Our Workshops

We launched our first trauma-informed creative writing workshop in partnership with Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), a reentry site in East Harlem, and have since expanded to youth detention centers in Brownsville and the South Bronx.

Our students, ages 16 to 24, often enter the program reading at a third- to sixth-grade level, and some well below. Each week, students gather in a restorative, arts-based classroom to reflect, write, and share. Through oral storytelling and responsive journaling, students build confidence, connection, and voice.

Outcomes from our first year show meaningful growth: 40% of students improved by at least one full grade level, with several students jumping five or six grade levels after joining our program. Most students also report that the workshops help them better express and understand their emotions, describing the experience as calming, empowering, and a source of “peace of mind.” Across sites, participants have described learning from each other’s stories, building connection through shared reflection and creative expression.

Our curriculum is responsive, trauma-informed, and designed in collaboration with educators and child trauma experts. We meet students where they are — and help them take the next step, both in writing and in life.

Support our workshops.