Strolling down Bloor Street, just west of Dufferin, people may be surprised to see a modest storefront advertising itself as an “intergalactic travel agency, since 2025.” Inside, a cafe serves lattes and lemonade, and space-themed art adorns the wall, and the agency’s real mission come to light. This is Story Planet, a charity devoted to helping kids in grades one through twelve become better writers.
“We believe strongly in helping kids find their voice. We have free workshops in writing, creative arts, and media,” explains Liz Haines, Executive Director (“and Alien Chieftess”) of Story Planet. The organization runs programming for budding writers. This includes after-school writing groups for teens and children; workshops that combine illustrators, facilitators and kids in a narrative free-for-all; and a classroom program that asks students to imagine what would happen if an alien ship crash-landed on their school. Participants often receive a copy of their work at the end of the workshop, and books of student-created stories are also available for sale at the cafe.
This Thursday, Story Planet will be hosting its first-ever
open house. “We have so many people who are interested in what we do, and ask about what we do. This is their chance to come in and
see what we do.” The open house will offer snacks, free wine and beer, and a reading by BC memoirist Miji Campbell. “It’s also a fundraiser, so we’re raising money to get the books published and into the hands of the kids who created them.” The fundraiser aims to raise enough to publish two books, but, as Haines explains, “there are actually four publications that are ready to go, and people can walk around and look and them and give us feedback on which ones they’d like to see in print. “
Since Story Planet opened nearly three years ago, it’s affected hundred of students in the neighbourhood and across Toronto. This open house, Haines says, will help "celebrate the kids. It’s so exciting to be able to pass on what they’re done.”