Marla Albiston, River Valley Experience Coordinator has been involved with the YouthWrite organization for approximately 14 years…she can’t remember the exact number, because she’s been having so much fun! She began as a supervisor for the 12-14-year-old and 15-19-year-old camps, transitioned to being the coordinator of JustWrite (a weekend writing workshop for adults!) for three years, and last year transitioned again to become the coordinator of the inaugural YouthWrite River Valley Experience for young people aged 8-11 years old! She's thrilled to be returning to the role this summer.  Marla completed her Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Alberta (where she was first introduced to the lovely, Gail Sidonie Sobat), and over the last decade she has had the wonderful opportunity to apply her love of education with her passion for dance, working frequently with the Dance departments at Victoria School of the Arts, Vimy Ridge Academy, Queen Elizabeth High School, and currently, Eastglen High School. In addition, she works as a freelance dance teacher and choreographer, dances with the Contemporary company, ViVA, and trains in aerial circus with Firefly Theatre and Circus. Most importantly, she’s beyond excited for all of the writing, learning, creating, sharing, and playing that will be taking place at  YouthWrite this July!

Dylan Thomas Evans is a physical theatre artist and graduate of MacEwan University's Theatre Arts Program. He holds his Advanced Performer’s Certificate from Trinity Guildhall London, and recently participated in Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim! You may have seen him in The Canadian Badlands Passion Play, or performing as member of and beatboxer with the Spoken Word Choir or coordinating the Spoken Word Youth Choir as mentor. It’s Super Dylan’s second year of YouthWrite River Valley Experience, and he couldn’t be more excited to work alongside the wonderful Marla.

YouthWrite Coordinator:

Gail Sidonie Sobat  is a multi-award-winning teacher and author, with eleven books for children, teens and adults, and a number of educational and academic articles. She is the YouthWrite creator/ coordinator, an international presenter, an instructor in the professional writing program at MacEwan University and in the Faculty of Education at U of A, is The Writers' Union of Canada Regional Representative for Alberta, NWT and Nunavut, and was writer in residence with the Metro Edmonton Federation of Libraries (2015). Gail is a 2016-2017 Global News Woman of Vision. She has moved thirty-two times in her life from Badlands to Siksika Nation Reserve to hideous suburbs to Istanbul to the Sunshine Coast to her writer’s garret in a century-old temperamental house. She adores all of her Supers equally, and loves YouthWrite madly!