WriteGirl’s 22nd season was an exciting year of growth, as we expanded WriteGirl programming and increased the number of teens participating — nationally and internationally.

A MENTOR/MENTEE PAIR AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY IN 2023

While the majority of programming was presented online in order to reach teens who would otherwise not have been able to participate, we have resumed some in-person programming and mentoring options specifically for our Los Angeles members.

Teen girls continue to suffer disproportionately from the pandemic and the increased influence of social media on their daily lives. A recent U.S. government survey on teen girls’ mental health found that more than one third of respondents have “feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness.”

WriteGirl is a positive counterbalance to these challenges, offering a trauma- and healing-informed curriculum that encourages youth to share their challenges and successes, helping them connect and empathize with each other through the power of creative self-expression and giving them hope and specific goals for their future.

Overall Expansion

The WriteGirl organization currently serves approximately 1,260 people across the U.S. and internationally; a 129 percent increase from 550 people in 2021.

Broken down by program, WriteGirl serves:

It has been exciting for WriteGirl to increase its capacity to engage with an expanded population through a diverse roster of trained WriteGirl Teaching Artists. Over the past two years, WriteGirl has recruited and trained 14 Teaching Artists to support our community-based programs – 82% are BIPOC, and all are receiving compensation as WriteGirl staff members.

Throughout Season 22, in addition to a robust calendar of online programming, WriteGirl also presented several in-person events (in Los Angeles and Las Vegas). Online programming has made it possible for WriteGirl to offer programming in locations that we’ve never been able to reach before. We have piloted workshops for teens in Uganda and Cameroon, and we are in discussions with a women’s center in Ethiopia and several girls schools in India with a plan to expand to those locations in the near future.

We remain committed to deepening our work with our Los Angeles community and are currently planning and implementing several hybrid events for 2024, allowing for WriteGirl mentees to join in person if they’re in the Los Angeles area, while still offering a virtual component for mentees across the country and internationally. In 2023 we lifted a 3-year moratorium on in-person mentoring here in Los Angeles, and many of our local teens and mentors are now meeting for weekly, in-person, one-on-one writing sessions at coffee shops and libraries.

International Expansion

We’re thrilled to share more about our international programs:

International Mentee-Mentor Pairs: Our mentee-mentor pairs now include mentees from Uruguay, Italy, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Poland, Philippines, Nigeria and Canada. We’ve been able to match these teens with one-to-one mentors, sometimes in their own regions as well as from the U.S. We invite you to watch a video to hear from a few of our international mentees here: bit.ly/3Ex8YxT.

Uganda Program (underway): In December 2022, WriteGirl held its first workshop for a group of teens in Kampala, Uganda. We continue to present workshops for Uganda youth roughly once a month. The teens have shared that they feel inspired and energized by the writing activities, as well as all the discussions with our staff and mentors. We continue to deepen our work with these young women, helping them to enhance their communication skills, as well as set goals for their further education and career pathways.

One teen said, “The thing that I loved about this one is that it opens up someone's inspiration. It’s a breakthrough.” Another participant added: “One thing I've learned from this workshop is that you don't need to scratch your head in order to get what you write about, ‘cause anything around can be your source of inspiration.”

We are currently researching other girls’ schools and organizations in Uganda to seek opportunities to serve additional communities and expand our work in the region.

Cameroon Program (underway): Building on the success of our program for Uganda youth, we are partnering with ExSSA USA, the alumni association for Saker College, a girls’ high school in Limbe, Cameroon. In July 2023, we presented three workshops for youth in Limbe, Cameroon and three workshops for youth in Buea, Cameroon. We are thrilled for this expansion within central and east Africa.

A teen speaks into a small microphone in a classroom — STUDENTS WORK ON WRITING ACTIVITIES AND SHARE THEIR WORK DURING A WRITEGIRL WORKSHOP IN LIMBE, CAMEROON.

Ethiopia Program (in development): We are in discussion with a women and girls’ community center in Ethiopia to see if we can present some workshops for their members.

India Program (in development): We are currently researching girls’ schools in India, and exploring the possibility of partnerships and programming for teen girls in this region.

