Writopia’s Write to Recognition Volunteer Opportunity

Writopia Lab is a nonprofit organization based in New York City that holds creative writing workshops for writers ages 8-21. WL is looking for students or graduates to join our fall-spring Write to Recognition Mentorship program, providing individual assistance to our low literacy writers.

What Is Write to Recognition?:
Write-to-Recognition enables 50 low literacy writers to attend three semesters of creative writing workshops on full scholarship. In addition to their workshops, these 50 writers also receive 30 hour-long private sessions with volunteer tutoring mentors.

In the private sessions, volunteer mentors work one-on-one with our low literacy writers on improving their grammar and mechanics through individualized, revision-based lessons. Each week during a private session, mentors read the piece their writer is working on and identifies a skill they need to improve. Every writer has a different level of literacy and different technical aspects they need most help with.

It is our hope that in private sessions with Write to Recognition mentors, each writer will gain a command of their writing style and voice as well as the confidence to submit their work for publication.

Requirements:
We are in need of volunteers who find it easy to be supportive and enthusiastic about young writers’ work and who can learn to be thoughtful mentors and guides. We prefer applicants on track for a degree in English or Education, or from those who have already completed this degree.

In addition, we are in need of volunteers with experience in Regents and standardized test prep, high school equivalency tests, resume building, and admissions essays who feel confident in working with our oldest teens who are transitioning out of foster care or treatment facilities for incarcerated youth.

When:
This mentorship is a nine-month commitment and is unpaid.

Sessions start in September 2016 and end in late May to early June 2017. We require all volunteers to commit to 2-10 hours per week (1 hour per student you are matched with) throughout the school year and to participate in an initial 2-hour training session as well as monthly check-in meetings and group professional development sessions. Your mentorship hours may change in the winter or spring depending on your class or work schedule.

How to Apply:
If you are excited by the idea of joining a community of writers and helping children and teens learn to write, please fill out this short form<http://writopialab.applicantstack.com/x/apply/a2wg4kzvwxun>. (Don’t forget to attach your resume, cover letter, and answer the required questions!)

Application Link:http://WritopiaLab.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2wg4kzvwxun<http://writopialab.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2wg4kzvwxun>