Finding a voice through Power of the Pen

At Tiffin Middle School, young writers have a team to join and a place to belong.

Top photo: Tiffin Middle School Power of the Pen writers display their third-place team awards from a tournament.

TIFFIN, Ohio – At a Power of the Pen tournament, a writing prompt is only the beginning. Students must decide where it leads, creating an original story before the round ends.

For Sara Conner, a Tiffin Middle School teacher who has coached the program since the 1997–98 school year, the work begins long before a judge reads the first page. It begins with giving students a place to share their ideas and feel comfortable being themselves.

Conner describes “all different kinds of kids who come together and share their ideas and know that they’re going to be accepted for who they are.”

That sense of belonging is central to a program that gives young writers both a creative outlet and the opportunity to represent their school. Students can work toward a spot on the competitive team, but they do not have to earn one to be part of the TMS group. An interest in writing, or a desire to improve, is enough.

“That makes Power of the Pen pretty special,” Conner said.

Tiffin Middle School Power of the Pen members gather together at a tournament.

Decades of young writers

Tiffin joined Power of the Pen in the late 1980s, according to Conner, just a few years after the Ohio program began. When she arrived in 1997, seventh- and eighth-graders were still in separate buildings. She and fellow English teacher Kim Jones coordinated the program across Tiffin East and Tiffin West, each coaching a grade level.

The current middle school opened in 2003, and Tiffin began hosting district tournaments in 2004. Conner said the school hosted for 21 years, bringing young writers from other communities together to compete.

Michelle Helkey, who first helped the program as a tournament judge, now coaches alongside Conner. Their work gives students a way to develop their writing in the company of others who enjoy it.

Three rounds, three prompts

The competition puts that preparation to the test. At district tournaments, schools can enter up to six seventh-graders and six eighth-graders. Students write in three timed rounds, responding to a new prompt each time. They move among groups and judges, giving their work more than one audience.

Each student writes independently, but individual results also contribute to the team score. Tournaments recognize both individual writers and teams, with qualifying students advancing from district to regional and state competition.

TMS writers sit together in the stands at a Power of the Pen tournament.

For students who reach state, Conner said, the experience can extend beyond the writing itself. She described past trips that included an overnight stay on a college campus, meals in the campus center and time with other young writers from across Ohio.

There are also ways to contribute without competing. Some TMS members have helped as runners at tournaments, supporting the event even when they were not on the competitive roster.

A community behind the team

Keeping those opportunities available has taken a community’s support.

Conner points first to Tiffin Brake & Wheel and the Perry family. Their connection began when their daughter joined Power of the Pen as a seventh-grader. She is now in her 30s, Conner said, and the family has continued supporting the program for decades.

Mike Perry has volunteered at district tournaments as well as providing financial support. For Conner, that continuing involvement reflects people who are always looking for ways to make their community better.

The Tiffin Middle School PTO, Tiffin Rotary and VFW Post 2858 have also supported the program. The district provides transportation, and students help raise money through sucker sales. Together, those contributions help cover registration and other costs associated with preparing for and attending tournaments.

The team shirt carries a quote from Maya Angelou about the importance of telling your story.

Conner sees Power of the Pen as an important part of offering students a range of ways to get involved in school. For a student whose interests include stories, characters and ideas, it provides a team to join and people with whom to share the work.

How to get involved

This fall, that invitation extends to all TMS students in grades six through eight. Tournament competition is open to seventh- and eighth-graders.

The first two meetings will be Thursday, Nov. 5, and Thursday, Nov. 12, after school until 3:30 p.m. in Room 108, Conner’s classroom. Students can use those introductory meetings to see what Power of the Pen is about before official sign-ups in December.

Students should listen for information during afternoon announcements or talk with Mrs. Conner, Mrs. Helkey or their English language arts teacher. Families can learn more at powerofthepen.wildapricot.org.

A tournament will eventually ask students what they can do with a new prompt. The November meetings offer a place to begin.