Writers In The Schools


The Writers In The Schools (WITS) programs offers both in-person and virtual author visits to elementary and secondary schools in Nova Scotia, as well as extracurricular Creative Writing Day Camps and the WITS Originals series of on-demand creative writing videos.
Applications for the 2025/2026 school year will open in September, 2025.
For questions about this program, contact program lead Linda Hudson at wits@writers.ns.ca
Overview
Writers In The Schools (WITS) is the most public educational outreach program of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS), bringing award-winning Nova Scotian authors into elementary and secondary schools to provide presentations, workshops, and readings for students of every grade. The program encourages students’ enjoyment of reading and writing and engages them in the development of literacy skills.

Armbrae Academy (Halifax, NS)

Ridgecliff Middle School (Beechville, NS)

Lockeport Elementary (Lockeport, NS)

George P. Vanier Junior High (Fall River, NS)
& Waverley Memorial Elementary (Waverley, NS)
All WITS authors are members of WFNS’s Writers’ Council and are able to cover a variety of topics, such as creative writing, research, journalism, illustration, and comic books.
WITS is a co-pay program: WFNS covers the entirety of an author’s mileage as well as a portion of the author’s fees. The hosting school covers the remainder of the author’s fees: $87.50 for a half-day visit (up to two 45- to 55-minute sessions), $175 for a full-day visit (up to four 45- to 55-minute sessions).
In-person visits: Many WITS authors are open to suggestions and amenable to working with teachers, librarians, and principals to ensure their visits complement school curricula.
In-person visits may incur additional costs: WFNS covers all author mileage, but an author may require a lunch (if booked for a full-day), overnight accommodations (if travelling 2+ hours for a visit), and/or travel by bus or car-share (if without access to a vehicle), to be provided at the expense of the hosting school.
Virtual visits: Many of our authors have adapted their presentations for synchronous delivery to the classroom through video conferencing software.
Virtual visits are an excellent option for schools with access to a stable internet connection.
Investors and Partners
The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia recognizes the Province of Nova Scotia’s support for our Writers In The Schools (WITS) program. We are pleased to offer this program with investments from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and from Arts Nova Scotia. We are also grateful to Cabot Trail Writers Festival, Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award, and Read by the Sea’s Writing on Fire program for their recurring partnership in providing opportunities for WITS authors.