General Statement About Workshops:

All of Peggy Rambach’s workshops can be designed for a one-hour presentation, a weekend to two week intensive, and a six - ten week session. All workshops culminate with a reading and website and/or hard copy publication of participants’ work. Participants are encouraged to determine their own topics that are more meaningful and relevant to the writer than guided exercises. All submissions to the booklet/website publication, and participation in the reading are voluntary. HIPAA Laws are observed in health care settings. All workshops in health care settings are followed by a twenty-minute debrief session with staff and/or administrators. Generally, workshop enrollment is limited to 12 participants.

Libraries and Schools

Cross-Generational Memoir Writing Workshop

This writing workshop offers older adults and young adults ages 16 – 18 the opportunity to share work-in-progress for affirmation and critique, as a means of learning the techniques necessary to writing effective memoir. The cross-generational element provides the added benefit of increasing human understanding, by bringing together the stories and perceptions of two different generations.

General Creative Writing Workshop for Young Adults

This workshop gives you the opportunity for young adults to record and dramatize their past, as well as navigate and express the turbulence, complexities of the present through the form of memoir, fiction, and poetry. Under the guidance of author, Peggy Rambach, and with the camaraderie of class members participants will read work-in-progress for discussion, affirmation, and critique, and then revise it as a means of learning the techniques necessary to convey experiences in a way that provides enduring insight to both the writer and his or her readers.

In-service Professional Development Writing Workshops for Middle and High School Teachers

Author, Peggy Rambach, offers one day to ten-week professional development writing workshops for middle and high school teachers in poetry, fiction, the personal essay, or the critical essay.

Peggy Rambach’s writing programs:

Build teachers’ confidence and pleasure in writing by giving them the opportunity and time to write their own poems, stories or essays, and to then present, discuss, critique, and revise their work, all of which will significantly develop their skills in any writing form, and give them a deeper understanding of writing’s significant challenges and lasting rewards.

Demonstrate to teachers what techniques are central to the successful execution of each writing form, so that they can give their students precise suggestions for revision on every draft.

Teach teachers how to effectively facilitate and establish a writing workshop that exhibits a trusting and collaborative atmosphere, offers productive critique and allows for exploration and positive exchange.

Provide teachers with specific writing strategies, and more importantly the means of developing their own strategies derived from contemporary literature and fine art that enable students to adopt an honest voice, explore a meaningful topic and produce insightful and enduring work in any writing form.

Make all literary forms accessible by offering teachers a simple approach to interpretation that acknowledges the author’s emotional source, need to understand, and drive to communicate.

What teachers have said about Peggy Rambach’s one-day programs:

“This course gave me an opportunity to hear about the process of writing poetry and to try to write poems myself using the workshop method. I now have some great poems to build lessons around and new ideas to try with my students. Peggy Rambach was excellent, very helpful.”

“Peggy put a lot of time and effort into the course. I enjoy her style. Hand-outs were excellent.

“We need to continue this thread for more educators.”

“I learned some great new ideas about poetry today!”

Notes of Appreciation from Andover High School teachers who completed a 10 week poetry workshop:

“Thank you for the joy you have given us. How I’ve loved this class!”

“Thank you so much for the time, energy, guidance and inspiration you have given over the past couple of months.”

“Thank you for all your insight and support!”

“Roses are red/Violets are blue/You brought out the best in us that/We never knew!”

Fee Structure:

Standard fee per hour: $60

One full-day residency: $500

6 week residency or 60 contact/non-contact hours: $3,600

All residency fees are negotiable.

Peggy Rambach collaborates with facilities and arts agencies to procure funding for her residencies.