The Young Writers Program is dedicated to Santa Cruz County students in grades 4-12 and their teachers in building students’ writing skills and confidence. With the support of trained volunteer writing mentors, students work in small groups to develop a piece of writing for publication.

Young Writers Program supports students and teachers across the county in building students' writing skills and confidence. Our wonderful volunteers serve as Writing Project Assistants (WPAs) in local classrooms and dedicate one hour, two days a week, to supporting a group of 3 to 5 students with developing a piece of writing. With the help of WPAs, we're able to empower young people to share their stories, improve their writing skills, and revise with an audience in mind. At the conclusion of each project, we professionally edit and publish the students’ pieces of writing, presenting each participant with a free copy of the publication. Books are then available to the public at local bookstores.

Volunteers will work closely with a small group of students for the duration of a 6-8 week writing project. Each project differs depending on the age of the students and what the teacher would like to focus on i.e. poetry, narrative, expository, etc. As a WPA, you have the opportunity to provide much needed personal attention to students in their writing. Every student deserves someone who believes they have ideas and stories that are valuable and worth sharing. Our amazing volunteers support students in cultivating their creative voices as well as communicating their experiences and ideas in writing. Bilingual volunteers are highly encouraged!