About Youth Writers Challenge
The Youth Writers Challenge, Inc. (YWC), founded in 2011, is a dynamic nonprofit organization impacting youth in the Baltimore metropolitan area and vicinity, specifically in underserved communities. The driving force behind YWC is a commitment to improve literacy and stoke the embers of creativity in students in primary and secondary education.
To achieve these goals, YWC sponsors two programs:
Youth Writers Rock (YWR) and Youth Verses & Flow (YVF).
YWR invites students to become authors, offering in-person sessions that encourage brainstorming, collaboration, writing, critical thinking, and educational confidence. At the end of each program session, students become published authors and are celebrated for their achievements individually and collectively at a graduation ceremony.
YVF offers one-day events where students ages 10 through 18 are welcomed to share their talents on a stage in their community. At these events, students have shared original poetry, rap, music, short stories, dance, and spoken word performances. The program offers prizes and accolades as an incentive to help young people practice and hone their respective crafts.
Youth Verses & Flow
Youth Verses & Flow encourages the exploration of innate talents that revolve around movement: the flow of words, music, and dance. This program offers a showcase-style format, giving students the opportunity to share their gifts in public with their surrounding community. It’s less of a competition and more like a celebration of talents. However, prizes are offered to foster an environment where young people can level up and come together to grow and get better. After all, the creativity of young people is unlimited.
Youth Writers Rock
YWR is a six-month program that runs from January to June. Participants are students from challenged communities who attend elementary, middle, and high school in the Baltimore metro area. They attend weekly writing sessions as well as workshops and educational field trips. Students and volunteer instructors meet on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm in a branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Public Library. Snacks and beverages are provided for the students at every session.
During the sessions, students work with instructors to discuss, plan, write, and edit non-fiction or fictional stories. YWR is focused on producing stories that are authentic to each student. For this reason, we are focused on guiding them to dig deep to produce their own content. As the students walk through the program, they gradually learn the entire process of creating, marketing, and selling an original manuscript.
Support Young Voices
When you donate to Youth Writers Rock, you’re investing in more than books—you’re investing in the dreams, confidence, and future of young writers. Your support helps us provide writing workshops, mentorship, publishing opportunities, and a safe space for youth to be heard and celebrated.
Help us keep their stories alive. Donate today and empower the next generation of storytellers.