“It’s actually very intimidating at first. Everyone is very peppy and until you get used to that, it can be a little scary,” says a timid girl, about 14 years old, who could have been me 10 years ago.

The scene around me makes memories of my high school lunchroom rush to mind. Young girls are enthusiastically connecting with old friends while other reluctant teens are dying to disappear into the crowd. But these girls are not here to gossip about clothes, makeup and each other; they are here to find their voices and become stronger writers with the help of WriteGirl, a Los Angeles-based organization that matches high school girls with experienced writers.

“[In the past,] I had been involved with different youth and diversity organizations and really loved the experience, especially teaching writing to girls. There’s an environment of having girls and women in a room together that is very special,” says songwriter, poet and visual artist Keren Taylor, who founded WriteGirl four years ago. “When I moved to Los Angeles, I went on the internet and found about 20 [female writers] and pitched them this idea [to] start a writing organization to help teenage girls.”

WriteGirl does not require that a mentor have published work, but each applicant is asked for writing samples to demonstrate her communication skills. Mentors are then interviewed one-on-one, their references are checked and they go through training before finally, they are matched with the girl they can help the most. Mentors meet their students for an hour of tutoring each week, as well as at the monthly WriteGirl workshop. At the end of each workshop, the girls read their writing to the other participants. WriteGirl believes that regularly performing for an audience boosts a girl’s confidence in herself, her writing and, consequently, her view of life’s possibilities.