Daily sign-in begins at 8:45 a.m. each day. We officially start the day at 9:00 am with Community Prayer, then proceed to the first session at 9:10 am.

There will be three hours of instruction, plus lunch and daily Mass, Monday through Thursday.

We will begin signing out students at 1:15 to 1:30 p.m. each day. You will be emailed details of the drop-off and pick-up location and procedures. Please be punctual. If you have an emergency, please notify us at 713.331.9342. There will be a charge of $5/minute after 1:50 p.m. each day.

Friday will be devoted to a reading beginning at nine-thirty a.m. by each student of work written during the week. All parents and friends of the students are invited to attend this public event on the UST campus. Parents may take their children home after the reading.

The HSWI provides a pre-collegiate setting in which high school writers can refine writing style, develop greater technical proficiency, learn the strategies of master writers, and gain inspiration from great works of literature. Hesitant writers bloom in a supportive environment as they learn new craft strategies and develop the confidence to think of themselves as writers. Students who already see themselves as authors work toward personal writing goals, develop advanced craft skills, nourish their creativity, and grow under the mentorship of professional faculty writers.

Each day, writers will attend a series of engaging writing workshops to gain inspiration, try out new craft skills, and refine their personal writing styles. Courses focus on engaging topics, such as world-building, verse craft, and new applications of ancient scriptural literary forms. Our writers also learn how to reflect on God’s presence in their lives and craft personal narratives, a skill which will help them write college application essays but will also aid in numerous future professional endeavors. They will attend lectures, workshops, and informal lunch sessions with our renowned guest writer, James Matthew Wilson.

The Writer’s Institute provides:

• The joy of belonging to a writing community

• Inspiration from great literary works

• Individual writing time

• Individual conferencing with instructors

• Teacher feedback on students’ writing

• Practice of revision technique

• Performance coaching and practice

• Building of a personal writing portfolio that shows a range of skills

Each class is taught by two high-quality, Safe Environment-certified, professional faculty members. High School Writers Institute typically includes two classroom teachers, as well as an assistant, with a ratio of 1 teacher to 10 students.

All our faculty meet rigorous standards for teaching in Catholic education. They are passionate about spreading the joy of the Gospel through sacred Scriptural texts and life-affirming example. 

Our goal is to open the floodgates of inspired and inspiring Fearless Catholic Writers!

We are writers ourselves. Our philosophy is to share writing by connecting students to the power of creative expression. We encourage shy writers and give them additional skills to build confidence. We challenge confident writers to open new vistas of creative expression. We share the wonderful gifts that professional writing has given to us — particularly the ways we create a supportive community of self-expression based on the Beatitudes.

Generally, your teen should bring to camp a labeled bottle of water, his or her lunch, a notebook with lined paper, and pencils or pens. Any additional materials will be supplied by CLA.

All students will bring their lunches. All lunch containers must bear the student's name. There is a supervised lunch break roughly midway through the class day. Students may have supervised break time inside or outside a building on the UST campus. Students can bring snacks or a lunch that can be eaten during their lunch or break times.

We have a practical, modest, comfortable dress code for our HSWI students.

This policy aligns with Catholic school conventions and ensures that students are dressed appropriately to attend daily Mass.

All students may wear:

• jeans or pants

• shorts longer than the student's fingertips when arms are extended down the sides of the legs.

Girls have the additional option of wearing:

• dresses or skirts longer than the student's fingertips when arms are extended down the sides of the legs

Students are not permitted to wear:

• sleeveless tops, halter tops, tank tops, swimsuit tops

• shirts that show the midriff or are lower in front than the collarbone

• flip flops

Each class and instructors will attend daily Mass during Camp.

On Friday for the final reading, all students must wear school uniforms or “Sunday best” church clothes.

For the young men, this means trousers or slacks with a polo or button-down Oxford shirt. Many young men also choose to wear ties.

For the young ladies, this means knee-length or longer dresses or skirts, slacks, and a modest blouse. Jeans, shorts, spaghetti straps and other casual clothing are inappropriate attire for the students.

Click here to learn more about the Final Friday celebration.