Sisters are doing it for themselves! WriteGirl is a Los Angeles based program for young female writers founded by all-around creative Keren Taylor. Founded in 2001, the program features experienced and accomplished female writers giving guidance to young women in a variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, play and screen writing, and journalism. According to the program’s website, they were founded to bring creative writing and mentoring to girls who would not have access to it otherwise. They offer monthly workshops as well as one-on-one mentorship with an average of twenty volunteer mentors. The program has been awarded multiple awards; in 2010, WriteGirl was given a Medal for Service, and it was also named California Non-Profit of the year for 2010-2011 (among other honors). The organization has also produced over two dozen anthologies featuring the works of the participants and their mentors.

I seriously wish there’d been a program like WriteGirl when I was a teenager! What Ms. Taylor has done is amazing — recognizing that young women often need a creative outlet but may not have anyone to share it with. I was lucky enough to have a great group of friends I could share my creativity with, but I still wish I could have had someone older to guide me.

The action at the beginning of each of WriteGirl’s goals is as follows: “To introduce,” “To teach,” “To encourage,” “To nurture,” “To assist,” “To inspire,” “To equip,” and “To produce.” These are the tools that lead all of the girls in the program to graduate high school and to get accepted into college. Without the program, some of them would never have gotten that far. In the thirteen years since the program started, hundreds of girls have been able to tap into a part of themselves that might have otherwise gone undiscovered.

If you’d like to learn more about this awesome program, including ways to donate (they are entirely donation based), become a mentor, or participate, check out their website.