Mighty Writers was founded in 2009 and has grown to serve children in Philadelphia, Kennett Square, Camden, Atlantic City, and Washington Heights in NYC. Their goal is to teach children and youth to think clearly and write with clarity. This goal is accomplished by tapping into the children’s interests and being aware of the contexts in which they live. Nineteen virtual workshops were offered in the summer of 2021 including “Mindful Art and Journaling for Teens,” “Mighty Girls Rock (music)” for girls 7 to 10, “Toddler STEMLab” for ages 3 to 6, “Protest Writing” for ages 14-18, and “Mighty Entrepreneurs for Tweens.” Kids become able to think and write clearly about what is on their minds and in their lives.  

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Mighty Writers offers dozens of workshops for groups. There are 400 volunteers who do one to one mentoring for individuals. Writing contests occur each month and all contributors receive feedback. Free books are given to families. Some student writing is published: recent publications focused on living with the pandemic and Black Lives Matter. Mighty Writers gives assistance to parents so they can be partners in their children’s education. Appropriate resources are shared with parents who speak languages other than English. Mighty Writers sponsors family “write nights” and family “cooking nights” to get parents involved and acquainted with one another. Food is distributed to families in need. (As a wise rabbi once remarked, “Without bread there can be no learning.”) When Mighty Writers brings together groups of students, families, and local volunteers, participants come from different backgrounds that are sometimes hostile to one another. Mighty Writers creates diverse groups that work together, united in purpose, mutual respect, and friendship.  

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All the services offered by Mighty Writers address root causes of violence. When asked if their efforts bring peace to communities, the answer was that Mighty Writers are seen as one among several programs and institutions that are community assets. Together, they give communities stability and hope for a better future. Mighty Writers is highly qualified to be recognized as a Zone of Peace by the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia.