Lauren has been involved in arts education since 2005, and regularly leads writing workshops in schools, community centers, and libraries. She’s passionate about showing people how to have fun with language, shush their inner critic, and use real life as a starting point for great fiction. For more information about Lauren’s school-based workshops, click here.

In 2005 Lauren created and facilitated a three-month poetry salon at Toronto’s Centre For Addiction and Mental Health. Designed on a participation model, the weekly salon guided participants through discussion around a variety of poetry from around the world. Set in an inpatient ward, Lauren’s salon was the first of its kind at the Centre.

Issues around equity and education inspired Lauren to pursue a Bachelor of Education degree at The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 2008. Enrolled in the inner-city schooling cohort, Lauren interned with The Parkdale Street Writers and became interested in creating arts educational opportunities for marginalized members of the community.

She did this in 2009 by launching Sister Writes, a writing program for women affected by poverty, homelessness, and mental illness. Founded on the belief that creative opportunities form the basis of positive communities, Sister Writes offers free writing classes taught by professional writers in the community. Women also learn valuable organizational, publishing, and presentation skills as they work toward producing and publicly launching a magazine of their own writings.

Lauren has also led numerous one-off creative writing workshops for organizations and festivals including Diaspora Dialogues School Program, which partners high school students with working writers to promote creativity, Neighbourhood Diaries, an arts education program presented in collaboration with Harbourfront Center, Harbourfront Centre, and the Luminato Festival of Creativity.