Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute Young Writers' Institute

Welcome to Our Community!

Every Writer is Welcome!

Our programs are great for any writer at any level! We maintain a stress-free environment where students can feel supported and successful. We welcome every writer - from those who need extra support to those who are accomplished authors. We offer a variety of classes, camps, and workshops so that students can work on what interests them.

Writing is an art as well as a skill. We recognize that writing can be intimidating for students who lack confidence with the "art" part or who struggle with the "skill" part. We make an effort to meet each writer at their current level and take small steps to grow from that point. Small class sizes ensure that each student receives plenty of individual attention as well as support, guidance, and feedback along the way. Most parents report great growth in their students' willingness to write, confidence, quality of content, and skill in mechanics.

Meet Your Teachers!

Casey Midkiff

Miss Casey is a graduate of Elon University and has been teaching for 24 years. She taught public school in Alamance County and Wake County before moving on to homeschool her own two children. During her years as a homeschooling mom, she began tutoring and running writing groups at her kitchen table on Sunday afternoons. In 2013, she decided to move her groups into a classroom and give her little community of authors a name - Young Writers' Institute. Since then, she has had the privilege of working with hundreds of amazing young authors who come together to learn, grow, and express themselves confidently through the written word.

Dawn Bertrand

Casey Midkiff

Miss Dawn has a MS in Education and holds a NC teaching license. She has been a Certified IEW Instructor since 2014. She has been working with children of all ages for over twenty-five years, both in the public schools and in private facilities. She has been with YWI since 2016, tutoring students in reading and writing, as well as teaching IEW classes. She loves working with students and helping them to achieve their writing and educational goals.

tuesday pil

Casey Midkiff

Cassi Nichols

Tuesday Pil was a past young camper at Young Writers Institute in 2015—now turned teaching assistant! She is currently pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing in Fiction Writing from North Carolina State University, and has a BA in English Creative Writing from NC State. As a writer herself, Tuesday is mainly a middle grade novelist that loves reading and writing fantasy, and is represented by an awesome literary agent for her novel work, who is shopping her work to publishers. As a second life, Tuesday also publishes adult speculative works in various literary magazines. When not writing, she can be found playing video games, eating mangoes, playing Dungeons & Dragons, or teaching YWI’s Teen Writer’s Circle. She is passionate about making the magic of writing, as well as the how-tos of publishing, accessible to all age genres and groups.

Cassi Nichols

Laura Peleschak

Cassi Nichols

Originally from South Africa, Miss Cassi moved to the U.S. after earning her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Pretoria. She conducted postdoctoral research in Forest Biotechnology at NC State University, gaining extensive writing experience through publishing scientific research and grant proposals. Later, she worked as a Senior Scientist and laboratory manager at a local scientific service company. When her children reached school age, Miss Cassi transitioned to homeschooling, where she discovered the writing methodology of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). Inspired by its structured approach to developing both organization and creativity in young writers, she became a dedicated tutor. Since 2019, Miss Cassi has helped students grow into confident writers, witnessing firsthand how IEW’s techniques foster clarity, structure, and artistic expression. She is

passionate about equipping young learners—both in public and homeschool settings—with the skills they need to succeed in writing and beyond.

Laura Peleschak

Laura holds a BFA in Visual Communications and a MS in Early Child Development. In the past, she worked in family programming for the Chicago Children’s Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. She also consulted and conducted research in a variety of early childhood education settings. Currently, Laura teaches NC homeschooled students in art and writing during the traditional school year. She is passionate about facilitating experiences that encourage creativity and develop thinking skills in elementary students.

Shelly Mrozek

Laura Peleschak

Miss Shelly is passionate about literacy and has over thirty years of experience teaching students from kindergarten through ninth grade. A graduate of Slippery Rock University in western Pennsylvania, she also holds a certificate in Children's Literature from the World Campus at Penn State University. Throughout her career, she has inspired countless young learners to express themselves confidently through reading and writing. Believing that every student has a unique voice, she aims to help them discover and develop it. She is dedicated to creating an environment where students feel empowered and excited about storytelling. Miss Shelly inspires students to approach writing as a creative adventure where they can share their thoughts and bring their ideas to life.

Welcome to Our Community!

Welcome to Our Community!

Every Writer is Welcome!

Our Programs

Our full calendar is available through May 2027.

Meet Your Teachers!

Meet Your Teachers!

Casey Midkiff

Casey Midkiff

Casey Midkiff

Dawn Bertrand

Casey Midkiff

Casey Midkiff

tuesday pil

Casey Midkiff

Cassi Nichols

Cassi Nichols

Laura Peleschak

Cassi Nichols

Laura Peleschak

Laura Peleschak

Laura Peleschak

Shelly Mrozek

Laura Peleschak

Laura Peleschak

Contact Us

Young Writers' Institute

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