The Writers Express Afterschool Program is a new outreach initiative designed to bring tuition-free literary programming to youth in Westchester County. Pairs of Teaching Artist Interns from SUNY Purchase College will lead weekly 1 hour creative writing after school sessions for middle school students at the White Plains Middle School. This paid professional development opportunity will aid interns in generating income in the arts post-graduation by offering interactive, in-person experience facilitating a youth program and sufficient experience to submit proposals to nonprofits nationwide.
This LitNYS project is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
RTA is one of our new partners which shares our belief in the transformative power of the arts. We are working with RTA on two projects:
1) As part of RTA’s Reimagining Myself project, we are pairing professional playwrights (who teach or volunteer at HVWC) with formerly incarcerated women who are writing plays about various aspects of re entry into society. The plays will be performed at various NY State prisons to help men and women prepare for the challenges they will face when they return to their families and community. Many of the plays will be filmed as well to allow broader distribution throughout the RTA system.
2) We will also be teaching memoir and creative writing in various prisons in Westchester and other New York counties. Several HVWC board members will be part of the teacher volunteer group.
RTA helps people in prison develop critical life skills through the arts, modelling an approach to the justice system based on human dignity rather than punishment.
Since before the pandemic, our founder Margo Stever developed both one on one and group writing courses for residents of The Children’s Village, concentrating on poetry, memoir and other creative outlets. Poetry students recited their work at our annual benefit gala held at the Writers Center. In the coming year, HVWC volunteers plan to provide specialized tutoring in homework help to The Children’s Village high school students. We also plan to reinstate our group creative writing offerings.
The Children’s Village (CV) is committed to the wellbeing of children, teens, and families by advocating for, strengthening, and reuniting families; building community partnerships; creating innovative programs; and connecting people to resources that focus on equity, basic needs, and human rights.Like The Children’s Village, the Life Center in Sleepy Hollow has been our partner for many years. After a hiatus during the pandemic, we will be teaching creative writing to grade schoolers and planning a presentation seminar series for parents at The Life Center in the coming year.
The Life Center delivers a wide variety of programs to the immigrant community and beyond, serving toddlers to seniors. Their goal continues to be to empower and inspire all who come through their doors.
Community Partners
The Board and Staff of HVWC are grateful to partner with the following organizations.
Village Bookstore
The Pocantico Center
Tarrytown Arts Camp
Rehabilitation through the Arts
TaSH Farmers Market
Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
Sleepy Hollow Arts Council
Sleepy Hollow Arts Collective
RSHM Life Center
Children’s Village
The Masters School
Poets&Writers
HVWC
Outreach
We are partnering with several outstanding organizations throughout our community to bring language and the literary arts to many who have not had access in the past.