The Octavia Project, co-founded by MFAW-VT alumna Chana Porter, has received full sponsorship for their 2017 program from Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, of VanderMeer Creative.  The sponsorship will enable sixteen Brooklyn girls to have a summer of interdisciplinary creative writing and art workshops, focusing on sparking a love of science and tech while valuing their imagination.
Three years ago, as part of her Goddard MFAW teaching practicum, Chana Porter co-founded The Octavia Project in Brooklyn, NY. The Octavia Project is a free program that uses girls’ passion in science fiction, fantasy, fan-fiction, and gaming to teach them skills in science, technology, art, and writing, equipping them with skills to dream and build new futures for themselves and their communities. Their inspiration and namesake is Octavia E. Butler, who broke barriers in writing and science fiction to become an award-winning and internationally recognized author (Kindred, Lilith’s Brood). The Octavia Project is inspired by her visions of possible futures and commitment to social justice. Find out more about their work at www.octaviaproject.org or contact info@octaviaproject.org.