Kathi Appelt
Faculty Emerita, MFA in WCYA
MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults
The first MFA in the country to focus exclusively on writing for young readers, the Writing for Children & Young Adults program is a diverse and dynamic community of writers.
About the Program
Key Information
Summer Dates
- Residency: July 21–29, 2023
Angela Franklin
Associate Director of Admissions
[email protected]
513-488-1244
Who is it for?
The program is ideal for those who want to take an active role in shaping their own education in a model that balances rigorous academic critique with nurturing aesthetic support. At VCFA, you’ll develop a strong network of personal and professional connections with fellow students, alumnx, faculty, publishers, agents, and more.
How will your practice develop?
Faculty and alumnx from the MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program are New York Times bestselling authors, National Book Award winners, and Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King honorees. Our faculty are invested in strengthening your writing practice for the next two years and the rest of your life.
We get close with each other. We learn from each other. We support each other.
Alex Abraham
| 2023
Residency
Experience VCFA’s low-residency model
VCFA’s academic calendar is divided into two semesters per year: a summer and winter semester respectively. Each semester begins with a 9-day residency that provides a vibrant whirlwind of workshops, lectures, panels, discussions, and readings. Students, faculty, and visiting writers come together to connect and collaborate.
During residencies, students also choose their faculty advisor and develop a unique, personalized study plan for the coming semester.
In addition to their kidlit community, students are on campus with our five other MFA programs during residency: Film, Graphic Design, Music Composition, Writing, and Visual Art. Each writer will have the opportunity during residency for interdisciplinary study, work, and networking.
Students seeking an international experience may attend the program’s summer residency in England. Highlights include shared lectures and readings with Bath Spa University’s MA in Writing for Young People program, dining at Exeter College’s High Table, and a historical tour of children’s literature at Oxford University.
Upon completion of the two-year program, students will have attended four unique and invigorating residencies that guide their creative work while offering minimal disruption to their professional life and personal schedule.
SEMESTER WORK
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.
Our mentorship model provides more individualized feedback on student writing than most traditional classroom programs. Our faculty, students, and alumnx are at the center of a support network providing connections across every aspect of the field, from publishers and agents, to workshop leaders, teachers, and translators.
The MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program teaches every form written for young audiences, from picture books to middle grade and young adult, and the diversity of faculty expertise reflects this breadth and depth of instruction. A 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio ensures close personal attention to nurture individual skills, talents, and artistic vision.
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
Katherine Paterson Chair
In 2018, VCFA established the Katherine Paterson Endowed Chair & Faculty Development Fund to support the WCYA program’s greatest asset: its award-winning faculty.
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.
By the Numbers
95%
graduation rate
75
books published by the VCFA WCYA community in 2019
256
total published alumnx
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do this program online?
No, this is not an online program. VCFA’s MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults is a low-residency program. You come to campus for 10 days, twice a year. The rest of the work is done from where you work and live, and work is shared with your advisor through an online platform.
Learn more about our low-residency model.
I have a family/full-time job or both. Can I do this program?
Actually, this program was created for those of us who can’t pull up our lives, move to a campus across the country, and live there for two years. Most of our students are juggling varying responsibilities and are hoping to deepen their craft while meeting their obligations. The low-residency model makes that possible, and the faculty and other students totally understand the struggles. You’ll learn tricks and habits that will help you build the writers’ life you want.
Learn more about our low-residency model.
Will this program help me get published?
Again, yes and no. The two years of the program are all about craft. The faculty will want you to stay focused on your writing, not the business. They believe that the best way to get published is to be the strongest writer you can be. But in the last semester of your program you can begin exploring next steps with your faculty. In addition, since students come in at all different points in their career, you will learn much from your fellow students and visiting writers along the way. A degree from VCFA opens doors in the publishing industry because the gatekeepers know the quality of the work that comes from our alumnx.
View some of our students’ work and read more about our alumnx.
How does VCFA’s program differ from similar ones out there?
Founded in 1997, ours was the first academic program dedicated exclusively to writing for children and young adults. We are experts in the model, the style of education, and the field. So many of the finest writers have passed through our doors as students, faculty, and visiting writers that our program is a veritable who’s who of children’s literature. Our location on a hill in beautiful Montpelier, Vermont, is a bonus, as is our fabulous optional summer residency in Oxford and Bath, England. Our faculty comprises award-winning authors who are experts in helping writers deepen their craft while respecting their individual voice.
Learn more about our residencies abroad.