fwriction

To help celebrate fwriction : review’s first birthday (Dec 14), we wanted to do a special issue, something that would reflect beyond the brilliant work we normally publish. As a high school English teacher, I felt the strong desire to showcase some of the amazing writing being produced by very young writers, particularly in high school. Thus, the High School Writers’ Issue was born!

The student work published in this issue has been guided by two different educational organizations: Girls Write Now and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity. Contributing writers Cindy Caban, Emely Paulino, and Emily Sarita are students with Girls Write Now, while Bryanna A. Buchanan, Sharline Dominguez, Stephanie Hernandez, and Sarayah Wright are scholars with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity.

All the gorgeous writing in this special issue deserves attention, so please share the love! These young writers have embraced the strongest elements of writing and made them their own. I know you’ll enjoy.

Below, find some brief information regarding the two programs these students are a part of:

Girls Write Now

Distinguished as one of the top fifteen after-school arts and culture programs in the nation by The President’s Committee on Arts & Humanities, Girls Write Now (GWN) is the only East Coast non-profit to combine mentoring and writing instruction via all-girl programming. Programs primarily serve young women of color from low-income neighborhoods, with the goals of: helping them gain increased literacy and communication skills; fostering personal growth and a positive self-image; exposing them to various writing genres and the craft of writing; and providing them with confidence and experience in public speaking and leadership activities. Through the Mentoring Program, GWN matches motivated yet underserved teen girl writers from NYC public high schools with professional women writers as their mentors, for relationships that last from one to four years. GWN consistently sees 100% graduation and college matriculation rates for seniors, and 85% yearly return rates for eligible mentees.

For more information, visit http://www.girlswritenow.org.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (Scholars Program)

The SEO Scholars Program is a year-round, out-of-school, academically rigorous program that prepares motivated urban public high school students to earn admission and succeed at competitive colleges and universities. Numerous studies confirm that rigorous academics are the single most important factor for low-income and minority students in gaining college admission and earning a degree. However, U.S. Department of Education research shows that “A” work in low-income schools equals “C” work in affluent schools.

The Scholars Program adds the equivalent of 60 school days to the NYC public school calendar for its students each year. Scholars dedicate 80% of their time at SEO to academics, with the remaining 20% spent on enrichment and leadership activities.

Students in the program acquire:

• Sharpened critical reading and writing skills
• Increased vocabulary and grammar competence
• Advanced math proficiency
• Travel abroad and leadership experience
• College knowledge and guidance
• Dedicated mentors during junior and senior year

While attending college, Scholars continue to receive mentoring and tailored workshops focused on managing coursework, earning top grades, financial and budgeting strategies, and effective planning for careers.

All of the 69 high school seniors in the Class of 2011 were accepted to four-year colleges. Seventy-three percent were accepted to colleges in the top two tiers of competitiveness in Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges. These schools include Dartmouth College, Cornell University, Mount Holyoke College, University of Michigan, Wheaton College and Skidmore College.

The Class of 2011 Scholars earned more than $1.7 million in scholarships and awards for their first year of college. Two SEO Scholars were winners of the New York Times Scholarship. Six Scholars were awarded full-four-year tuition scholarships through the Posse Foundation. One Scholar received the Ron Brown Scholarship, which awards students $10,000 per year for four years. One Scholar was a Questbridge College Match Scholarship winner.

For more information, visit http://www.seo-usa.org/Scholars.