Fall 2025-Spring 2026
The Power of Punchlines:
Stand-Up Comedy for Change
In this two-cycle Journey, participants will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, you’ll learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Comedy is a form of intelligence—whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this Journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.
Girls Write Now Collaboratory
This Journey Is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Summer 2026 Journey Now!
Learning Objectives
The Power of Punchlines Community Experiences
Mentees in this Journey are required to attend two monthly 90-minute Journey meetings and participate in two Stand-Up Comedy Shows, as listed below. Mentors are strongly encouraged to attend with their mentees. Additionally, Mentees can schedule 1:1 office hours with the Journey TA for individual assistance as needed.
Fall Cycle Journey Meetings:
- Saturday, November 8th & 22nd, 2025, 1 pm ET
- Saturday, December 6th & 20th, 2025, 1 pm ET
- Saturday, January 10th & 24th, 2026, 1 pm ET
Stand-Up Comedy Show:
- Saturday, January 31st, 2026, 3-4:30 pm ET
Spring Cycle Journey Meetings:
- Saturday, March 14th & 28th, 2026, 1 pm ET
- Saturday, April 11th & 25th, 2026, 1 pm ET
- Saturday, May 9th & 30th, 2026, 1 pm ET
Stand-Up Comedy Show:
- Saturday June 6th, 2026, 3-4:30 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, and Salon Experiences.
The Power of Punchlines Courses
During the Power of Punchlines Journey, participants will take one course each cycle, for a total of two courses.
Intro to Stand-Up Comedy (Fall 2025)
This course is designed to guide aspiring comedians through the art of writing and performing standup comedy. We will explore the various components that make up a successful set, including joke structure, timing, and stage presence. Each week, we will tackle a specific concept, allowing students to develop their material progressively and refine their unique comedic voice. Specific topics range from Finding Your Comedic Voice, Spot-On Observation & Absurdity, the Rule of 3, and more!
The Power of Punchlines Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in The Power of Punchlines Journey will be matched for two cycles. Each pair will meet two times per month and, as a pair, attend all of the community events listed above.
Journey Teaching Artist
All Journeys within the Lead 360 Adventure emphasize leadership, aiming to help mentees and mentors develop their leadership skills and work together to create a better future. Explore the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below to learn more.
The Power of Punchlines is a Journey in the Performance 360 and Lead 360 Adventures.
Explore All Journeys
Explore All Journeys
Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Spring 2026)
In this Journey, mentors and 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.
STARS: Crafting White Papers for Change (Spring 2026)
In this Journey, Fellows from STARS CGI partner organizations engage in a youth-led writing and advocacy experience that empowers them to turn their experiences into policy-focused narratives. Through in-person and virtual sessions, participants learn to research, write, and collaborate on a White Paper that amplifies youth voices across New York City and advocates for increased support, funding, and policy improvements for youth programs. The Journey builds communication, leadership, and advocacy skills, culminating in a youth-authored White Paper presented to a City Council Member as a public call to action.
Inimitable Voices in the Age of AI (Spring 2026)
AI can replicate form, but not the glorious quirks of you. Together, we’ll explore the tenets of human inimitability—Play, Empathy, Friction, Serendipity, Physicality—and explore AI tools that amplify (not blur) your unique voice. That wonderful, specific, spiky point of view that each of us has—and that the world needs now more than ever.
Thousand Voices Book Club (Spring 2026)
In partnership with the Thousand Voices imprint, this Journey invites mentors and mentees to explore contemporary literature. Participants will close-read three books and discuss them at monthly Journey Meetings. We’ll focus, in particular, on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.
Sharpening Your Inimitable Voice in the Age of AI (Fall 2025)
AI can replicate form, but not the glorious quirks of you. Together, we’ll explore the tenets of human inimitability—Play, Empathy, Friction, Serendipity, Physicality—and explore AI tools that amplify (not blur) your unique voice. That wonderful, specific, spiky point of view that each of us has—and that the world needs now more than ever.
Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures (Fall 2025)
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.
Perspectives on Media (Fall 2025)
The Perspectives on Media Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work in today’s media ecosystem. It provides insight from media professionals in a variety of fields such as sports journalism, broadcast journalism, true crime podcasting, and more! Participants will also learn how to develop a pitch for a media project of their choice.
Hooked on Fiction: Crafting Your First Chapter (Fall 2025)
In this fiction Journey, our curriculum will focus on opening chapters. The first pages of a novel are some of the most daunting for many writers. There's so much to establish in very few pages—the ones your future readers will flip through to decide if they should keep reading. In this journey, we'll deep dive into the varied ingredients that make a compelling first chapter. We'll examine how to use your limited space to build motivated well-rounded characters, craft palpable stakes, establish a fully-realized setting, create a killer hook, and so much more. We'll tackle big questions, like how to know if you are starting in the right place and how to get all this information onto the page without overwhelming your readers. Whether you're starting a story from scratch or already editing a draft of your novel, join us to develop some impactful opening pages.
Wicked Stagewriting: From Plays to Musicals (Fall 2025)
The Writing for the Stage: From Plays to Musicals Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s theatre industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a playwright – a deep understanding of live storytelling and professional scripts, plays vs musicals, professional working practices, and employment strategies. We will look to popular musicals such as Wicked for inspiration in creating original pieces. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually seeing a script to fruition.
Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Fall 2025)
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.