First Story launches national campaign to encourage creative writing in children
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Global social media agency We Are Social are supporting creative writing charity First Story to launch the first National Writing Day on 21st June.
Research has shown that children who enjoy writing very much are eight times more likely to write above the level expected for their age, compared with children who don’t enjoy writing at all (23.2% vs 3.2%). So, First Story and We Are Social will encourage children to channel their creativity into the written word on National Writing Day with the campaign ‘View from my Window’. Primarily targeting Secondary schoolers, the campaign aims to inspire children start writing and enable them to share their story with the world.
‘View from my Window’ taps into an established technique to help writers get rid of their writer’s block – simply describing the view from their window – and harnessing it to inspire new writers. The campaign kicks off with both influencers and First Story ambassadors sharing what they can see from their window on Instagram and encouraging their followers to do the same, with the hashtag #TellYourStory.
A short film showcasing influencer activity will be distributed via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to encourage participation on National Writing Day itself. PR activity will support the campaign, targeting local and national print and broadcast media.
A teaching resource has also been created and distributed to 70 secondary schools across the UK, explaining the View from my Window activity and how they, and their pupils, can participate with on the day. Schools and key partners have also been provided with a polaroid style window sticker, which is designed to encourage participation.
Mónica Parle, executive director,First Story said: “We wanted to work with an agency that was as passionate about writing as we were, and We Are Social fits the bill perfectly. Offering pro bono support to a charity our size has been really important. ‘View from my Window’ is simple but stacked with creative potential. We’re looking forward to inspiring young writers everywhere.”
Jim Coleman, UK CEO, We Are Social from said: “In a society dominated by images and visuals, putting pen to paper allows us to better explore what’s deep in our minds, to reflect who we are. Writing is so much more than what we’re taught in classrooms – it’s a tool for all creative expression. We hope this campaign will encourage children all over the UK to start writing.”
National Writing Day is a collaboration between First Story and more than thirty-five partners including the Royal Society of Literature and the National Writing Trust.
