Donate Join Us

Girls Write Now Collaboratory

Journeys

Each Journey in the Girls Write Now Collaboratory is a package of Writing Course Content, Mentorship, and Community Experiences for mentors and mentees. Our team of teachers, artists, and content experts have thoughtfully curated each Journey to be a dynamic, multifaceted experience. Journeys can be light touch or intensive, short or long-term, asynchronous or in real time.

Embark on a Journey Explore Collaboratory

What Does a Journey Look Like?

3 Hours per Month for 3 Months! Open to Mentors & Mentees of All Backgrounds and Levels of Experience.

  • Journeys are 3 month cycles: Cycles are: Spring: March 1 – May 31; Summer: July 1  -September 30; Fall: November 1-January  31
  • Each Journey is 3 months long, requiring approximately 3 hours per month.
  • Journeys include one-to-one, cross-generational mentorship and collaboration (1-2 sessions per month)
  • Plus live community workshops, salons, or chats, virtual or in-person (at least 1 per month)
  • Pair and group experiences are bolstered by a dynamic curriculum covering a diverse range of genres, media, and topics.
  • Each Journey is a 3-month arc with a meaningful, creative outcome that meets your unique goals.
Explore Journeys
Journey Mentor (1)

Journey Mentors

Girls Write Now mentors are professionals, typically ages 25 and up, from all fields and disciplines, and from around the nation. They work with curiosity and collaboration, learning and growing, while supporting their mentees’ writing and leadership needs and goals.
Journey Mentor

Journey Mentees

Girls Write Now mentees are writers and leaders, typically ages of 14-24, from around the nation. Through a lens of creativity and activism, mentees produce stories, podcasts, poems, films, and more with the support of a mentor and the Girls Write Now community.

Journey Cycles

A Journey cycle is a three-month time period. Every month for three months of the Journey, mentors and mentees spend three hours or more together in pair sessions and community experiences, bolstered by our dynamic curriculum. You can sign up for one, two, or three cycles to meet your schedule and goals.

  • Summer: July 1 – September 30
  • Fall: November 1 – January 31
  • Spring: March 1 – May 31
Select a Journey
Cycles

1. Apply

Select the Journey below you'd like to join and complete an application to become a mentor or mentee.

2. Meet Your Match

Be matched one-to-one with a mentor or mentee for a three-month Journey (summer, fall, and/or winter) for three hours per month.

3. Attend Monthly

At least one pair session and one community experience is required each month, with timing and format determined by each pair.

Girls Write Now

Select the Journey you want to go on this cycle! You can refine your search using the filters on the lefthand sidebar. Once you're accepted, you'll be matched with a mentor or mentee who shares your interests.

Select the Journey you want to go on this cycle! You can refine your search using the filters on the lefthand sidebar. Once you're accepted, you'll be matched with a mentor or mentee who shares your interests.

Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .

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
0
0
julia.andresakis.gwn julia.andresakis.gwn .
julia.andresakis.gwn julia.andresakis.gwn .

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.

0
0
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .

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.

0
0
julia.andresakis.gwn julia.andresakis.gwn .
julia.andresakis.gwn julia.andresakis.gwn .

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.

0
0
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .

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.

0
0
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .
Girls Write Now Girls Write Now .

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.

0
0
1 2 3 … 8

Collaboratory Access for Mentors, Mentees & Members

Enjoy a la carte or as part of a Journey

All mentors, mentees & members also have access to our Resources, including jobs, internships, scholarships, writing contests, enrichment opportunities, and more.

Writing

Writing

Build skills though courses that focus on any genre, media, leadership, activism, college, career, and more.

Browse Courses

Mentoring

Connect one-to-one across generations and establish a supportive relationship that lasts a lifetime.

Become a Mentee or Mentor

Community

Collaborate and share with other inspiring minds at countless engaging events and experiences.

Join Community Experiences
Mentor on Demand
Mentoring Options

Journey Mentorship

If you would like to be matched one-to-one with a mentor or mentee for the duration of a three month Journey, explore to find the right one for you. This is a great option for those who want to form a long-lasting supportive relationship. Each pair determines the timing and format of their sessions, and at least one hour-long session is required each month.

Learn More

Mentorship for the Day

Be a mentor or mentee for a virtual or in-person event specifically relevant to your interest and/or expertise. This is a great option for busy students and professionals who want to get to know the community but do not have the capacity to commit to a full cycle.

Learn More

Mentorship on Demand

Mentees, get immediate help from a mentor for one-hour sessions. Mentors, make a difference in a mentee's life to help them achieve their goals. Share or gain knowledge on topics like Career Development, College Preparation, Editing, Creative Writing, Wellness, and more. You’ll always have the freedom to set your own calendars based on your availability!

Learn More

Join Our Community

“Reading, writing and being encouraged to do both is what made being a young woman tolerable for me. The teachers who fostered my young self expression remain the heroes of my life. Girls Write Now is doing the essential, joyful work of nurturing the next generation of writers, and of giving them not just the tools, but the permission, to tell the truth about their lives. This organization means so much to me, both personally and creatively. As the beneficiary of a transformative and life-affirming education in creative writing, I know firsthand the gift that kind of mentorship and community can be—or both the writers and for all of us lucky enough to read them.”
Lena Dunham, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Famesick
“We have the most creative generation in history coming up. Girls Write Now are capturing the voice of the next generation of storytellers. Here’s a moment to slow down—and listen.”
Placeholder Image
Christina Hawatmeh, Founder & CEO of Scopio, a marketplace of global images, and author of The Year Time Stopped and If Women Ruled the World
“I’ve recently had the opportunity to attend a few Girls Write Now events, and to say that they were some of the most inspiring, informative, and helpful events I’ve attended would be an understatement! Not only did I love being in the company of other like-minded, creative, and driven women, but the guest speakers had so much to offer, and the moderators had wonderful energy, creating a welcoming space. From what I attended so far, I definitely knew I wanted to be involved in some way! As someone currently in Savannah, GA, these virtual events are my main window into the publishing landscape, so I can’t express how significant these experiences are for me as someone not yet in NY or LA. Writing and being a creative after graduating can feel pretty daunting, especially without community, so I really appreciate how Girls Write Now is breaking down that barrier to entry by creating access for all girls. ”
Placeholder Image
Daniella Garcia, Mentor
“My colleagues in big tech often asked, ‘What does writing have to do with analytics?’ As a longtime mentor at Girls Write Now, my answer is clear: technology and creativity go hand in hand.”
Felicia Dodge 2025
Felicia Dodge Mentor
“At Girls Write Now, a willingness to listen is the only ask at the door. Mentorship is a true exchange—learning flows in both directions.”
Ashna Shah
Ashna Shah Mentor

Journey Mentorship

Make a commitment as a mentor or mentee for at least one Journey and get full access to our writing, mentoring, and community experiences and resources.

Apply for a Journey

Membership

Be a part of our community without committing to a Journey, and receive select access to our writing, mentoring, and community experiences and resources.

Join as a Member
Two images, side by side: Mentee Sheyla Javier performing on stage; three mentees using their arms to create a heart in front of a black backdrop with a white Nike swoosh on it.

Questions about Journeys/Applications?

View Frequently Asked Questions Here