WordPowered - formerly WriteBoston

WordPowered - formerly WriteBoston WordPowered fosters deep learning for youth and educators.

We elevate and reshape the role of literacy — writing, reading, and discussion — so that all youth think critically and can use their voice to create change.

We are grateful for the long-time support of the TJX Foundation, which has awarded a $7,500 grant to support our Teens i...
06/18/2026

We are grateful for the long-time support of the TJX Foundation, which has awarded a $7,500 grant to support our Teens in Print program!

The TJX Foundation is committed to helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future. Through Teens in Print, young people strengthen their writing, critical thinking, and communication skills while discovering the power of their own voice.

Thank you to the TJX Foundation for investing in the next generation of storytellers, leaders, and changemakers.

The teachers at WordPowered’s Teacher Institute come from different schools. Laura Vultaggio spent ten years teaching in...
06/04/2026

The teachers at WordPowered’s Teacher Institute come from different schools. Laura Vultaggio spent ten years teaching in Boston before moving to Belmont, and yet what strikes her is how much they share in common. “We’re teaching the same exact texts. We’re teaching the same skills, the same strategies,” she observes. Suburban versus urban, different student populations, different structures, and still: the work is fundamentally the same. “I think people often, you know, like to talk about the differences across the board,” she says, “and I think it’s helpful to be reminded that things are actually more similar than they are different.”

Read more here: https://bit.ly/43f9Hko

And we have 3 spots left in our Teacher Institute happening this summer! Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3Otwntd

We are thrilled to share that the Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to support our Teens in...
05/28/2026

We are thrilled to share that the Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to support our Teens in Print program! The Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation is dedicated to supporting projects in arts education and general education. Teens in Print sits at the intersection of these two areas, using writing as a form of self-expression and a tool to build self-efficacy.

On May 14th, Teens in Print celebrated the end of Cycle 2 with the Rising Voices Awards. Congratulations to Our Rising V...
05/21/2026

On May 14th, Teens in Print celebrated the end of Cycle 2 with the Rising Voices Awards. Congratulations to Our Rising Voices Awards Winners! Thank you to our readers who voted in this cycle. Stay tuned for the next cycle in the winter!

From Tier 1: "How the Scroll is Shaping Your Life" by David Dang (https://bit.ly/4v6zAPe)

From Tier 2: "BIPOC and Q***r Artists: The Overlooked Pioneers of the Art World" by Aminata Mboum (https://bit.ly/49brZpZ)

From the Newsroom: "Texturism in the Black Community & the Need to Conform to White Beauty Standards" by Vivi Ndwiga (https://bit.ly/4e1ymxR)

170+ attendees at GBH Studios$100K+ raised for WordPowered's programs: Teens in Print & Collaborative CoachingPros&Conve...
05/15/2026

170+ attendees at GBH Studios

$100K+ raised for WordPowered's programs: Teens in Print & Collaborative Coaching

Pros&Conversation 2026 has us seeing WordPowered’s circle grow! As the numbers come in, we had 170+ attendees and raised $100,000. Grateful it happened; it happened because of you.

A special thank you to our featured author, Dr. Jarvis R. Givens, for ensuring that we celebrated 100 years of Black History Month and honored the pantheon of everyday memory workers who did their part. Now, we unleash youth writers who see themselves in this tradition of storytelling, truth-telling.

"It makes me immensely grateful and joyful to see that my work is leaving a mark on history. And one thing that I've always realized, like writing and journalism, is that writing is one of the only ways that the past, future, and present can talk to one another. Writing defies all the laws of space and time. The Daily Table [grocery store in Mattapan] is no longer here, but its legacy still lives on through my article."
- Ketura Joseph, TiPTalk 2026

Thank you to our incredible host committee, our supporters, Board, staff, educators, and youth for filling GBH Studios. Thank you to our corporate sponsors and champions who stepped up for us. We joined forces with JustBookish and the Dorchester Reporter to enrich the literary/writerly lives of Boston's youth and strengthen community journalism.