Writerama (ongoing): Since 2021, WriteGirl has been guiding and mentoring a group of young women from three different countries to help them establish a new creative writing organization, Writerama, to provide writing workshops to teen girls in Tajikistan and across Central Asia. WriteGirl collaborated with Writerama to support them in the presentation of a series of initial workshops in 2022 for 30 teen Afghan refugees residing in Tajikistan. WriteGirl staff assisted Writerama with everything from establishing a name and logo, website, operational systems, intake forms, curriculum, grant materials, teacher training, trauma-informed and healing-centered approaches, volunteer management and more. In 2022, Writerama was awarded their first substantial grant from the Global Fund for Women; WriteGirl continues to mentor the Writerama team as they expand.

Afghanistan letter-writing project (completed): WriteGirl initiated a letter-writing project in which WriteGirl teens, alums and volunteers handwrote personal letters to 300 high-school aged girls in Afghanistan to help uplift them during this time when Afghan teen girls cannot attend school.

Los Angeles and National Expansion

WriteGirl continues to receive requests for workshops and programming at a wide variety of sites throughout Los Angeles County, from schools to community centers to specialized probation facilities for youth.

As a founding member of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN), WriteGirl provides fee-for-service arts education programs in partnership with AHJN, the LA County Probation Department, the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, and other county departments. We are pleased to be continuing and expanding our work with teens who are incarcerated or systems-impacted, helping them develop critical communication skills.

“I enjoyed making up our own characters and our own world.” – Teen from Whittier School District
“I had fun today. I wish y'all will come back. I love doing this type of activity.” – Teen from Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program
“I loved expressing myself.” – Teen from Whittier School District

In the past two years, WriteGirl Teaching Artists led multiple professional development workshops for teachers in various Los Angeles County communities, helping guide teachers in designing effective creative writing curriculum and giving them opportunities for their own creative development and well-being. We are pleased to be expanding our professional development workshops for teachers and workshop leaders, exponentially increasing the number of youth who are impacted through WriteGirl curriculum and approaches.

“I really loved this PD. I gained a ton of new activities and strategies for my classes.” – 10th grade English Teacher, Whittier, CA
“I liked how I was able to learn different strategies to motivate students with their creative writing skills.” – LAUSD Teacher
“I really liked the ease of the writing activities. They were engaging, thoughtful, and relevant to the writer. Thank you!” – LAUSD Teacher

Mentors and teen sit at a table and write in journals — TEEN PARTICIPANTS AT A WRITEGIRL PARTNER PROGRAMS CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP IN ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA.

Altadena Program (ongoing): We now have an ongoing monthly creative writing workshop series for a small group of young teens (girls, boys and gender-expansive youth) in Altadena, California. The main Altadena public library is hosting the series, and several parents help with communications and coordination.

One teen shared: “I enjoyed having a space to spark up my creative ideas and connect with friends again.”

South Los Angeles Program at Horace Mann (in development): WriteGirl is in discussion with Horace Mann UCLA Community School in South LA to present a series of workshops to inspire students to read and write. This is a collaborative program between our staff and teaching artists and the Horace Mann administrators and teachers. We are hopeful that this pilot program can be replicated at other Los Angeles public schools.

Las Vegas Program (ongoing): WriteGirl has been presenting a series of online and in-person workshops for underserved high school girls in North Las Vegas through a partnership with Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart and T.U.L.I.P.S., a Las Vegas nonprofit serving teen girls.

Red Cliff, Wisconsin: Bold Ink Writers Workshops (ongoing): In 2022 - 2023, we hosted a series of 90-minute online creative writing workshops for co-ed youth who are members of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Tribal member and screenwriter Wenonah Wilms is participating as a special guest writer. We launched a second pilot program in summer 2023, using WriteGirl self-directed creative writing activity guides, to engage youth who are participating in Red Cliff summer camps.

WriteGirl and M.E.N.T.O.R.S., Inc. (completed): WriteGirl presented a 12-week workshop series for underserved teen girls in South Los Angeles, in partnership with M.E.N.T.O.R.S., Inc.

John Glenn High School program (completed): WriteGirl presented a 4-week series of creative writing workshops for a co-ed group of high school students at John Glenn High School in Norwalk, CA. We may begin a new series of workshops with John Glenn in 2024.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Building on our history of partnerships with institutions like the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art — as well as event collaborations with the Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles Times Festival of Books) and the Pasadena Festival of Women Authors — WriteGirl has expanded and deepened its relationships with these noted cultural institutions.

