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  • Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures (Fall 2025)

Fall 2025

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures

This Journey invites multilingual storytellers—and those curious about language, identity, and culture—to explore how the languages we speak and the communities we come from shape our stories. Through writing, discussion, and creative expression, participants will examine the connections between language, culture, and self. The Journey celebrates multilingual voices and empowers participants to honor their perspectives and grow as confident storytellers across cultures.

Girls Write Now Collaboratory

This Journey Is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Fall 2026 Journey Now!

Pre-Enroll This Fall

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures Community Experiences

Mentees and mentors in this Journey are required to attend the monthly Journey meetings listed below.

  • Saturday, November 15th, 2025, 1 pm ET
  • Saturday, December 13th, 2025, 1 pm ET
  • Saturday, January 17th, 2026, 1 pm ET

If you’re unable to attend a Journey meeting, you must notify your Staff Lead in advance and attend a community event to make up for it—strongly recommended options include Community Studios, Community Conversations, College & Career Chats, and Salon Experiences.

Journey Circle: Community

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures Courses

In this course, we’ll explore how the languages we speak shape the way we tell stories and connect with others. You’ll create and share personal stories that reflect your own background and culture, using writing or multimedia. Along the way, we’ll look at how different cultures tell stories, and how that affects structure, style, and voice. This is a supportive space to try out new ways of expressing yourself, whether in one language or many.

Writing

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures 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.

Journey Teaching Artist

Sally Familia

Girls Write Now Staff

Sally Familia (they/them) is a queer poet and freelance editor. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, Familia has a rooted passion for their community. They spent a year serving as senior editor for La Galería Magazine, a Dominican-based magazine for the Dominican diaspora in Washington Heights. They hold a B.A. in creative writing with a focus on poetry from SUNY Oswego. Most recently, Sally’s passions have shifted; now incorporating a strong desire to work with and for the youth. Sally hopes to merge their love for literature, Queer and BIPOC communities, and the youth as they continue to navigate the artist/ professional dichotomy. Sally has been awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize for the poem, “The Trouble with Reminiscing” (2019). They were also nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Brooklyn Poets for the poem, “Esperanza, Republica Dominicana”. Sally is currently working on their first poetry collection.

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Sally Familia

Journeys in the Wellness 360 Adventure focus on using writing and creating as a tool to help support your mental heath and general well-being. It is designed for mentees and mentors who want to embrace self-love and healing in their work.

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures is a Journey in the Wellness 360 Adventure.

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In this one-Cycle Journey, Mentees will develop essential skills in public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking. Through engaging activities and interactive discussions, participants will learn to craft persuasive speeches, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present their ideas with confidence. They will explore techniques for effective communication, refine their ability to think critically under pressure, and practice responding to diverse perspectives in a structured setting.

Civil Discourse Connection & Persuasion; two girls speaking with a mic

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The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Fall 2025-Spring 2026)

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The-Power-of-Punchlines

The Lead Incubator (Fall 2025-Spring 2025)

The Lead Incubator is a crucial extension of the Lead Community Change Journey, offering Mentees the space, resources, and support needed to implement their project plans and drive meaningful change in their communities. It acts as a dynamic platform where they can turn their ideas into action. Mentees participating in the Lead Incubator focus on advancing their community-based social activism projects with the support of their mentors and Girls Write Now’s resources.

Explore Tour (Fall 2025)

Explore the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now offers through a multimedia, multi-genre experience with mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Build new skills and deepen existing ones across fiction, journalism, publishing, and formats like video, podcasting, and visual storytelling. Ideal for mentees working across media or focused on specific projects, this Journey offers the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your goals.

Explore Tour, photos of two girls smiling, GWN logo
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