How WITS Serves Portland High School Students
Writers in the Schools currently serves all Portland public high schools and several alternative programs. In 2011-2012, the program sponsored writing workshops in 49 classrooms and served more than 2,800 students. WITS offers a host of literary services including:
- Semester-long writing workshops in high school classrooms
- One-day visits by local and touring authors
- Mentorships for students to work one-on-one with writers
- Books for classrooms and school libraries
- Public student readings at local bookstores and cafés
- Publication of student work in annual print and digital anthologies
- Transportation, books, and tickets for school groups to attend all Portland Arts & Lectures events
- Produce Verselandia!, an annual high school poetry slam
- Coordinate volunteer mentors to help students with college and scholarship application essays