{"id":296,"date":"2019-06-17T09:43:34","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T13:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/?p=296"},"modified":"2025-11-19T13:27:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T18:27:02","slug":"a-message-from-our-executive-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/a-message-from-our-executive-director\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on the 2018-2019 Year at Writopia Lab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0This has been such an incredible school year at Writopia across the country! We served over 5,000 invigorated kids and teens in safe space, censorship-free writing workshops at our labs, in schools, in partnership with community-based organizations, and at our sleepaway camp.
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Every day, we witnessed the key to effective writing instruction: inspiring student investment. Dozens and dozens of parents asked us this year: What is your secret? Why does my child love spending hours beyond her school schedule writing? The answer is simple: we help our kids and teens clear their minds of all the noise and expectations around them, and slowly identify what they want to write, and how they want to write it.\u00a0During this process, our writers take more and more risks, as they explore elements of story-building, form, structure, and dimensions of craft. In other words, we treat them as any writer would want to be treated, and lo and behold, they begin their transformation into writers.\u00a0
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As curricular constraints become more onerous in many schools, kids and teens at our labs often complain about their disconnectedness from their in-school writing. During this past year, we have been invited into dozens more classrooms than in the past, forging and deepening partnerships with schools and teachers, joining forces to reawaken children\u2019s love of writing. Students literally cheer as our instructors enter their classrooms. When they\u2019re with us, they know they can be themselves; they can write to meet their goals, rather than write to meet someone else\u2019s expectations.\u00a0
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Often, the only way adults can get kids to write is with a set of extrinsic rewards and punishments. But inspiring children and teens to love writing\u2014and to want to learn how to do it better\u2014wins them more than the possibility of an A. It transforms them into lifetime writers and confident thinkers, full of possibilities. Thank you for giving us the pleasure of going on this fun, often surprising, and always fulfilling journey with your children and students!
Click here<\/a> to take a look at our 2018-2019 impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


-Rebecca Wallace-Segall<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0This has been such an incredible school year at Writopia across the country! We served over 5,000 invigorated kids and teens in safe space, censorship-free writing workshops at our labs, in schools, in partnership with community-based organizations, and at our sleepaway camp.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Every day, we witnessed the key to effective writing instruction: inspiring student investment. Dozens …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newsletter","category-staff-voices","entry entry-center"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9aRpX-4M","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":165,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/writopia-response\/","url_meta":{"origin":296,"position":0},"title":"In Response to The NYTimes","author":"Writopia Lab","date":"August 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Rebecca Wallace-Segall, Danielle Sheeler, and Yael Schick As literacy curriculum developers, we enjoyed the New York Times article \u201cWhy Kids Can\u2019t Write.\u201d But we were surprised by the limited view it provided into the cultural landscape of literacy education. While the writer acknowledged the importance of the synthesis of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EduPolicy"","block_context":{"text":"EduPolicy","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/category\/edupolicy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/12_literacy.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/12_literacy.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/12_literacy.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":471,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/writopias-longtime-partnership-with-espi\/","url_meta":{"origin":296,"position":1},"title":"Writopia’s Longtime Partnership with ESPI","author":"Rebecca Wallace-Segall","date":"July 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Each July is filled with our longtime deeply meaningful and exciting partnership camps! For a decade now,\u00a0 Writopia has been running a special writing arts camp for dozens of creative and fun-loving children and teens at Homes for the Homeless' Saratoga Family Inn.\u00a0 Starting seven years ago, we began working\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletter"","block_context":{"text":"Newsletter","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/category\/newsletter\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/espi2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/espi2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/espi2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/espi2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/espi2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/espi2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":245,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/talk-scholastic-awards-results\/","url_meta":{"origin":296,"position":2},"title":"How to Talk About The Scholastic Awards’ Results by Writopia Founder Rebecca Wallace-Segall and Program Directors Yael Schick & Danielle Sheeler","author":"Rebecca Wallace-Segall","date":"January 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This year\u2019s results for the Regional Scholastic Writing Awards are intended to be announced in most regions on January 28th, 2021. Many of our writers ages 13-18 will find out that their pieces were honored with honorable mentions, silver keys, and\/or gold keys! We are so, so happy for all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "For Parents"","block_context":{"text":"For Parents","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/category\/for-parents\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":352,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/follow-their-lead-a-year-of-teen-leadership\/","url_meta":{"origin":296,"position":3},"title":"Follow Their Lead: A Year of Teen Leadership","author":"Writopia Lab","date":"June 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Madeline Taylor & Kimberly Faith Waid\u00a0 At our national staff retreat in 2019, our full-time staff came together to focus on teen leadership and the ways we could empower our young writers within our community and beyond. We\u2019d run programs in the past, and we were ready to take\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Staff Voices"","block_context":{"text":"Staff Voices","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/category\/staff-voices\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Pride-2019-group-photo-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Pride-2019-group-photo-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Pride-2019-group-photo-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Pride-2019-group-photo-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Pride-2019-group-photo-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Pride-2019-group-photo-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":408,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/national-newsletter-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":296,"position":4},"title":"National Newsletter 2021","author":"Rebecca Wallace-Segall","date":"July 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Pictured are three of our many long-term Writopians who graduate from high school this year! Student Publication Highlights 2020-2021 Abey Weitzman won a Scholastic Silver Medal for his senior portfolio, \u201cDisability.\u201d Watch his powerful graduation speech below in which he mentions Writopia Lab.Analia Rivera had a piece accepted to Alphabet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Newsletter"","block_context":{"text":"Newsletter","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/category\/newsletter\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-10.42.39-AM-edited.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":656,"url":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/struggle-and-growth\/","url_meta":{"origin":296,"position":5},"title":"Struggle and Growth","author":"Matthew Jellison","date":"March 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Written by Matthew Jellison, Associate Director of Education, Writopia Lab I\u2019m struggling. This is good, actually. Isn\u2019t struggle at the center of learning? I always remind the instructors at Writopia\u2014the writing and education non-profit where I oversee the professional learning of our network of adult writers who teach writing to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Staff Voices"","block_context":{"text":"Staff Voices","link":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/category\/staff-voices\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/421407324_874087061390966_6621489193818010739_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/421407324_874087061390966_6621489193818010739_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/421407324_874087061390966_6621489193818010739_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/421407324_874087061390966_6621489193818010739_n.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/421407324_874087061390966_6621489193818010739_n.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/421407324_874087061390966_6621489193818010739_n.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":306,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions\/306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writopialab.org\/writopiaspeaks\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}