Collin Callahan was raised in Geneva, Illinois and received a BA in English from the University of Iowa. He is now a 4th year poetry student in the University of Arkansas Program in Creative Writing and Translation. For seven years and counting, Collin has worked with children and adults with disabilities at a summer day camp.
Collin says, “WITS is important because it is a stimulus for possibility. Not only does it provide a space and time for students to practice and experiment with writing, it also gives them the possibility to create something they are both excited about and proud of—whether it is humorous, lyrical, or cute and fuzzy.
Although the WITS program is conducted in the day-to-day classroom, it is a field trip for the brain. We take students to the place where art and language intersect. The writing prompts we present allow students to explore the inside of an anthill, their grandparents’ attic, or even the headache of a hurricane. WITS opens a space, even if for only two days, for students to appreciate language, express themselves, experiment, and create.”