Writopia Lab, a three-year-old, unadvertised, Manhattan gem that imbues confidence in students and improves their grades in school, has successfully made the trip up to Northern Westchester.

The local lab will be run by Léna Roy, a published author and granddaughter of Madeleine L'Engle, renowned author of A Wrinkle in Time. Roy was a New York City Writopia Lab teacher and has just moved to Bedford Hills.

Writopia Lab is open to local students from ages 8 to 18 and provides groups of three to six "serious competitive writers," "kids who need help writing" and anyone in between with creative inspiration and intellectual stimulation.

Students are grouped based on age and not ability. Under Roy's guidance, Writopia participants will use provided laptops to give and receive feedback on novellas, poems, college essays or any other chosen piece of writing over the 15-hour course.

Roy believes that kids are creative, and that writing can help them get a better grasp of the world around them. She thinks that "creativity feeds our souls" and that its development should be encouraged at an early age.

Students do not need to be masters of the rules of writing, she said; it's more important to learn through writing as much as they can.

Although students are learning, they'll have fun too, said Roy. Writing exercises, free writing and laughs are all a part of the course, she added. Many of Writopia Lab's former students have entered their pieces in regional and national writing competitions, taking home such prizes as the Scholastic Writing Award.

Roy's first Northern Westchester workshop, a teen group held in the afternoons, begins on August 23 and has room for a few more students. She plans to recruit more authors and arrange more sessions, including a morning workshop for younger students, according to demand.

Workshops cost $525 per 15 hours; adjusted pricing is available for students in need.

Those interested can email Roy at lena.roy@writopialab.org or stop by Borders in Mount Kisco in September to watch two of Roy's students recite their polished pieces at an open mic night. Roy will be in attendance to support her students, introduce herself to the community and carry on the legacy of her grandmother.