Centauri Arts Academy Blog
10 Reasons to Join Centauri Arts English Tutoring Program
Our English program is unique. All four of our instructors are published authors with MFAs in Creative Writing and years of teaching experience. We use our love of words and literature to inspire our students to reach new heights. We focus exclusively on Reading and Writing skills – spending extensive time on both. Language Arts and English curricula include not only Writing and Reading, but also Oral Communication and Media Studies. This means that in [...]
Young Writers: 8 Markets Looking for Your Work!
Getting Published... There are plenty of places that young writers can submit their creative writing: magazines and writing competitions are great options. If you have a short story, poem, novel excerpt or even art piece you would like to see in print, check out the following options: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/teens/young-voices.jsp This is a creative writing magazine published annually. They accept art, too! You must live in the Toronto area to submit your creative writing. https://thewalrus.ca/amazon-first-novel-award-youth/ This one [...]
Fine Arts Classes for Kids & Teens!
Centauri Arts has Digital Art Classes for kids & teens, and Fine Art Classes for kids & teens, all beginning in January 2022. Our Digital Art Class is virtual, so it’s available to anyone, wherever you live. Students use free software easily available online to explore the techniques and creative skills needed to create characters, build worlds and more. Each semester, our digital art class has a different theme and focus – everything from science [...]
Creative Writing Classes for Teens: 10 Ways to Get Inspired!
Young writers in our creative writing classes often ask for writing prompts they can use to write poetry and short stories in their own time. Here’s 10 ways to find inspiration for your creative writing: Spend a day noticing whenever you smile, and what caused it. This is a great way to write poetry! Ask random questions on social media, and use the responses as writing prompts. Example: in ten words, what is something you [...]
Creative Writing Classes for Teenagers at the Centauri Arts Academy
Screenwriting Classes, Short Fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Fantasy… we have it all at the Centauri Arts Academy, starting January 2022! We are thrilled to announce that our popular Screenwriting program is back for Semester 2! This virtual program is taught by the talented Abby Buchmeyer, who is an award-winning screenwriter working in Writers’ Rooms in New York. Abby has been involved with Centauri Arts for more than a decade and currently teaches our Screenwriting Masterclasses [...]
Join us for NEW after-school arts classes starting January 2022!
As we move out of the pandemic, most of our programs are now in-person at the Centauri Arts Academy, including FILM CLASSES, CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES, ACTING CLASSES & FINE ART CLASSES for children and teens. We’re also offering ONLINE CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES and ONLINE DIGITAL ART CLASSES for teenagers. Why join our after school and weekend arts classes for children and teens? We have an experienced faculty of instructors, many of whom have taught with [...]
How do you Plan a Novel?
So you love creative writing and you have an idea for a novel – but where do you begin? Here Are Some Tips to Get You started! 1. Map out your story. Begin by doing this in a general way. What is the ‘status quo’ for your characters before the story begins? What is the climactic event of the story? How is the character changed by the end of the novel? 2. Identify key elements [...]
12 Best Novels ALL High School Students Should Read
With so much content clamouring for attention, novels often get less class time than they deserve. When students read widely, they think more deeply, and their writing naturally improves. Here’s a list of twelve novels all high school students should read – either because they are enduring classics which have impacted our world, or because they speak to issues vital to our contemporary world. All these novels offer a gripping read, and themes of relevance [...]
English Enrichment at the Centauri Arts Academy, Toronto.
Why English Matters When we began our small-group English tutoring program in September 2020, we were surprised at the needs of the students who joined us. Some were struggling in school and hoped to improve their grades – that we had expected. But many students joined for other reasons. Some loved language, and felt their English class in school did not adequately meet their needs. Others wanted the opportunity to explore more literature, or to [...]
What Happens in a Creative Writing Class?
This fall, in addition to our regular virtual and in-person creative writing classes, Centauri Arts will be adding two new courses: a Junior Creative Writing class for ages 9-14, and a Short Fiction course for more experienced writers. But what happens in our creative writing courses? As creative writing classes become more popular among young people, this is a question many parents – and young writers – may have. Read about our Creative Writing Classes [...]
