Girls Write Now
With Mentors At Their Sides, Girls Find Their Voices
Every girl has a story to tell—and through the framework of writing and mentorship, Girls Write Now provides a community in which underprivileged NYC girls receive the support and encouragement they need to find their voice, and tell their own unique story. The program matches teen girls and professional women writers in pairs for weekly meetings, with mentors becoming the girls’ tutors, role models, inspirations – at minimum a year-long relationship that often continues through high school, and beyond. The program also brings groups of mentors and mentees together for rigorous monthly workshops, encouraging creative experimentation and risk-taking as they cover six genres of writing annually. These carefully-fostered words are collected in writing portfolios, and the girls ultimately present their personal compositions to an audience of their peers and the public each spring, helping them build speaking skills, resilience and strong self-image in a non-competitive setting. Each year culminates in the publication of an anthology of the girls’ work that honors the season’s accomplishments, and truly earns its place of honor on bookshelves both far and wide.
“Girls Write Now has made me see that my writing can be truthful and my voice powerful, as long as I am willing to take a risk.” – Ceasia, Girls Write Now Class of 2011
Girls Write Now believes that fostering girls’ education and building their self-esteem is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty: 88 percent of women who finish their college degree move permanently out of poverty. While half of New York City’s youth fail to complete high school, 100% of GWN’s seniors graduate and move on to college – bringing with them awards, scholarships, a new sense of confidence and new skills. In 2009, the President’s Committee on the Arts & the Humanities distinguished GWN as one of the top 15 after school arts and culture programs in the nation. The Catalog for Giving similarly recognizes the innovation of this phenomenal organization and has chosen Girls Write Now to join The Catalog’s Sixth Edition.
“Writing is a way to understand the world, and myself. This is just the beginning.” – Massange, Girls Write Now Class of 2011
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