What We Do

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Write Around Portland workshop model & philosophy
Workshops, readings & anthologies
Partner agencies & organizations by category

Write Around Portland provides high quality, skillfully facilitated writing workshops in safe, accessible and respectful environments for people to write and share in community, holds community readings to promote the exchange of stories and publishes anthologies to connect writers and readers.

Workshop Model & Philosophy

Write Around Portland provides high quality, creative and unique writing workshops, which are participant-centered and are based on experiential learning. Most of our workshops run for 8-10 weeks, 2 hours per week. The workshop curriculum focuses on both generating new writing and developing the writing or revision and supports flexibility to meet the particular needs and interests of a given workshop group.

Volunteer workshop facilitators participate in a 27 hour intensive training on Write Around Portland's values and philosophies, key concepts of facilitation, including creation of a safe community in which to write and share, and practice modeling successful, creative workshop facilitation.

In our workshops, facilitators write alongside participants through a series of freewrites and positive, strength-building feedback. Workshop participants write stories, poems, memoirs, letters, essays while experimenting with imagery, character development, writing in different voices, dialogue and early-draft revision. Participants also have the opportunity to share their writing and give and receive positive feedback to grow as writers and build respectful community.

Participants strengthen their writing along with their sense of community. While our workshops are not traditional classes, they are educational, helping individuals deepen their writing, reading, listening and communication skills. Although the workshops are not counseling or support groups, participants tell us that the process is therapeutic, healing and reduces their sense of isolation. Write Around Portland has inspired participants to complete their GEDs, attend college, stick with treatment programs, transition back to our community after incarceration and break cycles of abuse.

Writing Workshops

Write Around Portland has facilitated nearly 500 eight-ten week creative writing workshops, unleashing the creative power of more than 3,200 adults and youth by helping them access the literary arts and community.

Our traditional workshops are held in partnership with hospitals, treatment centers, homeless shelters, senior centers, prisons, low income housing buildings, schools and other organizations (see comprehensive list of partner agencies at bottom of this page). Nearly 75% of the participants in our traditional workshops live below the federal poverty line.

These workshops are offered free to the people served by our partners agencies and others who may not have access to writing in community because of income, isolation or other barriers. To ensure that everyone in our city has access to the power of writing in community, writing journals, pens, bus tickets, childcare and snacks are provided for participants in these workshops.

We also offer special workshops designed for new and seasoned writers who want to participate in a Write Around Portland workshop and support the communities we traditionally serve. These workshops are open to everyone. We currently offer two workshops with an associated fee: Prompt at Powell's City of Books and twice monthly workshops at HOTLIPS Pizza.

Community Readings

Workshop participants share their writing with the public at free community readings. These readings promote respect for diverse groups and provide an opportunity to hear the powerful stories of gifted writers in our workshops. Few Portland events include so many diverse voices. Visit our Events page for more information about upcoming readings.

Published Anthologies

Write Around Portland has published and sold 37 anthologies of participant writing at the end of each season of our traditional workshops. These professionally-produced anthologies provide participants – many for the first time – the opportunity and satisfaction to see their words in print, while providing the public the opportunity to read the powerful stories and diverse voices of these important writers. Visit our Publications and Writers page for more information on our anthologies and where to find them.

Write Around Portland Partner Agencies

Interested in holding a Write Around Portland workshop at your agency or organization? Call Devin DiBernardo at 503.796.9224.

Write Around Portland has provided writing workshops in collaboration with more than 170 social service agencies, community organizations, the state, county and public schools serving specific populations, such women fleeing domestic violence, youth who are homeless, people with mental or physical disabilities and adults in recovery from drug/alcohol addictions. Partner organizations--listed below--provide workshop space and recruit participants.

We also hold "open" workshops for adults living on a very low income and/or with a disability and a special workshop called "Write On: Returning Writers" for adults who have participated in 2-3 previoius workshops. After completing Write On, participants are invited to write together in community in a self-facilitated group called "Seasoned Writers," which is held in the Write Around Portland writers' resource room.


