Lighthouse Writers Workshop is a literary nonprofit center in Denver since 1997. Our mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education, support, and community for writers and readers in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond. We strive to ensure that literature maintains its proper prominence in the culture, and that individuals achieve their fullest potential as artists and human beings.

Young writers in grades 3-12  who've taken a Lighthouse workshop (either in-house, online, or off-site) from September 2023 through August 2024 are welcome to submit up to three typed, double-spaced pages of creative writing for our annual anthology, And We Created Worlds.
Work must have been written or started in a Lighthouse workshop between September 2023 and August 2024.
Please note that we will not accept submissions that discriminate against others, contain gratuitous violence, or plagiarize existing pieces. We also ask that writers include content warnings on their pieces, which can be indicated in our submission portal.
Learn more about the Young Writers Program

Applications for Young Authors Collective are open for 2024-25 school year from August 1 - August 31, 2024.
     The Young Authors Collective (YAC) is a group of high school writers who meet to engage in a literary community and write. YAC Denver meets weekly from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. YAC Online meets weekly from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MDT. 

YAC Denver meets weekly on Wednesdays in-person at Lighthouse Writers Workshop at 3844 York Street. The first meeting for Fall 2024 is September 11, 2024.
     Dates:

  • September 11, 18, 25
  • October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
  • November 6, 13, 20
  • December 4, 11, 18

YAC Online meets weekly on Thursdays via Zoom. The first meeting for Fall 2024 is September 12, 2024. 

      Dates:

  • September 12, 19, 26
  • October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
  • November 7. 14. 21
  • December 5, 12, 19
     

YAC members must attend all meetings and respond to emails and/or text messages from the instructor and Lighthouse staff in a timely manner.
 

YAC is an ideal place to create long-lasting connections and develop as a writer. We’ll look to marginalized and traditionally underrepresented writers for examples and prompts as well as to expand our notion of the literary canon. Members of YAC build their skills across forms, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid/experimental; by workshopping (giving and receiving feedback) on their pieces; and engaging in craft lessons. They are also expected to meet deadlines, contribute to the group blog, and set writing goals. YAC members may also participate in Lighthouse community-based projects, which can include collaborating with established adult writers, joining the editorial board for the And We  Created Worlds and community anthologies, gaining non-profit management experience, and teaching young writers at the Free Creative Writing Lab through the Young Writers Program.
    YAC Denver Instructor: TBD
    YAC Online Instructor: Jesaka Long

Tuition is $550 per semester; full and partial financial aid is available. (Apply to YAC first, and after you are accepted, you can request financial aid.) YAC members make a year-long commitment to the program, but can pay by semester!


Please take your time with this application. Answer the questions as fully and thoughtfully as possible.

Applications for Young Authors Collective are open for 2024-25 school year from August 1 - August 31, 2024.
     The Young Authors Collective (YAC) is a group of high school writers who meet to engage in a literary community and write. YAC Denver meets weekly from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM. YAC Online meets weekly from 5:00 to 7:00 PM MDT. 

YAC Denver meets weekly on Wednesdays in-person at Lighthouse Writers Workshop at 3844 York Street. The first meeting for Fall 2024 is September 11, 2024.
     Dates:

  • September 11, 18, 25
  • October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
  • November 6, 13, 20
  • December 4, 11, 18

YAC Online meets weekly on Thursdays via Zoom. The first meeting for Fall 2024 is September 12, 2024. 

      Dates:

  • September 12, 19, 26
  • October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
  • November 7. 14. 21
  • December 5, 12, 19
     

YAC members must attend all meetings and respond to emails and/or text messages from the instructor and Lighthouse staff in a timely manner.
 

YAC is an ideal place to create long-lasting connections and develop as a writer. We’ll look to marginalized and traditionally underrepresented writers for examples and prompts as well as to expand our notion of the literary canon. Members of YAC build their skills across forms, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and hybrid/experimental; by workshopping (giving and receiving feedback) on their pieces; and engaging in craft lessons. They are also expected to meet deadlines, contribute to the group blog, and set writing goals. YAC members may also participate in Lighthouse community-based projects, which can include collaborating with established adult writers, joining the editorial board for the And We  Created Worlds and community anthologies, gaining non-profit management experience, and teaching young writers at the Free Creative Writing Lab through the Young Writers Program.
    YAC Denver Instructor: TBD
    YAC Online Instructor: Jesaka Long

Tuition is $550 per semester; full and partial financial aid is available. (Apply to YAC first, and after you are accepted, you can request financial aid.) YAC members make a year-long commitment to the program, but can pay by semester!


Please take your time with this application. Answer the questions as fully and thoughtfully as possible.

Lighthouse Writers Workshop