Writegirl

Founded in 2001, WriteGirl is a nationally-recognized creative writing and mentoring organization serving more than 700 teen girls/gender-expansive youth and young adults annually, mainly from LA's high-density neighborhoods. Through workshops, mentoring and publishing opportunities, WriteGirl helps teens develop creative writing and communication skills as well as confidence. WriteGirl envisions a world where all teens live, write, and speak boldly as they become inspiring, transformative leaders, driven to effect positive change in their communities. Since 2001, WriteGirl has maintained a 100 percent success rate in helping its seniors not only graduate from high school, but also enroll in college. WriteGirl received national attention in 2021 when WriteGirl alum Amanda Gorman performed her poetry at the Biden-Harris Inauguration. WriteGirl has won more than 100 awards for its 24 years of empowering teen girls. WriteGirl and Executive Director Keren Taylor were awarded the 2020 Los Angeles Times Innovator Award and in 2014 Keren Taylor was named a CNN Hero. In 2013, WriteGirl was honored by First Lady Michelle Obama with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the highest national honor awarded to exemplary out-of-school time programs. WriteGirl also works with boys and co-ed groups under the name “Bold Ink Writers.” As a founding member of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN), Bold Ink Writers brings creative writing workshops and mentors to youth who are incarcerated or systems-impacted. For more information, visit