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TAKE A Writing Workshop SIGN UP for Write Around Portland News WRITING RESOURCES	What We Do On this page: Write Around Portland workshop model & philosophy Workshops, readings & anthologies Partner agencies & organizations by category Write Around Portland provides high quality, skillfully facilitated writing workshops in safe, accessible and respectful environments for people to write and share in community, holds community readings to promote the exchange of stories and publishes anthologies to connect writers and readers. Workshop Model & Philosophy Write Around Portland provides high quality, creative and unique writing workshops, which are participant-centered and are based on experiential learning. Most of our workshops run for 8-10 weeks, 2 hours per week. The workshop curriculum focuses on both generating new writing and developing the writing or revision and supports flexibility to meet the particular needs and interests of a given workshop group. Volunteer workshop facilitators participate in a 27 hour intensive training on Write Around Portland's values and philosophies, key concepts of facilitation, including creation of a safe community in which to write and share, and practice modeling successful, creative workshop facilitation. In our workshops, facilitators write alongside participants through a series of freewrites and positive, strength-building feedback. Workshop participants write stories, poems, memoirs, letters, essays while experimenting with imagery, character development, writing in different voices, dialogue and early-draft revision. Participants also have the opportunity to share their writing and give and receive positive feedback to grow as writers and build respectful community. Participants strengthen their writing along with their sense of community. While our workshops are not traditional classes, they are educational, helping individuals deepen their writing, reading, listening and communication skills. Although the workshops are not counseling or support groups, participants tell us that the process is therapeutic, healing and reduces their sense of isolation. Write Around Portland has inspired participants to complete their GEDs, attend college, stick with treatment programs, transition back to our community after incarceration and break cycles of abuse. Writing Workshops Write Around Portland has facilitated nearly 500 eight-ten week creative writing workshops, unleashing the creative power of more than 3,200 adults and youth by helping them access the literary arts and community. Our traditional workshops are held in partnership with hospitals, treatment centers, homeless shelters, senior centers, prisons, low income housing buildings, schools and other organizations (see comprehensive list of partner agencies at bottom of this page). Nearly 75% of the participants in our traditional workshops live below the federal poverty line. These workshops are offered free to the people served by our partners agencies and others who may not have access to writing in community because of income, isolation or other barriers. To ensure that everyone in our city has access to the power of writing in community, writing journals, pens, bus tickets, childcare and snacks are provided for participants in these workshops. We also offer special workshops designed for new and seasoned writers who want to participate in a Write Around Portland workshop and support the communities we traditionally serve. These workshops are open to everyone. We currently offer two workshops with an associated fee: Prompt at Powell's City of Books and twice monthly workshops at HOTLIPS Pizza. Community Readings Workshop participants share their writing with the public at free community readings. These readings promote respect for diverse groups and provide an opportunity to hear the powerful stories of gifted writers in our workshops. Few Portland events include so many diverse voices. Visit our Events page for more information about upcoming readings. Published Anthologies Write Around Portland has published and sold 37 anthologies of participant writing at the end of each season of our traditional workshops. These professionally-produced anthologies provide participants – many for the first time – the opportunity and satisfaction to see their words in print, while providing the public the opportunity to read the powerful stories and diverse voices of these important writers. Visit our Publications and Writers page for more information on our anthologies and where to find them. Write Around Portland Partner Agencies Interested in holding a Write Around Portland workshop at your agency or organization? Call Devin DiBernardo at 503.796.9224. Write Around Portland has provided writing workshops in collaboration with more than 170 social service agencies, community organizations, the state, county and public schools serving specific