#TeenWritersProject

$1,310 raised

5% complete

$25,000 Goal

WRITING IS BEING ERASED!

Schools reduce it to test prep. Recreation centers trade it for sports and gaming, and publishers publish books for teens, not by teens.

But at #TeenWritersProject, we've built a 4P Literary Ecosystem that helps us give teen writers something different:

Priority 1-a place to write

Priority 2-a platform to publish

Priority 3-a community to connect with

Priority 4-opportunities to work

WRITE. PUBLISH. CONNECT. WORK.

Since 2018, #TeenWritersProject has given teens the chance to write, be published, and get paid. Through hybrid writing workshops, a literary magazine, a culture magazine, a podcast, a teen conference, and workforce development, teens don’t just learn writing, they’re published, paid, and prepared for careers in writing and publishing. 

Our Impact: They're not waiting to become writers. They're doing the work now.

  • 250+ writing workshops hosted on/offline
  • 3,000+ teens served (published and paid)
  • $112,800+ teens compensated
  • 60% more teens supplement their income with writing
  • 72% more students passed the essay portion of standardized exams
  • 85% of workshop attendees received college scholarships 
  • 90% of those we serve are from low-income communities
  • 100% of our Editorial Board accepted into college writing programs (NYU, SMU, USC, UNT, etc.) 

But we don't measure impact by numbers. We measure it by what they left with: a byline, a publication, a portfolio, a paycheck, and proof that their words mattered.

Your North Texas Giving Day gift helps us keep opening these doors.

Our work begins with the belief that teen writing deserves to exist beyond the classroom. We see writing as more than an assignment or academic skill, it is how young people document their lives, examine the world around them, create culture, and leave a record of what it means to be young right now.

We create opportunities for teens to move their words from notebooks, classrooms, and screens into publications, public conversations, and professional spaces where their work can be read, shared, credited, and paid.

We want teens to know that what they have to say has value now, not someday when they become adults. So, this North Texas Giving Day, we're raising $25,000 to keep the opportunities going.

  • $50 = pays a contributor.
  • $130 = prints 10 magazines.
  • $285 = prints 50 magazines.
  • $300 = pays an editor for a month.
  • $450 = pays a designer for a month.
  • $800 = pays all 16 contributors in one issue.
  • $1,600 = pays all contributors in both magazines.

#TWP is our promise to the next generation of storytellers that if they want to use their voices, we'll be their microphones. So my question to you is, will you help us keep it on? Your investment gives teen writers the tools, opportunities, and professional support to write, publish, connect, and work.

Mission

#TeenWritersProject creates opportunities for high school teens to write, be published, and get paid while gaining real-world experience in storytelling, publishing, journalism, and media.

Needs

#TeenWritersProject is looking for:

(1) Sustaining donors to help fund teen contributor stipends, paid editorial positions, and publishing costs.

(2) School and community partners to bring our writing, publishing, and Listening Lab experiences to more teens.

(3) Corporate and publishing partners to provide sponsorships, career exposure, and professional opportunities for teen writers and editors.

(4) Board members with expertise in fundraising, marketing, publishing, finance, and nonprofit leadership.

(5) Creative professionals in writing, journalism, publishing, design, film, podcasting, and media who can share their expertise with teens.

Equity Statement

#TeenWritersProject is committed to equitable access to writing, publishing, and creative career opportunities for teens, and to creating spaces where young people of all backgrounds are represented, respected, and supported.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

#TeenWritersProject

Tax id (EIN)

83-4475042

Causes

Education - K-12

Operating Budget

Less than $100,000

Counties Served

Dallas, Denton, Tarrant, Collin

BIPOC Serving

Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx

BIPOC Leadership

Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair

Address

539 W Commerce St., Suite 542
Dallas, TX 75208

Phone

214-686-3679

Links