Mighty Writers was founded in 2009 in Philadelphia to help young people “think clearly to write with clarity” and is coming to Germantown. They have various sites around the city, including North Philly, West Philly, and South Philly. Now, they will open their new Northwest Philly location at 12 East Church Lane here in Germantown.
“When students come through our door, we want to make sure that they have a voice to be themselves,” says the Director of Education, Maurice Williams. “We realize there is power in the pen, so when we ask students to journal or give them a writing prompt, we’re not looking for assignments. We’re looking for their identity and their image to come through.”
The new Germantown location will have programming for children ages 5-17. Some of these programs will include after-school programs for elementary and middle school students, Girl Power Writing, a Mighty Brotherhood workshop, and a Radical Playdate gathering for the youngest but still mighty children where they discuss and explore their different identities and cultures. The Germantown location will also offer a computer lab and writing workshops for teenagers.
Director of Operations and Impact Rachel Loeper has been with the organization since its inception. She worked as a program director at the original South Philly site for four years before moving into her current role. Loeper says she’s happy to have a location closer to her home in Northwest. She explains that they do not do one particular thing to help young people find their voice and become skilled writers.
“We make things as fun and interdisciplinary as possible,” she states. “We go on trips, and we write about those trips. We learn how to do new things, and then we write about that experience of learning. And a big part of doing this work successfully is just creating that positive climate where we all are learning together, and learning is a good thing.”
Williams says that he has seen some of the most reserved kids become the most outgoing during his time with the Mighty Writers. And he’s also witnessed behavior changes from students who take the time to help understand the work they’re presented with. He says, “we’re able to provide for our students by the level of consistency of love that we show our kids.”
The Mighty Writers team is actively looking for new students and is open to visiting schools and community events to discuss their program and recruit new students. To learn more about the Mighty Writers Germantown location, call (215) 239-0899 or email hello@mightywriters.org. You can also register your child for free programming here.
Loeper and Williams will be on the Germantown Info Hub Hour on January 12th to discuss the new location. You can listen at 92.9 FM or stream live at gtownradio.com at 5 p.m.
You May Also Like
