W.o.o.t.s.

Here’s the opening part of a great article that Mark Pomeroy wrote about his time at Marshall High School, which is closing soon: A  week from graduation, she walks into her English class, sits down and looks to the overhead screen for the day’s prompt: “Neighborhood.” For a minute she quiets herself, pen in hand. [...]

In our final WITS reading for Spring 2011, Franklin and Portland Night High School students read to a (packed!) audience at BiPartisan Cafe. It was one of our largest readings yet, and it was wonderful to see so many friends and parents attending. Each student, teacher, and writer did a fantastic job, and we’re already [...]

With Marshall campus closing, this was the last Renaissance Arts and Linus Pauling reading. Instead of melancholia, however, there was a strong sense of community and support amidst the students, families, teachers, administrators, and WITS writers. Several of the works celebrated the author’s determination and desire to find a place in the world. Lents Commons [...]

Another round of WITS Readings is approaching! Here’s the schedule: Lincoln High School Date: Thursday, May 12 Location: Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park) Time: 6:30 pm Featured WITS writers: John Isaacson and Laura Moulton Roosevelt High School Date: Monday, May 16 Location: Girasole Pizza (8438 N. Lombard) Time: 7:00 pm Featured WITS writers: Carmen [...]

At the WITS Anthology Release Party & Fundraiser, we had hundreds of small cupcakes with circular flags stuck into their frosting. Each flag was printed on one side with “Thanks to your donation…” and the other side had a short, specific example of what a donation to the WITS program can facilitate. For those who [...]

“I feel like I’m at a take-back-the-culture night,” said Peyton Chapman, principal of Lincoln High School. She was addressing a diverse audience, including high school students, their parents and teachers, WITS writers, volunteer mentors from the WITS essay event, community leaders, and board members of Literary Arts. Everyone wore name tags, several of which had [...]

Franklin High School’s library was buzzing on Tuesday afternoon as over 60 mentors and students gathered to work on students’ essays for college and scholarship applications. Students ate pizza as Franklin High School staff Susan Bartley gave a Powerpoint presentation with tips for writing essays, and then everyone got to work. The turnout was phenomenal, [...]

Several talented writers read aloud from their work at the Wordstock festival this past weekend. However, I can safely say that few, if any, were as entertaining and authentic as the WITS student readers. On Sunday morning at the OEA stage, an audience of fifty people watched as the words on the pages of the [...]

After an awesome orientation, this year’s writers-in-residence are ready to go! Five of them are brand new to WITS (and are hard at work getting oriented in this photo). The attendees walked into p:ear on a crisp September day, looking much as their students will on the first day of school: armed with nervous-yet-excited smiles, [...]

Kelley Burnett, PSU student and Writers in the Schools intern, has been asked to share her thoughts on being an English major. Here is what she had to say.. English Major by Kelley Burnett When I first went to college I was determined to avoid declaring a major for as long as I could. I [...]