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Writers  Well  Youth  Fellowship

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Writer's Well was recently awarded funds from Grantmakers For Girls of Color to support The Covid Cohort 2020. This Cohort is a FREE cohort designed to help Black girls/femmes/gender-expansive youth who are high school seniors and recent high school graduates deal with Covid, mental health, and gaps in the ritual/rites of passage from high school to college. The CC2020 meets virtually twice a month and has special guest facilitators to teach coping techniques for stress, balancing life circumstances, personal care, ways to self-reflect, while encouraging participants to take up space even in the midst of the pandemic and civil unrest!


The application is free! To apply go to: http://bit.ly/COVIDCohort
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​Writers Well Youth Fellowship is a year-long fellowship for black girl/femmes/non-binary/gender expansive persons ages 14-19 that teaches and affirms the power of their voices, pen, art, and individuality through interactive retreats, writing, and performance classes. Founded and facilitated by Crystal Tenille Irby, it provides a space for girls to move towards healing, expand their minds and their pen while also gathering tools to prepare them for taking up space as a black leader and artist within their communities.

In WWYF the girls are supported by black women/femmes facilitators and writing coaches to help them hone their craft of writing and self-expression at no cost to the participants or their families. Retreats and classes are held both virtually and in-person and include health and wellness, writing prompts, editing, being confident in authenticity, and exploring the possibilities of their talents and potential. 

While in the collective the girls are able to connect to others, share experiences, gain support from one another, and to learn there are many ways to navigate through life as an unapologetic black girl. WWYF offers the fellows the opportunity to learn and embrace their voice, talents, and share a space that offers no condemnation, but guidance, freedom of expression, and an artistic outlet. 

WWYF embraces new fellows annually through an application process during the month of June. In 2020, however, due to COVID-19, Writer's Well Youth Fellowship has decided to postpone the submission process. The Fellowship understands the importance of face-to-face comradery when bringing new fellows into the collective. The COVID-19 pandemic has not permitted such in-person interactions so the onboarding of new writers will resume when it is healthy to do so. 

Donations to Writer's Well Youth Fellowship are tax-deductible and are used to provide the girls with black authored books, notebooks, pens, health and wellness products, and a full experience of acceptance, growth, and worthiness.

The Writers Well Team

Crystal Tennille Irby, Co-Founder
Monifa Jackson, Teaching Artist
Monique "Fire" Walton, Teaching Artist
Davelyn Hill, Teaching Artist
Hayle Oswell, Teaching Artist
Contact WWYF

Funding Partners
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and people like you


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Post Office Box 7133, Spartanburg, SC 29304 | ​info@speakdownbarriers.org | 803-526-7496
© 2017 Speaking Down Barriers. All rights reserved.
​Speaking Down Barriers is a 501(c)3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

  • Home
  • Equity School
  • About Us
    • Our Beginnings
    • Our Offerings >
      • Community Gatherings
      • Schedule of Events
      • Trainings
      • Writers Well Youth Fellowship
      • #SDBSquad National Network
    • SDB Artist Spotlight
    • FUEL THE WORK
  • SDB Merch
  • Contact Us