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Call for Applications:  Young Adults and Their Literature:  An Inquiry-Based Forum in Conjunction with the 30th Youngstown State University English Festival.  April 17-19, 2008.

The Youngstown (OH) State University English Festival Committee invites scholars in English Education and Young Adult Literature, teachers of English/Language Arts, librarians, and other interested professionals to apply to participate in an inquiry-based forum centered on the 30th anniversary celebration of the YSU English Festival. 

The Youngstown State University English Festival annually brings about 2500 middle and high school students to the Youngstown State University campus over 3 days to take part in a host of events that celebrate reading and writing.  Students hear presentations from YA authors and teacher-scholars and participate in contests, games, and workshops involving reading and writing. 

2008’s Festival features presentations by Chris Crutcher, Joan Bauer, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Christopher Paul Curtis.

Successful applicants will attend 2 days of the 2008 Festival (Thursday and Friday, April 17-18), experiencing this unique university/school collaboration as a backdrop against which to investigate the interactions of young adults, young adult authors, professional educators, and community members engaged in the activity of reading, writing, and talking about young adult literature.  In addition, attendees will work in small groups, deconstructing the experiences of the day and inquiring into professionally relevant issues such as:

• What makes university/school partnerships effective?
• How do YA authors react to their readers, and vice versa?
• How do young adults respond (verbally and in writing) to YA literature?

The forum will conclude on Saturday (April 19) with additional presentations, reports by work groups, and an open discussion of issues raised during the experience. 

Because of our focus on collaborative work, attendance is limited.  Applications are available on the YSU Festival website (www.ysuenglishfestival.org) and must be downloaded and completed manually and postmarked by February 29, 2008.  Notification of acceptance will be made on or before March 7, 2008.  Information about lodging, meals, and transportation and a full conference schedule are also available on our website.

A further note:  This will probably be unlike any conference you have been to.  Its aim is not to have scholars profess what they already know about young adults and their literature, but rather to use the English Festival as a “laboratory” in which to observe and interact with students and authors.  However, this is not simply an “observing” experience.  Attendees will be given active roles as Festival presenters, group session leaders, and forum facilitators.  Publication of forum proceedings and results is being explored, with full participation by interested attendees.