Community Outreach
The Department of English is committed to teaching and serving our Memphis and Mid-South communities. Please contact us at 901.678.2651 if you would like to discuss ways we can work together.
Current Outreach Programs
WordSmith Writing Olympics
Middle and high schools are invited to submit teams of student writers to compete in a fun series of writing challenges. Contact Ms. Cathy Dice at cdice@memphis.edu or visit the WordSmith Writing Olympics webpage for more information.
English as a Second Language Classes
Take classes in English or advertise your programs for non-native English speakers. Contact Dr. Rebecca Adams a radams4@memphis.edu or visit our ESL Classes webpage for more information.
Memphis Writes: A Creative Writing Workshop
Are you an aspiring wordsmith with Memphis memories? Memphis Public Library is offering a Memphis-focused writing workshop for anyone interested in sharpening their pen, connecting with community, and learning some local history (curtesy of Dig Memphis, MPL’s digital repository). While we’ll use digital collections from DIG Memphis for prompts and craft instruction, when it comes time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) you can choose to go off-prompt and forge your own path. At the end of the series, we’ll go hard—Memphis style—with a reading, reception, and your own bound collection of the writing you produced. That’s right, your Memphis memories will be immortalized forever.
- Narrative Structure and Place: Using Memphis History as Plot Inspiration
Ever wonder what it was like to witness a duel at the state line? Or maybe you’ve got a story from before the Coliseum shut down? This session will draw on Memphis history to offer instruction on how to turn a moment into a story using techniques in narrative structure.
April 2nd | 5:30-7:00pm - Scene, Summary, and Dialogue: Using the Mysteries from the M Files to Imagine a Scene
Did you know Memphis history is full of plot holes? DIG Memphis has a digital collection devoted to mysterious photos that lack a who, what, when and where. We’ll use writing techniques to imagine what it would be like to be inside the mystery, turning it into a poetic moment or a scene from a story and filling in the gaps with our poetic license.
April 9th | 5:30-7:00pm - Characters and Voice: Using Portraits from the Nadia Price Collection to Inspire Characterization
What’s up, Doc? Have Mercy. Go home, Roger! Characters have distinct voices, and this session will focus on imagining and honing a character’s unique voice, using portraits from the Nadia Price Collection for inspiration.
April 16th | 5:30-7:00pm - Poetic Language: Using Memphis Streetscapes to Inspire Descriptive Writing
We all know that walking in Memphis can inspire song, and this session will explore the ways in which Memphis city streets can inspire the written word. Memphis Streetscapes will give us a glimpse of Memphis streets throughout history, and we will use them to hone our language, painting streetscapes on the page with careful attention to language.
April 23rd | 5:30-7:00pm
Past Outreach Programs
Compose Yourself: AI Literacy Workshop Series Fall 2024
A hands-on workshop series with UofM English faculty and the Memphis Public Libraries on Artificial Intelligence. Below you will find a list of current series topics and registration information. This series will be hosted at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library on Tuesdays from October 22nd - November 19th beginning at 6:00pm in room L-56.
- Spotting AI content, misinformation, and scams online. October 22nd | 6:00-7:30pm
- November 5th | 6:00-7:30pm
- View the presentation
- November 12th | 6:00-7:30pm
- View the presentation
- Download the worksheet
- November 19th | 6:00-7:30pm
Compose Yourself 2.0: Digital Literacy Workshop Series Spring 2024
This 8-week workshop series - made possible by Memphis Public Libraries and the Memphis Library Foundation - invited the Memphis community to learn from English and Communications graduate students on topics and skills necessary to navigate today's technological world. Below you will find a list of past series topics and the presentation that accompanied each sesion.
- Introduction to digital literacy, overview of commonly-used online tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Gmail.
- View the presentation
- Introduction to tracking methods and how to protect yourself online, common scam tactics and how to avoid them.
- View the presentation
- Online communication etiquette, ethics, and taking care of your mental health.
- Understanding Artificial Intelligence, the importance of fact-checking online information, and overview of OpenAI's ChatGPT 3.5.
- Methods for spotting and avoiding the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news with an emphasis on algorithms and social media.
- View the presentation
- Navigating online job postings and LinkedIn as a social media site and networking community.
- View the presentation
- Preparing digital resumes, cover letters, and professional emails.
- View the presentation
- Preparing for modern interviews, the virtual interview, remote work, and an overview of Zoom.
- View the presentation