WriterCoach Connection engages, encourages and inspires students to think more critically and write more skillfully by connecting caring volunteer coaches with San Francisco Bay Area middle and high school students.
We empower students with foundational writing skills
Our program unlocks potential
MIDDLE SCHOOL
We create a space for writing skills to blossom
Middle school students are not getting the time and space they need to hone their writing skills. Research shows that only 25% of middle school students are meeting the standard 30 minutes a day of writing. Even worse, 33% of middle schoolers are only writing up to 15 minutes a day.
WriterCoach Connection partners with under-resourced schools and community based organizations to bring that much needed time, space and support into schools. Working with a personal coach, students practice the art of writing to become critical thinkers who communicate clearly and confidently whether their path is college or a career.
"Thanks to WriterCoach Connection, I got into my dream college, UC Berkeley, where I graduated as a first gen college student. I'm grateful to have had a safe space to confidently share my life with a caring adult."
- Aimee
HIGH SCHOOL
We empower students to share their stories
Navigating the college application process can be challenging, especially for families unfamiliar with it, and the cost of hiring a private college admissions consultant can be prohibitive. Our coaches provide the support and assistance students need on their essay questions. They engage and encourage students so they are willing to share their stories so crucial in the college acceptance process. These essays are an important admissions criteria that are a step in creating a pathway for students to become first-generation college graduates, changing the trajectory of their families and communities.
TRANSFORMING LIVES
Our vision is that all students discover the power and richness of their own voices and learn to communicate their ideas with clarity and confidence to enable them to participate successfully in personal and academic challenges, career options, and community conversations.
OUR IMPACT
Many schools provide programs for students who are struggling and programs for students who are excelling. Our programs are for ALL students in the classroom. That's rare. All students benefit.
- At least 80% of students show improvement in their post-coaching writing assessment.
- At least 75% of students report that having a coach helped them think more deeply about their assignments.
- At least 75% of students share that they feel more confident in their writing after having a coach.
- 100% of teachers want us to come back.
✨ Individualized coaching for more than 39,500 students
✨ Recruited and trained over 4,600 writing coaches
Connection: Students. Schools. Coaches.
Lones Stern-Banks
Coach
"I see that I have a positive impact on the students I coach. They brighten my day. They make me feel that what we're doing together is important."
Mara Flores
Middle School Teacher
"With 32 students I can only give them a minute of my time, but with WriterCoach Connection they get focused attention from their coaches. That kind of solid feedback helps them grow as writers. It helps them improve the complexity of their writing. It helps them talk out their ideas and really helps them develop their sense of self as a writer."