In partnership with the Sarah-Ann Shaw family, we have established a youth journalism scholarship, and we awarded 5 scholarships through the Nancy Murphy Giving Fund. They are off to Bentley, Bowdoin, Harvard, Pomona, and Yale.

WordPowered's circle grows, and you are an integral part of it. Thank you!



(All photo credits to Theresa Johnson of Johnson Photography)

From first-time attendees to long-time supporters, your presence at Pros&Conversation made this celebration unforgettabl...
05/08/2026

From first-time attendees to long-time supporters, your presence at Pros&Conversation made this celebration unforgettable. Whether you joined us to honor a young person, reconnect with the mission, or learn more about Teens in Print and Collaborative Coaching, we’re grateful you were there. Thank you for uplifting memory workers who sustained Black History Month for 100 years!

We invite you to take a short survey about your experience here: https://bit.ly/3RqbtMz

Stay tuned for highlights!

We are thrilled to spotlight one of our teen journalists, Ketura Joseph! During Women's History Month, Ketura was honore...
05/01/2026

We are thrilled to spotlight one of our teen journalists, Ketura Joseph! During Women's History Month, Ketura was honored by Mayor Wu and the City of Boston as part of the EXTRAordinary Woman initiative. On behalf of WordPowered, we are proud of you and we congratulate you on your recognition!

Ketura is also giving an inaugural TiPTalk at next week's Pros&Conversation. Space is limited, so get your tickets today: https://bit.ly/4c3B8Di

Memory. Responsibility.Our Teens In Print (TiP) reporters are digging into real history as they prepare to interview Dr....
04/23/2026

Memory. Responsibility.

Our Teens In Print (TiP) reporters are digging into real history as they prepare to interview Dr. Jarvis R. Givens, author of I'll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month.

We've been sitting with the story of Crispus Attucks, a man of Black and Native heritage who was the first to fall in the Boston Massacre of 1770. By 1783, March 5th, once commemorated as a day of resistance, was replaced by July 4th as Independence Day. Memory, it turns out, has always been contested ground.

That's exactly why the work of WordPowered matters right now. Will you join us on May 7th to learn more? Get your tickets here: https://givebutter.com/c/pc26

Any project advancing the humanity of others, their singular and representative lives, must take lessons from the freedom narratives and the many, many people who worked to document, teach, and preserve them despite state violence.

When TiPster Vivi says, "I am thinking about history and my role as a journalist to write down my thoughts and what I see in the world today and how that becomes part of the historical archives," she grasps something essential about her inheritance and how to forge ahead.

WordPowered's partnership with educators and youth is part of a larger project: not only amplifying voices, but building the archives that may one day serve those who seek to understand the work of literacy in the years leading up to and beyond the dawn of AI.

On May 7th, WordPowered will announce two landmark partnerships with the Sarah-Ann Shaw family and the Forry Family Foundation, establishing scholarships in community journalism that will open real doors for our young reporters for years to come.

This is what it looks like to invest in the next generation of truth-tellers. We hope you'll join us. Get your tickets today! https://givebutter.com/c/pc26

We are thrilled to announce that WordPowered will be bringing back our silent auction at this year’s Pros&Conversation! ...
04/16/2026

We are thrilled to announce that WordPowered will be bringing back our silent auction at this year’s Pros&Conversation! This is your chance to bid on unique experiences and items from local businesses and community members. Every bid supports the development of our incredible youth journalists and educators.

A few of our items and experiences include:

A weekend in Martha's Vineyard from September 11th - 13th!
Starting bid: $500

And a handmade matching tea set from The Breezes Pottery Studio.
Starting bid: $30

The auction is open now! Bid on these and other items here: https://bit.ly/4tPSIA8

Calling all secondary ELA, Social Studies, and Humanities teachers!WordPowered is excited to bring back our FREE summer ...
04/09/2026

Calling all secondary ELA, Social Studies, and Humanities teachers!

WordPowered is excited to bring back our FREE summer institute for teachers! This year’s theme is "Empowering Writing Instruction."

This summer, learn how you can give your students the tools to write with passion and purpose. Registration is now open and spots are limited! Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/3Otwntd

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