“Love Amplified” at The Music Center: WriteGirl collaborated with The Music Center to create a Poetry Jam at The Music Center titled “Love Amplified” on June 14, 2023. The evening featured a collaborative poem written and performed by WriteGirl alums and teens, as well as musical and dance performances by organizations from around the world.

The League of Women Voters Los Angeles: We were invited to have one of our WriteGirl alums write a custom poem to celebrate the 102nd anniversary of the League of Women Voters. WriteGirl alum Arielle Davis performed her poem, “Dear America…” and Volunteer Kelsey O’Brien represented WriteGirl on April 22, 2023 at this special celebration.

Skirball Cultural Center: WriteGirl mentee Jane shared her poetry as a featured speaker at a special event on April 19, 2023 at the Skirball Cultural Center, a distinguished Jewish educational institution in Los Angeles. The event commemorated the publication of the anthology The People’s Tongue: Americans and the English Language, which celebrates the immigrant voices and cultural influences that make American English a uniquely robust and varied language.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: WriteGirl partnered with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County to host a writing day on March 18, 2023. Volunteers, alums, teens and their families enjoyed a day at the museum and embarked on a scavenger hunt as part of a writing activity. Teens allowed the museum's exhibits to guide their writing as they connected with fellow members of the Los Angeles WriteGirl community.
Amanda Gorman and The Estée Lauder Companies: On February 23, 2023, WriteGirl held an intimate, in-person event with WriteGirl Alum and Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, for 20 WriteGirl mentees and alums, in partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies. The evening featured writing stations with engaging activities, journals for teens to take home and a conversation with Amanda about working through impostor syndrome. It was an exhilarating evening for our members.

Several teens and adults smile together — WRITEGIRL ALUM AMANDA GORMAN AND WRITEGIRL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEREN TAYLOR, WITH ATTENDEES OF A SPECIAL IN-PERSON WORKSHOP.

WE Communications: In February 2023, WriteGirl partnered with WE Communications for a virtual workshop for WE staff members celebrating Black History Month through the theme of storytelling. WriteGirl teaching artist Cindy Lamar led a discussion about the power of storytelling and oral traditions to root people, particularly Black and Brown communities, in ancestral knowledge and cultural histories that are excluded from mainstream education. WriteGirl alum poets Kai Adia and Shandela Contreras performed their poetry.

Core Mentoring Program Expansion

In 2022, the WriteGirl Core Mentoring Program provided creative writing workshops, mentoring and publishing opportunities to approximately 375 teens, ages 13-18, and 75 college students and recent college graduates, ages 18-24, who are program alumni. Youth served are primarily BIPOC teens, including LGBTQIA+, gender-expansive and non-binary youth from underserved Los Angeles neighborhoods and beyond.

A teen and mentor smile together — A WRITEGIRL WEEKLY MENTORING PAIR AT THE WRITEGIRL WRITING DAY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

Workshops: During the past year, WriteGirl presented 28 online creative writing workshops, including 6 large-scale, 90-minute sessions presented via Zoom and attended by an average of 175 teens, mentors and volunteers, and 22 “Writing Wednesday” workshops, a new twice-monthly series of smaller-scale writing sessions, attended by an average of 25 teens and young adults.
Mentoring/Volunteers: Nearly 400 poets, novelists, journalists, screenwriters, songwriters, and more volunteer their time to help WriteGirl teens develop a creative voice and confidence. Programming includes mentoring, creative writing workshops, college entrance guidance, publications, performance opportunities, leadership development activities and career-focused workshops. Programs also incorporate music, videos, games, special guests and interactive activities. WriteGirl matched and supported 115 mentee-mentor pairs who met for weekly one-to-one writing sessions outside of workshops and matched an additional 34 mentee-mentor pairs who were matched to work together on specific writing-related projects for school and publication, including 18 pairs who were matched to work on submissions for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. All WriteGirl volunteers complete two days of intensive training and a mandatory background check before working with WriteGirl teens. In Season 22, WriteGirl trained and onboarded 81 new volunteers.

Cover image of "What's Behind the Blue Door" which features an illustrated blue door and pencil on a green background

Publications: On August 1, 2023, WriteGirl published a journal of writing tips and activities through Chronicle Books called What's Behind the Blue Door? Creative Writing Prompts to Invite Inspiration. In November 2022, WriteGirl published the third issue of its online literary journal, Lines & Breaks: A Literary Journal from WriteGirl, titled “Reflections.” It features 38 new pieces of writing, including a poem from guest writer Lynne Thompson, the 2021-2022 Los Angeles Poet Laureate.

