Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By IAN MINIELLY
Ironwood — What better way to launch the summer reading program at the Ironwood Carnegie Library than to bring the Brainstormers?
From lower Michigan, the group will launch Ironwood Area Schools’ student creative juices for 350 students. Lynne Wiercinski, Ironwood Carnegie librarian, said over the winter the library wrote a grant proposal and was awarded a grant.
The project is supported by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs Minigrant Program, administered by Region 1A Copper Country Community Arts Council. The program is also receiving funding assistance from the Irene Banfield Foundation.
Wiercinski said the Brainstormers are coming for two and a half sessions with area students.
The first session is May 2 for second through sixth grade students. On May 2, the students will focus on creative writing as a group. The Brainstormers will return home, while asking the students to write their own creative stories. They will then select six stories from the group and turn them into full-fledged productions.
Upon returning June 4, the Brainstormers will return with props and all the production gear they need for the six chosen stories, while interacting and using tstudents in the production.
Wiercinski said the program captures two of the library’s areas of emphasis, writing and creative arts, and is “an excellent way to close out the school year and launch the summer reading program.”
The Brainstormers will stick around after the production and put on a writers’ camp for 30 select students after the two assemblies.
The Brainstormers website at brainstormersfun.com/home lists the program as having inspired “over 2 million young people to write stories, perform as actors, fend off bullying, and experience the joy of creativity.”
