We are seeing an unprecedented number of stories written for children and young adults that are unique, diverse, and unafraid to take risks – and students across the country are clamoring for more.
The Writing for Children and Young Adults (WCYA) track at Sierra Nevada University is:
One of the only programs of its kind on the West Coast.
The only program in the country in which every student works with an editor in their entire final semester.
Dedicated to fostering each writer’s unique voice.
Boasts a faculty of some of the most successful, cutting edge authors and professionals in children’s literature.
Children need to see themselves in books; they need to be connected to the uniqueness of their own stories. At SNU we train writers to go out into the industry upon graduation armed and ready to meet those challenges.








The MFA is a two-year degree program that consists of five weeklong residencies, in early January and early August, and four distance semesters. For the first three semesters students work with the award-winning authors on our faculty; for the final semester each student works closely with a professional editor who ushers them through the final stages of their manuscript.
Residencies are held on the stunning SNU Tahoe campus, at 6200′ above sea level in the the Sierra Nevada mountain range. In summer, the shoreline of Lake Tahoe is an easy 10 minute walk. In winter, heated sidewalks wind through tall pines. One of every five residencies is held overseas, with the 2017 winter residency in Jamaica.
There is no formula to writing compelling work for children and young adults; the program is dedicated to fostering each writer’s unique voice and craft. The WCYA track at SNU Tahoe is a safe place to challenge yourself to write without fear and from your deepest creative self. We are all writers here. We all have a voice that needs to be heard.
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Writing for Children & Young Adults Faculty
Our faculty are creators and editors of award-winning, New York Times bestselling, and groundbreaking books of literary and commercial quality for children and young adults.
Writing for Children & Young Adults
Writing for Children & Young Adults