Spring – Summer 2025
The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Spring-Summer 2025)
In this 2-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. Through workshops and performance coaching, you’ll develop your own comedic voice. Discover how satire and personal storytelling can raise awareness, inspire dialogue, and challenge the status quo— all while keeping your audience laughing. By the end of the journey, you’ll have developed a 5 -10-minute stand-up routine that not only entertains but sparks meaningful conversations about the world around us. 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 Enroll in a Summer 2026 Journey Now!
Learning Objectives
The Power of Punchlines Courses
Participants will be enrolled in two courses during the Power of Punchlines Journey, which spans two cycles: Spring 2025 and Summer 2025. The first course, Intro to Stand-Up Comedy, will take place in the Spring Cycle. The second course, Stand-Up Comedy: Cookin’ & Poppin’, will follow in the Summer Cycle, building on the content from the first course.
- Intro to Stand-Up Comedy (Spring)
This course teaches the fundamentals of joke writing, comedic structure, and crafting punchlines. - Stand-Up Comedy: Cookin’ & Poppin’ (Summer)
This course is designed to build on the foundational skills of stand-up by focusing on refining material and delivery.
The Power of Punchlines Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in The Power of Punchlines Journey will be paired for a minimum of two cycles. Each pair will meet for at least two hour-long sessions per month. Mentees will develop community-based social activism projects, while mentors will provide support and guidance throughout the process. This journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.
The Power of Punchlines Community Experiences
Participants will attend two Journey Live Meetings each month as part of the course for that cycle. Additionally, you can schedule 1:1 office hours with the Journey Instructor for individual assistance as needed.
Each cycle will conclude with Stand-Up Comedy Shows, where participants can perform their sets for a live audience. There will be one in-person show and one virtual show per cycle.
- Spring Cycle Journey Meetings:
March 8th & 22nd
April 5th & 26th
May 10th & 31st - Spring Cycle Stand-Up Comedy Shows
June 7th and 8th - Summer Cycle Journey Meetings:
July 12th & 26th
August 9th & 23rd
September 6th & 20th - Summer Cycle Stand-Up Comedy Shows
September 27th & 28th
Lead 360 Adventure
The Power of Punchlines Journey is a part of the Lead 360 Adventure.
All journeys within this Adventure emphasize leadership, aiming to help mentees and mentors develop their leadership skills and work together to create a better future. Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Book Club: Page to Stage (Fall 2025)
This Journey invites mentees and mentors to explore classic and contemporary literature through both reading and performance. Participants will read three books and then experience them brought to life through dynamic solo stage adaptations in partnership with Literature to Life (LTL).
Independent Study (Fall 2025)
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.
Teach GWN (Fall 2025)
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.
The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Fall 2025-Spring 2026)
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.
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.
Social Media & Marketing (Summer 2025)
This Journey is designed for mentees and mentors who want to understand the power of social media and how to use it effectively to grow an audience, promote their work, and build a personal or professional brand. From crafting engaging posts to creating a consistent online presence, this course covers the essential strategies and tools needed to thrive in the world of digital marketing.
Book Club: Summer Read (Summer 2025)
Book lovers, unite! Each cycle, we’ll close read three new books and discuss them at monthly fixed meetings. When you apply, you can recommend a book that might be chosen for the journey! We’ll focus, in particular, on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.
College & MFA Preparation (Summer 2025)
Preparing an application for college or graduate school can be a daunting experience. Join us for a Journey that unpacks everything you need to know about finding college and graduate school programs, applying to school, preparing personal essays, and getting the most out of your college or graduate school experience.
Teleplays: Writing for TV (Summer 2025)
The Teleplays: Writing for TV Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s TV industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a scriptwriter – a deep understanding of TV storytelling and professional scripts, drama vs comedy scripts, professional working practices, and employment strategies. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually seeing a script to fruition.