College Access: In 2022, WriteGirl met its critical objective of guiding 100% of the 39 high school seniors in its Core Mentoring Program to enroll in college, many with scholarships and as the first in their families to go on to higher education. In addition to presenting five college entrance workshops in the fall of 2022, the WriteGirl Bold Futures Program provided ongoing one-to-one counseling throughout the spring and an additional workshop to help students review college acceptance letters and financial awards. WriteGirl’s education team nominated several teens to apply for the prestigious Posse scholarship. Three WriteGirl teens, from Pasadena, New York and New Orleans, were awarded full-ride Posse scholarships. WriteGirl mentee Nyarai will be a Posse scholar at Smith College; WriteGirl mentee Lael will be a Posse scholar at Texas A&M; and WriteGirl mentee Minal Saldivar will be a Posse scholar at Dickinson College. In February, WriteGirl welcomed 22 Class of 2024 juniors to their first online college-entry workshop to learn about the college program, meet WriteGirl Education Support Team volunteer mentors and hear from a special guest speaker from the University of Pennsylvania.

Two teens with college paraphenelia — POSSE SCHOLARS AND WRITEGIRL MENTEES LAEL AND NYARAI.

International Mentor Matches: As mentioned above, we have matched teen girls from all over the globe with their own weekly mentor, including girls from Kenya, Poland and Uruguay. We are working through the challenging issues that international mentoring has presented, including time zones, cultural differences, governmental issues and more. Our international teens continue to tell us what a life-changing experience it is for them to be working with their own mentor, and we look forward to matching more teens in our upcoming season.

One of our pairs is WriteGirl mentee Sriya, who lives in the United Arab Emirates and mentor Rashmi, who lives in Singapore.
“Rashmi helped me navigate my own journey of self-reflection. If not for poetry, I wouldn’t have been able to address the impact various social encounters have on teenagers’ mental health, realize my curiosity about the history of my Bengali culture, and communicate in rhythmic lines where meaning lies in both the words and the flow.” – Sriya, WriteGirl Mentee

A teen and their mentor smile on a Zoom screen — WRITEGIRL TEEN SRIYA (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) AND MENTOR RASHMI (SINGAPORE)

Workshop Program Expansion: After launching our pilot writing series “Writing Wednesdays” last year, we have made it an official part of our year-round programming, with online workshops taking place twice a month. These smaller-scale writing sessions are attended by an average of 25 teens and young adults.
- “I loved the positive and encouraging environment as well as the inclusivity!” — Kayla D., Mentee, Writing Wednesday workshop
- “I loved to hear that I'm not alone in some things that are happening in school.” — Maria T., Mentee, Writing Wednesday workshop

WRITEGIRL TEENS AND VOLUNTEERS AT A WRITING WEDNESDAY WORKSHOP IN 2023.

Alumni Support: WriteGirl presented six online career-focused workshops from June 2022 to July 2023, and provided mentoring, support and resources to help program alums who are college students and recent college graduates achieve their educational and professional goals. WriteGirl also provided letters of recommendation, networking opportunities and information about graduate programs, jobs and internships. WriteGirl alums participated in our creative writing and college entrance workshops as special guest presenters and panelists, published writing in our digital publications and participated in readings hosted by WriteGirl as well as events from partner organizations, such as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. More than 30 alums were paired with “project” mentors who provided guidance on writing projects and career topics, and several alums worked with members of the WriteGirl Education Support Team, for guidance in preparing applications for college scholarships and transfers.

Curriculum: WriteGirl continued to create entirely new curriculum, prompts and activities for all of our workshops, ensuring that each teen participant will have a completely fresh experience at every workshop throughout their 4-5 year participation in the program. We carefully curate and share work from a diverse group of guests (including artists and writers in the LGBTQIA+ community), including selections that deal with difficult subjects such as racial and gender inequities and social justice. Curriculum promotes understanding by encouraging youth to share their personal challenges and successes, helping them empathize and connect with each other through the power of creative self-expression.

A teen poses with a box of items — A WRITEGIRL TEEN REACTS TO RECEIVING HER CREATIVITY CARE KIT.

