Bronx WritersCorps, now in its tenth year, is active at community sites ranging from schools & detention facilities, to homeless shelters & community based organizations. Participants range in age from elementary school to high school & represent all ethnic communities of the Bronx.

Bronx WritersCorps focuses on a variety of unique initiatives, which can be adapted to the population being served, thus maximizing WritersCorps’ potential.

Tier II Housing Shelters
WritersCorps is now in its sixth year of servicing family-oriented transitional housing shelters in the Bronx. These transitional housing facilities help families find permanent residences while providing them with the necessary social services to make the adjustment. WritersCorps is working with youth, ages 14 to 19, twice a week, introducing them to the Book Arts field, from the creative writing side to the jobs within the industry, while providing exciting afterschool opportunities such as: performance “slamming” at various venues, team building & group/individual anthology creation. There is an internship component where each participant will have a work experience in a non-profit or for-profit entity, related to the book arts & literary industry.

Juvenile Justice System
This year marked the fifth consecutive year WritersCorps has worked with the Bronx Horizons Juvenile Detention Facility & the Bridges Correctional Facility. Professional performance poets provide literary opportunities for youth up to age 19. Individuals are introduced to the creative writing field as well as performance poetry. Each participant creates his or her own work or participates in producing a group anthology that is distributed throughout the juvenile justice system. Further, the participants have the opportunity to showcase their poetry at their in-house poetry slams organized by the staff at the facility.

Youth Poetry Slam League
This year marked the fifth consecutive year WritersCorps has worked with the Bronx Horizons Juvenile Detention Facility & the Bridges Correctional Facility. Professional perfor-mance poets provide literary opportunities for youth up to age 19. Individuals are introduced to the creative writing field as well as performance poetry. Each participant creates his or her own work or participates in producing a group anthology that is distributed throughout the juvenile justice system. Further, the participants have the opportunity to showcase their poetry at their in-house poetry slams organized by the staff at the facility.

Bronx Council on the Arts
Since its founding as the official arts agency of the Bronx in 1962, BCA has operated independently as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization committed to the cultural development of the borough’s under-served communities. An integral part of BCA’s mission is to demonstrate the application of the creative process to career opportunities through education and job training in the literary, performing, and visual arts. Bronx WritersCorps has developed as an important component of the Bronx Council on the Arts’ overall mission.

Bronx Writers' Center
The Bronx Writers' Center is devoted to the artistic & professional development of Bronx writers, & to expanding the audience for literature and literary events in the Bronx and beyond. Our Center serves as a space for writers from all genres to work, do research, attend workshops & readings, & stay connected to the literary community while honing their craft. We encourage all of our established & emerging writers to join us in creating new programs that serve the community-at-large, which in turn can help their professional development & increase their public profile.

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