WriteGirl

Many thanks to Women Inspiring NextGen for providing the technology for our new college lab at the WriteGirl office, where we held our recent hybrid College & Career Summit! Through the magic of technology, our teens in the WriteGirl office and online learned how to identify their career interests and map out goals for their college and career path. Our special guests from Cal State LA shared insights for overcoming barriers and imposter syndrome and encouraged our teens to follow their passions. One teen said, “Usually thinking about college is stressful, but today it felt uplifting instead!” Photo credit: Nicole Ortega

WriteGirl is proud to be a 2024 Poetry Foundation grant recipient! We’re grateful for the foundation’s support of our creative writing workshops throughout the year, including our recent hybrid Poetry Workshop at The Democracy Center in Los Angeles! Our teens explored the vibrant exhibits at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA | The Museum of Contemporary Art next door, to inspire their poetry. They wrote about topics spanning from oranges and kaleidoscopes to maple trees and home. We love this line that WriteGirl alum Shandela Contreras shared, “I would write today. Like it’s the only thing that keeps us alive.” #PoetryHeals Photo cred: Nicole Ortega and Jenny Rolapp

Attention teen girls and gender-expansive teens! We are hosting our annual WriteGirl Poetry Workshop this Saturday, Jan. 25th in Downtown Los Angeles, and we invite you to join us as we explore the healing power of poetry during this challenging time in our Los Angeles community. Whether you're curious about writing poetry, a practiced poet, or just want to hear some inspiring pieces and connect with a caring community of writers, there is something for everyone. If you can't make it in person, you can also join online. RSVP at https://lnkd.in/g7zgVje5

We are heartbroken about the destruction from the fires in the Los Angeles area and we know that many people in the WriteGirl community have been directly impacted – all of us are reeling from the unfolding situation. We are hoping for the safety of all Angelenos and our hearts are with you. We’re grateful for the helpers and first responders who are working hard for the safety of all. We’re so glad to see the collaboration and resource sharing between organizations, and we’ve offered some specific information and guidance to our mentors and parents of our teens. WriteGirl is here to be a comforting community of support for our teens and volunteers as we move forward in the recovery. Angelenos are resilient and caring, and together, we will get through this.

Throughout the year, the WriteGirl College Access Program hosts college entrance workshops and provides one-on-one mentoring to our teens to help them through every step of the college application process. Let us introduce you to a few of our alums in college who credit WriteGirl for helping them on their college path, and consider making a tax-deductible donation to at?writegirl.org?to help us continue supporting teens on their pathway to college, regardless of their circumstances. And special thanks to Women Inspiring NextGen?for providing new technology at the WriteGirl office for the WriteGirl College Lab for hybrid college and career workshops!

We want to give a special thank you to our WriteGirl Teaching Artists, who often travel long distances throughout LA County for all our Partner Programs. They bring books, journals and art materials to young people, rolling their supply carts through parking lots and city streets. They persist, despite their own emotional journeys as they do this work, to support and uplift young people all year long, helping them write and create their way through their current situations and challenges. You are bright lights, and your dedication is immensely valuable to hundreds of teens. Learn about the work our teaching artists are doing in youth detention facilities, community centers, libraries, schools and more at?https://bit.ly/4gRPUfA

It’s been a busy year at WriteGirl, as we held a record number of workshops (157!) and participated in nearly two dozen community partnerships, ranging from recording studios to local museums. Check out some of our 2024 highlights in our latest newsletter:?https://bit.ly/49V3jB3

We are always trying to tell the WriteGirl story in different ways, so even though we aren’t “MathGirl” we wanted to share some of the numbers that tell the story of the past year at WriteGirl! Read our latest newsletter at?https://lnkd.in/gNu3RB5P tax-deductible donation will help us maintain and grow all the powerful relationships with youth that we have developed. Donate at?https://lnkd.in/g9W5iFj.

For the past two years, WriteGirl has been working with a group of young women in Kampala, Uganda, online, guiding them in developing their creative writing skills and confidence. In the beginning, the teens were hesitant to share what they wrote, timid and unsure of their own voices and ideas, but they have grown into bold and captivating writers, eager to learn and eager to share. Learn more about our Uganda program in our latest newsletter at?https://lnkd.in/gYXSMSJ4

Over the past several years, it has been thrilling for us to publish the creative work of our members in our online literary journal, Lines & Breaks. Your donation supports WriteGirl in helping more teens find the creativity and joy in their everyday moments. Check out our latest newsletter and learn how WriteGirl gives teens skills to turn specific memories into poetry, stories and songs:?https://lnkd.in/gtzpaMFM