Creativity Care Kits: In the fall of 2022 we mailed more than 100 WriteGirl Creativity Care Kits to our teens, providing a journal, inspirational quotes and writing activities to help keep them inspired.

Organizational Updates

Staff Development: WriteGirl’s five full-time and 14 part-time staff members (including Teaching Artists) continued to lead day-to-day operations and play key roles in management and administration of the organization and programs. We also recruited Charlie Dodge, a WriteGirl alum and recent graduate of the NYU-Gallatin School of Individualized Study, to join the team and help support our diversity and inclusion efforts. Staff and key volunteers regularly participate in leadership development and technology training webinars.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access: Throughout the year, 20 volunteer members of the WriteGirl IDEA Team met to review and provide guidance on all aspects of the organization, from programming to strategic planning. IDEA Team leaders regularly report on progress and outcomes regarding inclusivity and accessibility to the WriteGirl board and organization leadership. We are currently developing an IDEA manual for all WriteGirl volunteers with key points about WriteGirl history, as well as tips and resources for all programming. WriteGirl continued working to increase diversity throughout our organization, particularly within our staff and volunteer corps.

Financial Stability: WriteGirl continued to pursue funding from individual, corporate, foundation and government sources. On May 7, 2023, WriteGirl held an in-person “Brunchy Friendraiser” for donors and friends to update WriteGirl supporters on recent activity and raise funds for the organization. WriteGirl mentee Althea read an original poem for attendees, and WriteGirl alum Janel Pineda, a professional poet and PhD candidate, shared her experience with WriteGirl. Each season, WriteGirl receives significant in-kind donations of items that include materials, website management and professional services from our members and the community.

Several adult women smile together — WRITEGIRL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEREN TAYLOR, WRITEGIRL ALUM JANEL PINEDA AND WRITEGIRL ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ALLISON DEEGAN WITH GUESTS AT THE WRITEGIRL “BRUNCHY FRIENDRAISER.”

Board Activity: The board of Community Partners serves as the legal board of WriteGirl, however, WriteGirl has its own 6-member Core Board and 16-member Advisory Board in place to help guide WriteGirl programs and goals on a daily basis. The WriteGirl Core Board met seven times during the past year. One hundred percent of our Core Board Members made financial contributions, including two board members who purchased laptops for WriteGirl alumni who are in college. One board member has also been instrumental in helping WriteGirl obtain corporate grants from her employer for several years. We continue to focus on specific board development strategies, including professional development, increased financial commitments and fundraising efforts made by each board member.

Recent Alum Highlights

One way that WriteGirl measures effectiveness of programming is through the accomplishments of its alums, who are completing college, succeeding in graduate programs and entering the workforce with careers in education, healthcare, law, social services, media and the arts. Here are a few recent WriteGirl alum accomplishments:

Harvard graduate, author and 2021 US Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman, was named Global Changemaker for The Estée Lauder Companies WRITING CHANGE initiative. Earlier this year, she was nominated for a GRAMMY (Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, “Call Us What We Carry”). In 2022, WriteGirl Alum Arielle Davis was featured in Amanda’s course on MasterClass, which was nominated for a Daytime Emmy. With Arielle as her student, Amanda shared her insights and wisdom on writing powerful poetry that can change the world.

Janel Pineda was awarded a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans and is currently pursuing her PhD at the UCLA César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies, with a focus on Central American poetics. Janel is also a 2023 National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) grantee.

Sofía Aguilar published an essay in the Los Angeles Times in July 2023 titled “Crochet isn’t just my hobby. It’s a lifeline to my mother and my Mexican culture.” She also recently published her 3rd chapbook and is now pursuing her Master’s in Library & Information Science at Syracuse University.

Catherine Shonack graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Government and is pursuing a Masters in Literature, Playwriting and Dramaturgy, at the University of Glasgow.

Two teens smile together wearing graduation attire — WRITEGIRL ALUMS SAENAH BOCH AND LUNA GARCIA AT THEIR YALE GRADUATION IN MAY 2023.

Eve Mefferd graduated from Bennington College and is a Research Assistant at the Urban Institute Center on Labor, Human Services and Population in Washington, DC.
Sofia Silvia graduated from Cal Poly School of Journalism and is a producer at FOX61 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Saenah Boch and Luna Garcia graduated from Yale this past May. Luna is starting a new role at NBCUniversal as a West Coast page.

