youngwritersproject.org | Create. Learn. Publish. Connect. Read.
The Young Writers Project is an independent Vermont 501(c)3 nonprofit that engages students to write, helps them improve their writing skills and finds audiences for their work. It works with students in grades K-12 in Vermont and the greater Lebanon, N.H., area.
Writing skills are essential for success in school and in the workplace. Studies show that students with strong writing skills learn more and, in the workplace, are more apt to be hired or promoted. YWP believes that providing an audience for student writing motivates young writers to try harder, learn more and write better. Receiving objective, positive feedback from peers or external readers helps them gain confidence and grow. Giving feedback to others improves students' critical thinking skills and their ability to revise their own work more successfully.
NEED | Seventy five percent of high school graduates cannot write proficiently, yet the ability to write is key to success in business, community affairs and life. • Schools do not spend enough time with writing. • Students learn to dislike writing.
CORE BELIEFS | Students can learn to write well • The Web is a comfortable place for students to write • The prospect of being published motivates students to try harder, learn more and write better • Receiving objective, positive feedback helps young writers gain confidence and grow; giving feedback improves critical thinking • Students at risk need special attention • Young people want voice.
