OUR STORY
A television writer and a high school student unpack laptops at a coffee shop and debate narrative structure. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist breaks down her technique to an audience of eager young women. A high school principal invites a promising student into her office and hands her an application. A writer finally gets the cadence of her poem just right and her heart beats a little faster with pride. This is Girls Write Now.
Founded in 1998, Girls Write Now is the first organization in the country with a writing and mentoring model exclusively for girls. From young women exploring writing to seasoned professionals practicing their craft every day, Girls Write Now is a community of women writers and digital media makers dedicated to providing the guidance, support, and opportunities for underserved high school girls to develop their creative, independent voices, and write their way to a better future.
Girls Write Now has built a record of achievement and innovation as one of the nation’s top afterschool programs, distinguished twice by the White House and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. We have been featured by The New York Times, NBC Nightly News, Newsweek, People Magazine, by Time Out New York as a top place to volunteer, and by Youth, I.N.C. as one of the most enterprising nonprofits improving the lives of New York City youth. In 2014, we were recognized by the Nonprofit Excellence Awards as one of New York City’s top ten nonprofits, by the New York City Council as one of the city’s top six girl-funded initiatives, and by NBCUniversal Foundation’s 21st Century Solutions with a grand prize social innovation grant. In 2015, Diane von Furstenberg named Girls Write Now founder, Maya Nussbaum, a People’s Choice Nominee.
In a world where women of color are the most underrepresented voices in media, Girls Write Now teens are 93% high need and 94% girls of color. In a country where 27% of high school students do not graduate with proficient writing skills, 100% of our seniors attend college, armed with portfolios, awards, scholarships, new skills, and a sense of confidence. Our girls have performed at Lincoln Center and the United Nations, published original work in Newsweek,ELLE India and our award-winning anthology, and earned hundreds of prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
BE A MENTEE
“When I was 14 years old, I wrote, but I never called myself a writer until Girls Write Now told me I was. And then I couldn’t wait to call myself a writer again.” — Brittany Barker, mentee
If… the pages of your notebook are scribbled full your visual story lives on Tumblr you can’t leave your house without a pen you don’t go to sleep without blogging your thoughts the callus on your middle finger is big enough to have its own zip…you sound like a Girls Write Now mentee.
Life is better in twos. Form a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a professional woman writer and media maker to transform the fierce words in your journal into powerful stories, poems, podcasts, plays, eBooks, blogs, and more.
Girls Write Now offers two distinct mentoring programs: the Writing & Mentoring Program and the Digital Media Mentoring Program. Each is designed to provide mentees with the tools and support to critically develop their writing skills and explore new modes of creative expression.
The 2015-16 Writing & Mentoring Program will focus on the exploration of literary sub-genres within categories including poetry, fiction, memoir, journalism, and screenwriting/playwriting. This program is recommended for young women interested in developing a body of creative work across genres, and in building core writing skills for internships and college.
The 2015-16 Digital Media Mentoring Program will focus on the exploration of literary work in diverse media, including video, sound, animation, social and online networks, and creative coding. This program is recommended for young women interested in developing a body of creative work in a range of media, and in building digital skills for internships and college.
YOU COULD BE A GIRLS WRITE NOW MENTEE IF YOU ARE:
- A New York City girl from any of the five boroughs
- In grade 9-12 for the 2015-16 school year at a public high school
- A native or non-native English speaker with mature English writing & speaking skills
- Able to make a commitment to weekly in-person mentoring sessions, monthly Saturday workshops, and special events from September 2015 through June 2016
- Passionate about writing and growing in any genre, including digital media storytelling
AS A MENTEE, YOU’LL GET TO:
- Form a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a professional woman writer and media maker
- Attend monthly, half-day writing workshops that feature guest speakers who are published authors in all genres
- Receive college prep support
- Publicly showcase work at exhibitions and our annual public reading series
- Publish work in our annual, award-winning anthology or art book
APPLY
We are currently accepting applications for the 2015-16 program year! Click here to apply to be a Girls Write Now mentee. Priority deadline is June 1.
QUESTIONS?
Email mentee@girlswritenow.org
WANT MORE GIRLS WRITE NOW?
- Register for our College Bound Program for advice from the experts about writing a powerful college essay.
- Get inspired by current mentees at our CHAPTERS public reading series
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