In this new occasional feature, we’ll highlight cool things people are doing to promote our community and creativity! This month, we spotlight two innovative collaborative programs in downtown Bend that support young artists and writers: Poet House’s CADA/CASA Project and Dudley’s Bookshop Café & The Nature of Words’ Storefront Project.

Poet House & CADA/CASA (next door to Thump, above the Wine Shop): Slam poetry and the art of hip-hop, stencil graffiti, silk screening and t- shirt design, art movements and technique, and more are being offered to high school students across Central Oregon by CADA/CASA, a community education project. Currently, they have students interested in taking these classes who do not have the financial means. Please visit the CADA/CASA website to learn how you can become a sponsor.

Dudley’s Bookshop Café & The Nature of Words (135 NW Minnesota Ave.): The Storefront Project is a new program that provides free drop-in creative writing workshops and one-on-one writing and language arts tutoring for middle- and high-school students. It aims to appeal to all segments of young writers, including traditional and alternative school students, home schoolers, homeless students, and everyone who is interested in developing creative writing skills. Students can drop in any time and participate in a workshop on Mondays or Thursdays between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. Individual tutoring is available after the workshops.

For details and to make a donation, please visit the Nature of Words website.

The Bend Bulletin recently reported on the Storefront Project. (Note: You will need an online Bulletin subscription to read the full article).