Roxana Calderón

Schools

Roxana Calderón leading a bilingual writing workshop in a New York City classroom, in front of a screen with the day's prompt

For schools & educators

Representation matters. So does language.

Students should get to meet a writer who looks like them and sounds like them. In schools with large international communities, I often see myself in the room.

I was born in Brooklyn and raised in the Dominican Republic. When I came back to New York, I had to learn the language and the school system from the beginning. The people who carried me through were the ones who believed in me: some spoke my Spanish, some were Dominican, and some simply saw something in me and pushed. In the classroom, I try to be one of those people.

I am a registered vendor with the NYC Department of Education. I have taught NYC public school students since 2021, have led workshops with Poets & Writers, and teach in English and Spanish.

How it works

Writing for a real audience

Students write their own pieces, revise them with feedback, and finish with something other people read: a printed anthology, a zine, or a reading for their families.

I adapt each program to the school. I have worked with English Language Learners, students with IEPs, and creative writing classes.

Programs follow the New York State Next Generation ELA Standards.

Programs & services

What I offer

  • Student Publishing Lab

    Students make a real publication, from the first draft to the printed copy they hand to readers.

  • Author Visits & Literary Talks

    I read from my books, tell students how a book goes from a notebook to print, and answer their questions.

  • Student Publication Projects

    Help for schools that want to publish an anthology, a literary magazine, or a zine of student work.

  • Creative Writing & Project-Based Literacy Workshops

    Students write poems and personal stories, revise them, and read them aloud at the end.

  • Teacher PD & Program Debriefs

    Sessions for teachers on how to keep student publishing going after the program ends.

  • Parent & Family Engagement Workshops

    Sessions in English or Spanish where families write and share their own stories.

Let’s work together

Bring creative writing into your classroom or school community. Programs can be designed for students, families, or educators, in English or Spanish.

Email calderoxana@gmail.com

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