After School Program - WriterCoach Connection

Our after-school writing program encourages students to find joy in writing

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

Our after-school program expands our vision of freedom of expression by providing 7-12th grade students largely from under-represented communities with opportunities to expand their critical thinking and writing skills and gain confidence in fun and creative ways.

In our In-School Program, students receive writing assignments from their teachers, while After-School Program offers youth the freedom to write for pleasure or purpose. Students are paired with a volunteer coach who gives them the time and attention they need to discover the power of their own voice. Whether it’s the art of crafting poetry, expressing thoughts through spoken word, creating engaging short stories or other creative projects, they have a choice. Additionally our coaches are on hand to offer support with homework assignments and guidance or help them tackle social issue or current event topics.

CURRENT PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

In 2023, we launched our After-School Program in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland (BGCO) with a drop-in creative writing program. In 2024, we supported the local branch of their national Youth of the Year program, coaching nominated youth on their essay submissions for the competition.

We continued our partnership with BGCO in 2025 with Oakland Press Box, a 10-week sports writing program created by WCC coach and veteran sports journalist Jackie Krentzman. Club members who enrolled in the program learned the fundamentals of sports journalism including: reporting, interviewing, and profile, feature, game, and opinion writing. Students wrote articles on teams, games, athletes, and issues that matter to them that were published digitally and in print in our own magazine, viewable here.

The second season of Oakland Press Box with BGCO started in March 2026. We look forward to sharing highlights of the program on our social media and to our community via email. Follow us on our social media channels and subscribe to our emails to stay in the know!

Bring our after-school program to your school or youth organization

If you’re in the East Bay and have an idea and a plan for a youth writing program, we might be a good fit for a partnership.

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The most helpful thing about working with a coach is you can see your writing in a different way or through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time. I was always more critical of my writing when I knew someone else was going to edit it.

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When working with a coach I was able to talk with someone about my ideas. It helped me clear my mind and allowed me to better understand the subject we were working on.

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I think what I found most helpful about working with a coach was that I got to see all the great things about my writing but also the things I could change to make it even better.

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I like being able to get advice on how to improve my writing and make it more interesting.

Here’s what you can expect from us.

A dedicated program manager

In partnership with the organization liaison, we determine the program logistics including the site, participants, coaches and session content. We oversee implementation of the program including regular check-ins with the partner liaison.

Trained & background checked coaches

Skilled and caring adult volunteer coaches
Trained in on our positive philosophy and proven methodology
Additionally trained in coaching creative works
Prior coaching experience in WriterCoach Connection’s In-School Program

Personalized coaching

Coaches create a positive space that fosters a respectful, authentic connection where every student feels safe to explore their ideas and are guided to grow the quality of their written communications abilities.

Here's what you need to provide.

In addition to recruiting students, you’ll need some dedicated personnel and resources to ensure the program has maximum impact for your students. Here’s what your organization needs to provide.

Site Coordinator

Responsibilities include tracking attendance, supervising the students during the coaching sessions and serving as the liaison with the WriterCoach Connection Program Manager.

Program Fee

The program fee is determined after meeting to understand an organization’s needs.

Commitment

To have impact, the program needs to run for a minimum of six weeks with sessions once a week. Programs run from 8-10 weeks.

Dedicated Space

A dedicated space where students and coaches can meet with internet access, projector and screen, and small storage space.

If you’d like to start a conversation about partnering with us for our after-school program, email us at info@writercoachconnection.org. We look forward to hearing from you!