Writers in the Schools
Inspiring high school students to amplify their voices through creative writing since 1996.
Our Writers in the Schools (WITS) program brings working writers into high school classrooms to inspire students to immerse themselves in creative writing. WITS writers closely collaborate with classroom teachers to create semester-long inspiring and dynamic curricula that meet the goals for arts learning, while also helping students understand the real-world importance of reading and writing in all aspects of life. WITS writers share their expertise and personal experience of the writing life, helping youth learn to use writing as a form of creative self-expression.
WITS Interest Form
If you are an educator interested in bringing WITS to your classroom, please fill out this form and a member of the Youth Programs team will be in touch!
“I learned to expand my thoughts and improve my writing in ways I hadn’t thought of before. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity.“
Lincoln High School student
2024-2025 WITS WRITERS
OUR HISTORY
WITS, established in Portland, Oregon in 1996, contracts yearly with public high schools in Portland and Gresham. Teachers request to host a WITS writer (in collaboration with their school administration), and residencies are designed to further class themes, curricula, and student interests. Each residency culminates with a public reading held in a local café, bookstore, or Zoom, and students are encouraged to submit their work for publication in our annual digital and print anthologies. Students whose work appears in our annual print anthology are invited to read on stage at Portland Book Festival.
PILLARS OF THE WITS MODEL
- Creative writing instruction and inspiration
- Individualized feedback
- School-wide public reading
- Invitation to publish
BENEFITS TO CLASSROOM TEACHERS
WITS matches writers from our teaching roster with classroom teachers based on genre preferences, shared curriculum interests, and desired outcomes. Classroom teachers are vital partners to the residency experience for students. We celebrate our partnerships with teachers and those who work with us will:
- Gain new tools, writing exercises, and strategies for their curriculum
- Learn about new literature and diverse writers
- Discover more about their own students through observation in the writing process
- Write alongside students in class, thus revitalizing their teaching of the craft
- Earn 18 professional development units for each semester-long WITS residency
- Be invited to read their work at student readings and our annual end-of-year reading for WITS teachers, writers, and liaisons
“Providing a space to be creative also impacts the teaching staff. WITS is reenergizing and inspiring. It’s akin to project-based learning. It’s thinking outside of the box, in terms of curriculum, but also multi-generational, community-based, and a space where everybody’s voice is heard.”
Ursula Loret de Mola, WITS partner and Alliance High School teacher
School Partners
New WITS partnerships are reviewed and determined on an annual basis, during the summers. If you are interested in working with WITS or our Youth Programs, please contact Director of Youth Programs, Olivia Jones Hall at olivia@literary-arts.org.
Anthology & Readings
WITS students are encouraged to submit their work to our annual WITS anthology, which debuts every year at the Portland Book Festival with a public reading. We also organize student readings for each participating high school at local venues, such as bookstores and cafés.
“The prompts were really fun to do. I felt supported with all my pieces of writing and it just felt like a happy environment.”
WITS student
