Teaching artists from Chautauqua Institution are “debuting” a never-before-heard song — “Shooby Dooby Wah” — as the culmination of a play based on the imagination of their third-grade audience.

For the second straight year and over the next several weeks, this type of creativity will become a staple for Lincoln scholars in third grade and their teachers Lauren Jacobs, Rhonda Ricker, Betsy Pope, and Jillian Myers as part of Chautauqua’s Young Playwrights Project.

“The Young Playwrights Project combines the best of in-person learning experiences and asynchronous digital resources in integrating theater and English Language Arts education,” said Suzanne Fassett-Wright, director of Arts Education at Chautauqua Institution. “More importantly, this program encourages students to share their unique view of the world through playwriting.”

The program is presented in three phases. Phase 1 teaches students how to write their play, featuring a team of teaching artists led by Alexandra Nader, whose experience includes the famed “Story Pirates” program based in New York City. During Phase 2, students hear their plays read aloud in their classrooms, led by the teaching artists who are joined with dedicated and talented volunteers from across Chautauqua County.

Chautauqua Institution teaching artists, led by Alexandra Nader, have begun working with JPS and Lincoln Elementary School third graders as part of the Young Playwrights Project.

Phase 3 will bring students to the Institution’s grounds in June to view a select number of plays from classrooms from around Chautauqua County.

All five Jamestown Public Schools elementary schools will participate in the program this year.

The project coincides with Module 4 of the district’s English Language Arts curriculum through Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, titled “Stories on Stage.” Over three weeks, students have been immersed in reading plays like “Pecos Bill” and “Gigi and the Wishing Ring” and analyzing the features of drama, such as dialogue, characters, settings, and literary elements.

The collaboration with Chautauqua is perfectly timed, allowing students to deepen their understanding of drama while transitioning into playwriting themselves.

“Our essential question in this unit is, ‘Why might some stories be better told as plays?'” said Jacobs. “This project brings that question to life by letting students write for an authentic audience beyond our classroom walls. It’s an incredible opportunity for students to see themselves as writers and creators.”

With guidance from a Chautauqua Institution-provided video series, students are taking the playwriting process step by step. From brainstorming unique characters and vivid settings to crafting dialogue and building suspense, the structured approach fosters both creativity and critical thinking.

“We want them to tap into the five senses to create settings that are imaginative and immersive. It’s all about helping the audience visualize the world they’re building,” Myers added.

By encouraging creativity and collaboration, the YPP integrates seamlessly with the district’s emphasis on the Core 4 elements of personalized learning, including creativity, Jacobs added.

“It captivates the students’ interest,” she said. “The actors from Chautauqua are incredibly engaging and motivating, and I love the excitement and buzz in the room when the students begin brainstorming and getting their creativity down on paper.”

The most rewarding part of the project is watching the students discover their potential, added Pope.

“This is truly a project that allows them to show off their creativity and personalities,” she said. “My hope is that they feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work.”

The excitement in classrooms is palpable as students brainstorm ideas, share feedback, and bring their imagination to life on paper.

“I hope that students are able to unlock and discover a new sense of creativity that they might not realize they were capable of!” added Myers. “I am so excited to watch my students’ imagination come to life throughout this project!”