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About
VCFA’s Writing for Children and Young Adults program is uniquely designed to focus specifically on you, your work, and your development as a writer. We don’t teach basic, one-size-fits-all survey classes. Instead, each semester you’ll be paired with a practicing professional in our field who will work one-on-one with you, tailoring their guidance to your learning and professional goals. At residencies, you’ll be exposed to experts in all areas of writing for young readers through lectures, readings, workshops, and seminars. You’ll also create community with your cohort, with WCYA faculty, and with students and faculty across VCFA as a whole.
We get close with each other. We learn from each other. We support each other.
Alex Abraham
| WCYA '23
Program Work
Our award-winning students and faculty push boundaries, break new ground and further cultural conversation with their work. Prepare to be inspired.
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Residency
Each semester begins with a nine-day immersive residency full of hands-on workshops, lectures, readings, and seminars exclusively dedicated to the field of writing for young readers. Accessible in person on the CalArts campus or remotely in the Cloud, students come together with faculty and visiting writers to connect, collaborate, and develop their craft.
What is a Low-Residency MFA?
Mentorship & Individualized Study
Post-residency, students return home to embark on the semester’s faculty-guided independent study project, putting in at least 25 hours a week. Students stay in close contact with their advisors, who review their work monthly and provide individualized feedback.
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Virtual Information Sessions
Join us to learn more about our low residency MFA programs and the application process. Each session will cover: an overview of VCFA programs, low-residency model, the application process and more. Click here to learn more
VCFA INFORMATION SESSIONS
Thoughtful and engaging exchanges with my advisors and my peers were everything. Finding your community of writers who will support and inspire you is the most valuable gift.
Bonnie Pipkin
| 2014
VCFA Stories
Our students, alumnx and faculty inspire us every day with their exhibitions, publications, screenings, performances, and teaching, bringing the magic of VCFA out into the world. Discover the amazing work of our WCYA community.
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ALUMNX STORY: Nora Ericson, 2010 MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults
Nora Ericson (WCYA ’10) is a 2010 graduate of the VCFA MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program and the author of the...
FACULTY STORY: Louise Hawes
In the summer of 2024, VCFA interviewed Louise Hawes, author, educator, and founding faculty member of the VCFA Writing for Children & Adults program. Hawes...
ALUMNX STORY: Julie Berry, 2008 MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults
Meet Julie Berry (WCYA ‘08), New York Times bestselling author and VCFA MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults alumnx. Berry is known for...
Laura Obuobi, 2021 MFA in WCYA
In the fall of 2022, we spoke with author and alumnx Laura Obuobi (WCYA ‘21) about her 2022 picture book publication Black Gold, her upcoming...
WCYA News + Events
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VCFA at AWP 2025
VCFA faculty, alumnx, and current students are set to attend the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference & Bookfair in Los Angeles,...
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Author Louise Hawes Named as the Next VCFA Katherine Paterson Chair
Author, educator, and founding faculty member of the VCFA Writing for Children & Adults program Louise Hawes has been announced as the next VCFA Katherine...
Program Blog
Check out WILD THINGS, the WCYA program’s blog, to hear directly from students, discover our award-winning faculty, and learn why you belong at VCFA.
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Katherine Paterson Chair
In 2018, VCFA established the Katherine Patterson Endowed Chair & Faculty Development Fund to support the WCYA program's greatest asset: its award-winning faculty
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