“It is amazing to me. [We had] 30 new girls today who were just [from] all over the map. I commend them for being so brave and coming here today, and the [mentors] too,” says Taylor. “To see all of that and to know it all came about from an idea, that’s pretty incredible.”

WriteGirl isn’t just an outlet for teen angst and creativity—the program also boasts a 100% success rate in its participants attending college. And with many of the girls publishing their work, high school this is not.

To become a part of WriteGirl and help the nonprofit meet its goals, check them out online at www.writegirl.org, call (323) 327-2555 or email support[at]writegirl.org.

Hear from a Volunteer

Songwriter Michelle Lewis joined WriteGirl in its first season. At the very first workshop she was paired up with Allie, who at the time was only 11 years old. Allie had listed songwriting as one of her many interests, and Lewis, who has written songs for Jessica Simpson and Shawn Colvin, seemed like her perfect match. Four years later, Lewis is still Allie’s mentor.

“It’s been great to have that reality check that I can actually have a real friend that I can call and say hi to who is 15 years old,” says Lewis. “Let’s just say the enthusiasm of being a teenager is really infectious. I’ve watched her grow as a writer and as a person, and she’s definitely seen the trials and errors of my career. We’ve become so close that a lot of the times our writing sessions become chatting. Last summer Allie even interned for me.”