Since opening in 2003, the Lehigh Valley Charter HS for the Arts has offered a comprehensive curriculum for high school students, grades 9-12, who have a passion for the arts. In 2015, the school added a literary arts major to its list of offerings, which has since expanded in terms of both students and curriculum. In its inaugural year, the major enrolled roughly 20 students. Now, four years later, the major has grown to nearly 80 students. The curriculum has also expanded with the department’s growth, including such classes as Character Development, Exploration of the Romantic Style, Children’s Literature, Screenwriting, Advanced Film Theory and Practice, and Publications, to name a few. The growth of the Charter Arts literary arts community has led to many great things, including poetry readings, a student-produced literary magazine, submission of student films to the Greater Lehigh Valley Filmmaker Festival and participation in ArtsQuest’s Musikfest Marketing program.

Charter Arts’ Executive Director Diane LaBelle said, “As a high school for the arts, including a literary arts major to the other six artistic majors rounded out the offerings at Charter Arts. The literary arts major elevates the language and reading skills of students to a new level by incorporating film, poetry, and journalism into the already rich exploration of fiction and nonfiction. This is just one more way to help students learn to think critically in preparation for today’s competitive work environment, where we know that employers are looking for young professionals who are not only competent but curious and creative.”

Literary Arts Director and teacher Paul Walsh remarks that the major offers multiple perspectives on many topics, including prevalent ones and past ones. “We don’t shy away from topics that relate to the core of the human experience,” he says. These discussions give students the ability to interact with a diverse community of artists with differing backgrounds and opinions, offering the understanding of multiple perspectives and being able to argue respectfully while also listening to their peers.

Literary Arts is also a community in which the teachers encourage students to use their voices and their stories. The diverse classes and opportunities open up multiple avenues for a variety of students to express themselves. The major not only focuses on the expression through writing, but also through speaking and other forms of art. “My goal is to teach everyone that they have a story to tell,” Walsh says, remarking on his goal when teaching within the major.

Walsh is a passionate teacher and director, putting a lot of effort and time into the major. Most of his enthusiasm toward the major comes from the students, he remarks. “I’m offered a vision of hope for the future,” he says, when asked about why he teaches in and directs the major. He sees the major as “[an] opportunity to say or do something that influences a student to positively impact their future and future decisions.” This year is the first year that students will be graduating from the program after a full four years, and Walsh remarks that he saw the students progress significantly in their work, their minds, and themselves overall. “Something in this program taught these students to follow their passion,” he says. “[The students] are one step closer each day towards finding out who they are.” With hard work and passion, students are expected to prove themselves to themselves by the end of each discussion and assignment. Literary arts constantly offers opportunities for students to learn and grow by themselves and with classmates. The major is an exceptional place, allowing students to grow each and every day.