• Journey
  • Independent Study (Summer 2025)

Summer 2025

Independent Study

Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to help you plan creative projects and meet your goals.

Independent-Study

Independent Study Course

This self-paced Independent Study course will provide resources and tips for those working on creative project independently. You’ll learn about study spaces & materials, SMART Goal Setting, visualization, calendaring, time management, procrastination – and more!

Writing

Independent Study Mentoring

Mentees and mentors in this Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two hour-long sessions each month. This journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.

 

Independent Study Community Experiences

Mentees and mentors in the Independent Study Journey must attend at least one Community Experiences of their choice per month.

Journey Circle: Community

Explore 360 Adventure

The Independent Study Journey is a part of the Explore 360 Adventure.

Journeys in the Explore 360 Adventure focus on introducing a variety of genres, topics, and ideas to participants who want to try a little bit of everything. It is recommended for any mentee or mentor who wants to get a taste of all that Girls Write Now has to offer!

Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.

See All Adventures

Find Your Journey

Find Your Journey

Explore Tour (Summer 2026)

Explore all of the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now has to offer through a multimedia, multi-genre experience that includes mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with offerings that range from fiction to journalism to publishing, and dive into formats like video, podcasting, visual storytelling, and more. Ideal for mentees who enjoy working across multiple genres and media or are focused on specific projects, this Journey offers the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your individual needs.

Explore Tour, photos of two girls smiling, GWN logo

Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance (Summer 2026)

This Journey invites participants to dive into the world of young adult romance, exploring the joys, challenges, and complexities of love in adolescence and young adulthood. Through creative writing exercises, character development, and plot crafting, mentees will learn how to create authentic, relatable stories that resonate with YA readers. Participants will explore themes of identity, friendship, and emotional growth while honing their craft in storytelling that captures the heart and imagination.

Teach GWN (Summer 2026)

In this Journey, members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a Community Studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure. Each cycle involves facilitating three Community Studios, one per month. Participants will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and mentors can facilitate a Community Studio either solo (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.

Fresh Mouth: Confidence Through Comedy (Summer 2026)

This Journey transforms your unique observations and "wild and wacky" thoughts into a structured comedy set. Through bi-weekly Journey Meetings and personalized coaching, you will explore the mechanics of humor, moving from a raw premise to a polished delivery. You will learn to find the funny in the everyday while building the stage presence and confidence necessary to share your voice. The experience concludes in a live showcase alongside peers and professional comedians, where you will debut your original material and celebrate the power of humor as a tool for connection and self-expression.

College Ready: Drafting Your Narrative (Summer 2026)

This Journey offers a streamlined path to college readiness through interactive workshops, mentoring, and peer exchange. You will move from drafting a compelling personal statement to building a strategic school list and navigating financial planning, all while receiving personalized feedback on your work. By the end of the program, you’ve gained the skills to create a polished application and the insider knowledge needed to present your most authentic self to admissions committees.

Zine Makers: Crafting A Peer Poetry Zine (Summer 2026)

This Journey invites you to step into the role of editor and designer to transform poetry from the spring Poetry Rising Journey into a compelling, collaborative zine. You will move through the specialized stages of the publishing world, beginning with a deep editorial dive to refine existing verses inspired by heritage and created by your peers. As you master visual composition and multimedia design, you will learn to pair these powerful voices with a cohesive aesthetic, ultimately gaining the technical skills and creative vision needed to produce and share a high-impact, independent publication.

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