Young Georgia Writers (YGW)
and the
Writing in the Schools (WitS) Programs

Notice to Parents, Teachers and Students:
YGW meets at the Buckhead Library on the first Saturday of each month.
All aspiring writers (to 21 years of age) are invited to
come to a meeting before joining.
For information
email: YGW@georgiawriters.org
 or telephone: 770-943-5699.

From the Forsyth County News:
In mentoring programs that promote education, academic and social values:
46% of mentored teens are less likely to use drugs, 57% get better grades, 73% raise their goals.
These young people are encouraged to become better citizens, do a better job as entrpreneurs or employees and stregthen our community.


Mission and Purpose

No one will argue that the young are humanity's most precious resource. Young people who express their thoughts and feelings are healthier in mind and spirit than those who do not. The ones who can put their emotions and ideas in writing are the future, not only of the literary world but of the business, governmental and environmental world as well.

Our mission is to ensure, through Young Georgia Writers and WitS and volunteers who choose to work in this program, that we provide encouragement, assistance and information about the writing life to children and young people who exhibit writing talent and skills, and who want our help in developing those attributes and in learning the practical, business end of a career in writing.

How Young Georgia Writers began

Atlanta's youthful writers are encouraged to come to Young Georgia Writers meetings for the purpose of participating in its growth. It is an organization for student writers, home-schooled and private school students included.

YGW is administered by a Junior Board of Directors, formed by students who express interest and dedication. The first President is Thomas Seay, a seventeen year old senior at Georgia Tech. The student Board is mentored and supervised by Senior members of GEORGIA WRITERS who function as advisors. Teachers are encouraged to contact GW in order to assist in serving in these positions.

Our members' stories and poems have a chance at early publication if they enter the two contests currently open.


Philosophy and Impetus

Responding to what becomes apparent is the easiest way for us to be of service to the children in our community. It has long since been apparent that there's a glaring need for something extra to inspire and support students in Georgia.

Some time ago, Georgia Writers was approached by an eager mother seeking funds for her daughter to participate in a trip to France with her eleventh grade class. She had learned of Georgia Writers existence but did not understand what we do.

What we told her was that while we are not an organization that gives money to students, we would create a special mini-contest for the students in that group. We promised that if they would participate by writing about their feelings, observations, and experiences on the trip, and their fellow students or the teacher would pick the winning story, then make certain it was edited for punctuation, spelling and grammar, we would publish it, along with the student's photograph, on our website.

Unfortunately, the contest never happened.

Why? It didn't happen because there was no framework of support for the talented writers in the group.

No one is to blame for this lack of framework. Teachers are overworked, other activites available to students in our schools frequently take precedence over the creative requirements of writing. This realization caused us to expand our thinking. It gave rise to our decision to create this new sub-organization and to gather volunteers to provide support, encouragment and an outlet for their talents, independent of the school environment, to young writers ready to become more serious about writing.

We believe there is much in the future for this group, the individual students who join it, and the mentors who extend time, energy and expertise to grow it. Come join us.

YGW Membership Form
(Requires Acrobat Reader)

Writing in the Schools
It is time to do more... much more... an announcement and an invitation.

Photo presently unavailable

Thomas Seay
Willduisa Doanes
Co-chairs - Thomas Seay and Willduisa Doanes

Many times in the last few years Georgia Writers members, in cooperation with non member writers from the community at large, gathered to present multiple writing workshops to children in schools all over the greater Atlanta area. This was an activity of our fledgling Writing in the Schools program. Twice these were presented at Bouie Theme School in DeKalb county and programs have been presented in other schools also.

In the Northeast Georgia area, the WitS program contact is Apryl Chapman-Thomas 706-613-8778, and we expect to be adding local area coordinators all over Georgia as time passes.

Volunteers are needed more than ever as schools are waiting for writers to come and speak and present workshops. Stipends are available. Please contact Willduisa Doanes 404-995-9639 if you are interested in participating in this exceptional program. Participation forms are now available.

Students at Inman Middle School during the Everyone Has A Story... and This Is Mine autobiographical writing class led by Georgia Writers members. Each student was asked to bring to the class a photograph of significance to his/her self, to affix in the front of the "book" they would complete by the end of the day.