISB was thrilled to have editors from The New York Times Kids newspaper come to campus! Last week, our students were introduced to the program and how it worked. We were introduced to the concept of peer feedback.
Students were also given a question to answer individually. An example would be: “What other books/magazines do you read? What can New York Times Kids learn from that book/magazine?” We came up with references ranging from National Geographic Kids to The Hunger Games. Not only does this workshop help the magazine grow, but our students have also given each other books and magazines to read in the future.
By attending this ASA, we are learning and also helping New York Times Kids editors by giving them unique feedback.
Grace H, Grade 7
We all fluttered into the room, taking our spots and staring at the objects on the table curiously. They were nothing less than editions of The New York Times for Kids!
We were all mesmerized by the cover and the amazing artwork. After a few minutes, we took a deep look at and discussed the articles, and we also watched some videos. Based on guidance from the editors and their engaging presentation, we dived into the newspaper. We discussed many things, with question prompts such as “If there were a new section, what would you want it to be?”
After hearing other people’s opinions, we were able to understand the newspaper much better, which will be helpful if we want to publish anything in the future. I understand now that this is not just a newspaper, it is a work of art, and most of all a mirror to the world, even of many things we neglect.
It was a great experience to participate in this unique event. The souvenirs I got will make me hold on to this as a wonderful memory.