In Savannah, Georgia, the Deep Center is currently seeking adult mentors to join the Young Author Project, a program designed to introduce middle school students to writing. The involvement of local writers is crucial to this initiative, as they play a key role in engaging the students with language and storytelling, fostering their development as learners, celebrating their personal and community experiences, and aiding them in expressing themselves effectively, with confidence and bravery. 

The workshops take place at various middle schools in the area, and interested mentors must be available for after-school sessions at least once a week. Each workshop is supervised by a pair of mentor Writing Fellows, who are local artists, writers, and creatives dedicated to a 12-week semester commitment, leading at least one session weekly. This position is primarily volunteer-based, although a few paid roles are offered to mentors who can handle multiple sessions. 

The mandatory training sessions for the Writing Fellows are scheduled for Friday, August 29th, and Saturday, August 30th, with the Fall Semester programming kicking off on Monday, September 15th.

Jozlynn Carson, a Writing Fellow, says, “Youth need to be listened to. The Young Author Project gives the community a chance to hear the youth, and there’s so much to be heard from them.”

To apply as a writing fellow, click here.