Open to all middle and high school students, fourth annual camp session runs March 20-July 3 

February 16, 2021 (Pittsburgh, PA) – The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), one of the largest non-profit cultural organizations in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the arts of the African diaspora, today announced dates and additional details for its fourth annual Youth Writers Camp, which will take place virtually. Part of the non-profit organization’s ongoing programming to advance Wilson’s legacy and champion future innovators in arts and culture, Youth Writers Camp is designed to address contemporary issues, including topics related to social justice, while at the same time keeping August Wilson’s literary legacy as a core objective. Sessions are open to all middle and high school students with a love of writing, from poetry and plays, to short stories, songwriting, and more. During each session, time will be allotted for discussions, reading, writing, and sharing; allowing students to freely express themselves in a nurturing artistic environment. 

“Youth Writers Camp is one of the Center’s most important programs, reaching dozens of students across the country to-date, and I’m delighted that we’re again able to continue to offer the sessions virtually, giving students the opportunity to develop their creativity wherever they are,” said AWAACC President and CEO Janis Burley Wilson. “August Wilson was committed to using the arts to give a voice to the people and the places that shaped his worldview, and I’m incredibly grateful to First National Bank Corporation for their generosity and commitment to Wilson’s vision and the Center’s mission to developing new and exciting voices.” 

On Thursday, February 18 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. EST, AWAACC will host a free, virtual, information session for parents and students to learn about the 2021 Youth Writers Camp curriculum and to meet the staff for each monthly session, including this spring’s teaching artists, singer/songwriter, actress, poet and educator Lacresha Berry and educator and community advocate Aquene Watkins-Wise. Youth Writers Camp sessions are $20 per session or $75 for all four. All session participants are invited to take part in the July 3 culminating event, where participants will share their works with students from other sessions and invited guests. For more information and to register for both the free info session and the camp, please visit https://aacc-awc.org/event/youth-writers-camp/. 

To learn more about the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, its year-round activities, and August Wilson: A Writer’s Landscape, please visit https://aacc-awc.org/. 

Youth Writers Camp is sponsored by First National Bank Corporation and an anonymous donor. 

ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER 

The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural center located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through 

year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled and which still resonate today. 

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Media Contacts: 

AWAACC 

Cydney Nunn, cnunn@aacc-awc.org, 412-906-8520 

Julie Danni / Christina Ludgood / Josh Balber Resnicow and Associates Jdanni@resnicow.com / Cludgood@resnicow.com / Jbalber@resnicow.com 212-671-5173/5178/5175