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THE NEXT GENERATION OF STORYTELLERS
THE NEXT GENERATION OF STORYTELLERS
ARMES (Arts Reaching Elementary and Middle Schools) has a long-standing tradition of helping Greenville’s youngest artists bring their stories to life through dance, theater, music, and visual arts. Since Fall 2018, the program has also offered Creative Writing for students whose strongest form of expression is the written word.
The Creative Writing program is designed for gifted students in grades 3–8 who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in writing. In this class, students explore a variety of genres—including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and playwriting—while learning to experiment with voice, style, and structure. Instruction emphasizes both the craft and process of writing, giving students opportunities to draft, revise, and share their work in a supportive community of peers.
Through a combination of guided lessons, writing workshops, and independent projects, students develop the confidence and discipline needed to sustain a regular writing practice. They also learn how to give and receive constructive feedback, strengthening both their writing and critical thinking skills.
Chinua Achebe once said that a good writer “doesn't really need to be told anything, except to keep at it.” ARMES Creative Writing provides the encouragement, resources, and dedicated time for students to do exactly that—write, then write more, and write again.
Dr. jessica melilli-hand - central site creative writing Instructor
Dr. jessica melilli-hand - central site creative writing Instructor
Jessica Melilli-Hand has published poetry in literary journals including Zone 3, poemmemoirstory, CALYX, Hunger Mountain, Painted Bride Quarterly, The Minnesota Review, and others. She won first place in the Agnes Scott Poetry Competition three times: when judged by Terrance Hayes, Arda Collins, and Martín Espada. Because she loves working with students of all ages, she has taught the full spectrum from preschool to college. She earned her PhD in English with a primary focus in poetry and secondary focus in fiction from Georgia State University. Her MFA in Creative Writing is also from GSU. She earned her BA in Psychology and her BA in Creative Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.
creative writing is coming to the northern & southern sites in the 2026-2027 school year!
creative writing is coming to the northern & southern sites in the 2026-2027 school year!
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