Community Engagement

At SVWC we are proud to call the Sun Valley area home.

Your contribution to the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference goes beyond the Conference itself; it also helps fund our school and community programs, educating, inspiring, and fueling a love of literature and learning among students, teachers, and the entire Wood River Valley.

We collaborate year-round with the area’s schools, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations.

Please read more about our community initiatives and outreach efforts below.

EDUCATE . . . Scholars & Fellows Program

INSPIRE . . . Local School Initiatives

Student/Author Luncheon

SVWC, in conjunction with local high school teachers, chooses an author and book with a topic pertinent to students. SVWC donates 50 copies of the book for students in the spring/summer Language Arts classes. All five high schools in Blaine County are included – Sage School, Wood River High School, Sun Valley Community School, Carey High School, and Silver Creek Alternative School. The students read the book and are invited to attend any of the talks given by that writer during the Conference, including Pavilion talks or smaller breakouts.

The students are also invited to join the writer at a luncheon hosted by SVWC in July during the Conference. In 2019, the featured author was Dave Eggers, who discussed his book, The Circle. Past authors have included Colson Whitehead discussing The Underground Railroad, and Karan Mahajan and his novel, The Association of Small Bombs.

Fall School Speaker

In the fall of 2019, SVWC brought celebrated middle grade author, Pablo Cartaya, to the Wood River Valley to visit the area’s schools and speak to students and teachers, free of charge. He spoke to nearly 800 students at the Wood River Middle School and, in collaboration with The Community Library and Iconoclast Books, also gave a free presentation and book signing in the library’s Lecture Hall.

“Thank you for sharing your story with us. I appreciate that you’re encouraging students to learn their story and to get engaged with their family roots. Now it’s my time to find my story.” – WRMS 6th Grader, Thank You Note to Pablo Cartaya

“Thank you for coming to our school and giving the most awesome book talk ever! I really liked the way you told the stories – it made me laugh so hard I almost cried. Not lying.” – WRMS 7th Grader, Thank You Note to Pablo Cartaya

“Thank you for giving us your story. I have always thought authors of books are celebrities, but you reminded me that they are just ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.” – WRMS 6th Grader, Thank You Note to Pablo Cartaya

Free Student/Teacher Talks

As a part of our Eye on the Future Project and in an effort to share the Writers’ Conference with our community, local students and teachers are invited to attend Pavilion talks for free, as space is available.