Community Experiences
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 GWN, such as Friday Night Salons, Community Conversations, College & Career Chats, Mentor Professional Development sessions, Journey Meetings, and Genre/Media Workshops, are designed to foster community engagement, learning, and growth. These gatherings offer opportunities for mentees, mentors, and members to build relationships, expand their creativity and knowledge, and advance their personal and professional goals. Through these diverse events, participants are supported in their ongoing development and connection within the GWN community.
Community
Studios
Community Studios are small groups of GWN mentees and mentors who come together to focus on specific genres, media, topics, or areas of interest. In Community Studios, you will 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 GWN community, including mentees, mentors, 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 contains GWN’s committees, each serving a distinct role within the community. Our committees include IV Edit(orial), IV Teach, IV Philanthropy, IV DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging), and IV Tech. The Intersectional Voices initiative by Girls Write Now is dedicated to elevating the voices and perspectives from diverse backgrounds within our community. Through these committees, we actively work to address and integrate various viewpoints, 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. Mentees and mentors 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 GWN, 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 community gatherings. These events celebrate and promote GWN’s publications, honor our mentee authors, and recognize significant contributions to the literary and creative fields. They provide platforms for guest speakers to share their wisdom and for young writers to showcase their work. Special events foster a vibrant community spirit, encourage creative expression, and strengthen connections within the GWN community.
Fall 2024 Journey Orientation Dates
Attention Mentees and Mentors!
We will inform you of the Journey you have been enrolled in during early October. At that time, you’ll also be introduced to your Journey Staff Lead and receive your orientation registration link. If you’re unable to attend the orientation session, please notify your Journey Staff Lead as soon as possible.
We look forward to embarking on these journeys together!
Inspiring Women Write Now
In collaboration with Mattel, we’ll take you behind the scenes to discover how this extraordinary line of dolls was created, focusing on the selection of iconic figures like Isabel Allende and Bessie Coleman.
Open Mic: A Creative Showcase
Join us at the Girls Write Now Office for our Open Mic Series! Performers are invited to share their work (poems, songs, stories, and more!) on the mic for an audience as we gather to celebrate creativity and build community.
Could You Repeat That? | An Introduction to Pantoum Poems
Join us on October 24, for Can You Repeat That? | An Introduction to Pantoum Poems! In this engaging workshop, participants will explore the power of poetic forms to shape and express personal stories.
Polished Prose: Perfecting Personal Statements with Girls Write Now and HarperCollins
Join HarperCollins and Girls Write Now for an inspiring intergenerational exchange designed to elevate young writers' college application personal statements.