Mighty Writers four core programs; Academy, Workshops, Mentorships and Teen Scholars https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2016/mighty-writers-four-core-programs-academy-workshops-mentorships-and-teen-scholars https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Mighty Writers four core programs; Academy, Workshops, Mentorships and Teen Scholars

Additional Information
Used for	Funds will be used for direct program support, such as supplies, salaries for Program Directors and Managers, rent and utilities.
Benefits	Mighty Writers (MW) teaches Philadelphia kids ages 7 to 17 to think and write with clarity so they can achieve success at school, at work and in life. To write with clarity, you have to think clearly first. When you think clearly, you make smart decisions. Make enough smart decisions, self esteem soars and success follows. This is what makes kids Mighty! We make every child feel welcomed, celebrated and "Mighty" by creating a community that is supportive, nurturing and striving.
Proposal Description	All Mighty Writers sites offer an afterschool Academy, Mon-Thurs from 3-6pm from Sept.-June. Students ages 7-17 are enrolled in September and make a commitment to attend at least three days per week. The daily program starts with snack and homework for 45 minutes. Students can get one-on-one help from the program directors and managers, volunteers and mentors. After homework time is complete, students participate in short and long term writing exercises. Mighty Writers uses an internally developed curriculum that is culturally relevant; reading materials feature diverse authors and stories dealing with issues familiar to the kids at their respective grade levels. One-on-one mentorships are a robust part of the programs. Professional writers meet with Mighty students weekly for 90 minutes. A 6-month minimum commitment is made by both participants. More than 180 writing workshops were offered this year on weekday evenings and on weekends at all four sites. Led by staff and volunteers, workshops inspire creativity and career motivation by covering a wide range of topics and genres. Workshops range from single to multiple sessions. The Teen Scholars program includes 45 participants at three sites. Beginning in 9th grade, students participate in college visits and engage in important conversations about their future. By 12th grade, all teens apply to college, military or vocational school. So far, 100% of teens who have participated in Teen Scholars for one or more years have advanced to a post-secondary college or program and stayed enrolled beyond their freshman year. In 2016, Mighty Writers is offering intensive ACT prep classes for 60 students. Mighty Writers (MW) provides writing-focused out of school time programs in four city neighborhoods. MW South is in the heart of a historic African American neighborhood, where the median family income is below $35,000. In MW West’s 19104 ZIP code, 50.9% of residents live below the poverty line and the area was designated as a Promise Zone in 2014. MW El Futuro, a bilingual site, serves the Mexican-American population in the 9th St. Market. Latinos have the highest proportion of Philadelphia households receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Elementary and middle schools serving this community have classified 100% of their students as coming from low-income families. MW North is within the boundaries of Philadelphia’s 22nd Police District-the city’ s most dangerous for youth crime and violence. Mighty Writers makes every young person who comes through the doors feel welcomed, celebrated and "Mighty" by creating facilities and a community that is supportive, nurturing and striving. The demographics of the population we serve are: 72% African-American, 12% Asian American, 7% White, 7% Hispanic (increasing with the growth of MW El Futuro) and 2% Mixed or Other. All told, Mighty Writers programs will reach almost 2,500 kids in Philadelphia this year. MW engages 400 volunteers organization-wide, who come from local universities, corporations and arts partners. Volunteers fill needed positions including workshop leaders, teaching assistants, essay tutors and 1:1 mentors . Program Directors are responsible for overseeing all volunteers and a professional volunteer coordinator leads orientation and training sessions for all volunteers, which includes distribution of the volunteer handbook. Specific goals for Mighty Academy students for the 2015-2016 school year are: 1. 65% or more of Mighty students are able to read and write at a proficient level for their grade, (depending on the site) by the end of the school year. 2. more than 75% become “enthusiastic” or “very enthusiastic” about writing, 3. more than half of all Mighty parents indicate that they see between steady and a great deal of improvement in their child’s writing abilities. Quantitative outcomes are obtained by collecting report cards and measuring student writing proficiency using an online tool called MY Access. Testing with MY Access is done on all Academy students six times throughout the school year. Qualitative results are gained by surveying staff, volunteers, parents, and the students. Results from the 2015 Mighty Writers’ Academy school year speak volumes: • 96% of Mighty Writers South Academy students were proficient in writing for their grade levels. At MW West, 66% of students were at proficient grade level. At El Futuro, there was not a single student who began the school year at a proficient level. By the end of the school year, just over half of students were proficient and the rest had significantly improved their reading and writing. • End of the school year surveys showed that 83% of Mighty Writers’ students were “enthusiastic” or “very enthusiastic” about writing, up from 39% at the beginning of the school year. • 87% of Mighty parents indicated that they saw between steady and a “great deal” of improvement in their child’s writing abilities. Mighty Workshops demonstrated similar achievements: • Before their first workshop, 27% of students said they “rarely or never liked writing”. After their very first workshop only 4% of students still “rarely or never liked writing.” Instead, 58% of kids “liked” writing and 42% “loved” writing. • 86% of attendees indicated that they would like to participate in another Mighty Writers workshop. The training and support provided to all of Mighty Writers volunteers and mentors yielded significant results too: • Before training, only 6% were “very confident” in their abilities to help students with their writing; after training 32% were “very confident.” 38% of volunteers were “very confident” in their ability to help students think more critically after training, up from 19% before the training. • Overall, 89% of volunteers stated that they looked forward to returning for the upcoming school year.