Helping girls write their way to more positive futures

OUR MISSION
Within a community of women writers, WriteGirl promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls.

HOW WE DO IT
Through one-on-one mentoring and monthly creative writing workshops, girls are given techniques, insights and hot topics for great writing in all genres from professional women writers. Workshops and mentoring sessions explore poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, songwriting, journalism, screenwriting, playwriting, persuasive writing, journal writing, editing and more.

OUR GOALS
To introduce girls to a wide variety of writing genres;

To teach a robust set of writing and critical analysis skills;

To encourage girls to explore and develop their creative talents, both written and oral;

To nurture girls and promote healthy behaviors and life choices through positive mentoring relationships with women writers;

To assist girls in preparing for college;

To inspire girls to pursue careers in writing, such as journalism, public relations,screenwriting, songwriting, corporate communications, publishing, website content producing, editing or creative writing;

To equip girls with communication tools to confidently navigate the challengesthey face; and

To produce a full slate of program activities throughout the year so that we may serve as many girls as possible (including seven full-day writing workshops annually, a gala public reading and publication of a book each season, college visits and other special outings, and ongoing creative writing mentoring).

HISTORY
WriteGirl was launched in December 2001 to bring the skills and energy of professional women writers to teenage girls who do not otherwise have access to creative writing or mentoring programs. After a mere six months, WriteGirl published Threads, our premier anthology of members’ work. A standing-room only public reading at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood helped to kick off the book’s release.

Our second season brought double the membership and the publication of a second anthology, Bold Ink. This book was ushered in with a sold-out event at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills, a reception that confirmed the overwhelming support for WriteGirl’s unique programming and individualized mentoring services.

CURRENT LOCALE
WriteGirl’s workshops and events are held primarily at the Exposition Park Intergenerational Community Center (EPICC) near USC. Girls participate from 16 schools in the central Los Angeles region. Volunteers and mentors come from all over the city to meet with their mentees and attend the monthly workshops.

OUR LEADERS
WriteGirl’s leadership includes 20 volunteer staff members, a diverse advisory board of community leaders, educators and business executives, and a growing system of strong strategic partnerships. WriteGirl is a project of Community Partners, a nonprofit organization.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST SEASON
9 full-day multimedia interactive workshops were held, featuring standards-based curriculum in a stimulating non-school-like environment, including special guests, custom content and lots of writing and fun.

Public readings were held at Barnes & Noble (Pasadena and The Grove), Skylight Books, West Hollywood Book Fair and the Writers Guild Theater.

THE LATEST BUZZ

WriteGirl's sixth anthology, Lines of Velocity, is filled with more than 250 pages of poetry, essays, lyrics and stories from WriteGirl members.

Read more about Lines of Velocity.