For Mentors & Mentees to Connect & Share
The Collaboratory offers a variety of interactive live community experiences throughout the year, designed to help our community explore, learn, connect, and grow. Tailored to the needs of our community, these events feature expert teaching artists, guest speakers, and facilitators dedicated to helping mentors and mentees enhance their writing and media skills, expand their personal and professional development, and foster collaborative creation.
Core
Live Events
Core Live Events at Girls Write Now include our well-established offerings, such as Friday Night Salons, Community Conversations, College & Career Chats, Mentor Professional Development sessions, select Genre/Media Workshops, and now Journey Meetings. These diverse events are all designed to foster community engagement, learning, and growth, with opportunities for mentors, mentees, and members to build relationships, expand their creativity and knowledge, and advance their personal and professional goals.
Community
Studios
Community Studios are small groups of Girls Write Now mentors and mentees who come together to focus on specific genres, media, topics, or areas of interest. In Community Studios, you have the opportunity to connect with fellow community members, workshop pieces in progress, receive feedback, discuss relevant topics, and engage in writing and creation time. Studios are facilitated by members of the Girls Write Now community, including mentors, mentees, pairs, and members who take on leadership roles to support the community, fostering a collaborative and empowering environment.
Intersectional
Voices
The IV (Intersectional Voices) suite are Girls Write Now’s leadership committees, each designed for the community to have a voice in the organization’s key initiatives and policies. They include IV Edit(orial), IV Teach, IV Philanthropy, IV DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), and IV Tech. Our Intersectional Voices committees are dedicated to elevating the diverse perspectives of our community. Through these committees, we actively work to address and integrate a wide range of viewpoints, including making recommendations to leadership, ensuring a more inclusive and representative environment.
Expressive
Arts
Expressive Arts Sessions are regular gatherings led by a mental health professional with training in narrative therapy, expressive writing therapy, and art therapy. These sessions use a combination of visual arts, expressive writing, and narrative therapy techniques. Mentors and mentees explore self-care practices, learn to understand and navigate their emotions, and gain tools for emotional resilience and creative expression.
Affinity
Groups
Affinity Groups are communities united by shared interests or identities, such as race, gender, or religion. They are essential for fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is valued and empowered. At Girls Write Now, Affinity Groups offer a brave space for participants to discuss identity-related opportunities and challenges and turn those discussions into actionable steps for a more equitable experience in their creative and personal lives.
Special
Events
Special Events include awards ceremonies, launch parties, contests, and other special community gatherings. They provide platforms for leaders across sectors to share their wisdom and showcase work, always with a focus on our mentors and mentees. Special events are vibrant and spirited, encouraging creative expression, and strengthening connections within the Girls Write Now community.