Recent Awards

In 2022, WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor won the Dorothy M. McKenzie Award for Distinguished Service to the Field of Children’s Literature, awarded by the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California. The award is named after the organization’s founder and philanthropist, Dorothy M. McKenzie. Founded in 1961, the mission of the organization is to honor groundbreaking work in the field of children and teens’ literature in Southern California. Part of these activities include supporting organizations like WriteGirl who promote, uplift, and publish the work of children and teens.
WriteGirl’s online literary journal, Lines & Breaks, was named a finalist in the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses 2023 Firecracker Awards, in the category of Best Debut literary magazine.
WriteGirl mentees include two runners-up for the 2023 LA Youth Poet Laureate; the 2022 Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate Runner-Up; the 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate Runner-Up; the 2021 Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate, and 17 recipients of 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Recent Media Coverage

Several people sit on couches — WRITEGIRL SUPPORTER AND LONGTIME VOLUNTEER LAUREN GRAHAM, WRITEGIRL ALUM GRACE LYDE AND WRITEGIRL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KEREN TAYLOR APPEAR ON THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW.

WriteGirl continued to benefit from increased visibility through media coverage, resulting in a greater number of donations, invitations to apply for funding and partnership opportunities.

In November 2022, WriteGirl was featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show alongside WriteGirl supporter and volunteer Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). We were thrilled to have WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor and WriteGirl alum Grace Lyde featured on the Kelly Clarkson couch, where Kelly chatted with Keren, Grace and Lauren about all things WriteGirl.

Additional coverage during the past year has included: TALRadio/Podcast (interview with WriteGirl Executive Director Keren Taylor: “Your Pen is Your Voice”); “Character Development with Suzanne Nugent”/Podcast (interview with Keren Taylor: “The Ripple Effect of Creative Mentorship”); MeTV/California & Me (interview featuring WriteGirl alum Sofía Aguilar and Keren Taylor); KCBS News (interview featuring WriteGirl alums Khaila Amazan and Victoria Rosales); Harper’s Bazaar (coverage of Amanda Gorman in The Icons Issue with a mention of WriteGirl); LA Sentinel (print coverage of WriteGirl’s call for volunteers and general overview of the organization); Los Angeles Daily News (interview with Keren Taylor and WriteGirl Alum Charlie Dodge); Vogue (Interview with Amanda Gorman and mention of WriteGirl); The Hollywood Reporter (coverage of 2022 WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards); NBC4 Los Angeles (coverage of NBC4 reporter Beverly White receiving 2022 WriteGirl Bold Ink Award); Vancouver Sun (coverage of Margaret Atwood receiving 2022 WriteGirl Bold Ink Award).

Evaluation & Outcomes

In 2022-23, WriteGirl teens continued to show significant improvements in writing skills and confidence as demonstrated in pre- and post-season surveys with our teens as well as in conversations, periodic focus groups and meetings with mentors and WriteGirl parents/families.

The mental health needs of underserved teen girls and gender-expansive youth are growing, and LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC youth are especially vulnerable. Our teens tell us that a caring role model can make all the difference, giving them someone to offer them hope and help them set goals for their future.

WriteGirl teens continue to build their confidence and show progress in writing skills and public speaking. We conclude each WriteGirl event, meeting and workshop by asking participants to share something they liked, learned or loved. Recent responses include:

“I loved getting my monologue read aloud. My dream is to be a screenplay writer and this was amazing!” – Camille D., Mentee, Screenwriting Workshop

“I felt like I could be open with myself, which helped me come up with raw, real ideas!” — Linna S., Mentee, Songwriting Workshop

WriteGirl maintains a 21-year, 100% success rate of guiding the high school seniors in its Core Mentoring Program to enroll in college. Our alums are graduating from college and becoming lawyers, doctors, screenwriters, journalists and community leaders. They are raising their voices to change the world.

WriteGirl’s Exciting Future

A teen wearing a red jacket smiles and holds a notebook — A WRITEGIRL TEEN AT THE WRITEGIRL WRITING DAY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY IN MARCH 2023.

This has been an exciting few years of significant growth and expansion. The WriteGirl motto is, “Never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen!” We believe that the ability to express oneself can empower a young person throughout her life.

We look forward to building upon the new programming we have established in the U.S., Tajikistan, Uganda and Cameroon and reach even more youth worldwide.

WriteGirl Year in Review: Season 22