populations, such women fleeing domestic violence, youth who are homeless, people with mental or physical disabilities and adults in recovery from drug/alcohol addictions. Partner organizations--listed below--provide workshop space and recruit participants. We also hold "open" workshops for adults living on a very low income and/or with a disability and a special workshop called "Write On: Returning Writers" for adults who have participated in 2-3 previoius workshops. After completing Write On, participants are invited to write together in community in a self-facilitated group called "Seasoned Writers," which is held in the Write Around Portland writers' resource room. Youth Harvey Scott SUN School/Impact NW LifeWorks NW - LeoNiLeo LifeWorks NW New Avenues for Youth p:ear St. Mary's Home for Boys YO! Center Helensview High School Multnomah County Juvenile Services - RAD Unit Multnomah County Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Facility Youth Employment Institute Youth Builders I Have a Dream Foundation YWCA Smart Choices Program DePaul Treatment Center Dougy Center North Portland Youth & Family Center Centennial Learning Center Powerhouse Mentors Portland OIC/Rosemary Anderson High School Jackson SUN School - Neighborhood House, Inc. Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Girl Scouts Columbia River Council Hispanic Initiative Cascade AIDS Project Kids' Connection Human Solutions Arbor Glen Teen Club New Columbia Youth Group (Housing Authority of Portland) Powerhouse Mentors NELA: Center for Student Access Po'Shines/Teach Me To Fish Janus Youth Services Bridge House LEP High School Timber Lake Job Corps MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility/University of Hope Clark County Juvenile Justice/Vancouver Public Schools Boys & Girls Aid, Pettygrove Serendipity Center Friends of the Children Camp Starlight Thought Auction Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) Native American Youth Association Girl Scouts Hispanic Initiative/El Programa de Iniciativa Hispana de Girl Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN Schools), Portland Public Schools - Harvey Scott, Jackson Si Se Puede/Yes We Can Vancouver Public Schools Back on Track Program Parkrose School District - Parkrose Middle School, Prescott Elementary, Russell Academy of Academic Achievement, Sacramento Elementary Drug & Alcohol Recovery CODA Alpha Family Treatment Center Multnomah County Londer Learning Center/DePaul Treatment Center Multnomah County Project Network VOA Men's Residential Center VOA Women's Residential Center Central City Concern - 12th Avenue Recovery Center Multnomah County Juvenile Services - RAD Unit Central City Concern Recovery Mentor Program HIV/AIDS Cascade AIDS Project HIV Day Center, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Camp Starlight Rosewood Apartments Quest Center for Integrative Health Our House/Neighborhood Housing and Care Program/Swan House Cascade AIDS Project Kids' Connection Mental Health Cascadia Behavioral Health Care - Renaissance, New Mezz, Community Connectors Club 53 Folk Time - Portland & Oregon City Veterans living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Thought Auction New Renaissance Mental Health Center Sequoia Community Mental Health (formerly Homestreet Banyan Tree) Consumer Voices are Born (CVAB) Mental Health Action Group - First Unitarian Church of Portland Oregon State Hospital Central City Concern - 12th Avenue Recovery Center Laceleaf Apartments Portland Hearing Voices LifeWorks NW DePaul Treatment Center Health Care and Services for People with Disabilities Kaiser Permanente Severe Obesity Management Group Independent Living Resources Quest Center for Integrative Health Project Quest Arquette Cancer Center Legacy Emanuel Burn Concern Hospice of Washington County Disability Resources of Southwest Washington Providence St. Vincent Integrated Cancer Center On-the-Move Community Integration Willamette Falls Hospice Self-Determination Resources, Inc. Full Life Coffee House Emerson House Serenity Palliative Care & Hospice Maybelle Clark MacDonald Center Low Income Housing & Social Services Central City Concern – Danmoore, Hatfield Central City Concern - CEP Program Central City Concern Madrona Studios Multnomah County, Clara Vista Family Resource Center Volunteers of America, Marie Smith Center Home Forward (formerly Housing Authority of Portland/HAP) – Hollywood East, Unthank Plaza, Williams Plaza, Sellwood Center, Gallagher Plaza, Dahlke Manor, New Columbia, Holgate House, Maple Mallory and NW Towers, Sellwood Center, Ruth Haefner Plaza, Peaceful Villa, Schrunk Riverview Tower, Tamarack REACH Community Development Corporation - Ritzdorf, Powell Boulevard, Patton Place and Wilshire Apartments William Temple House – North and NW Park Terrace Apartments, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiative, Inc. Human Solutions Portland Impact Catholic Charities Maybelle Clark MacDonald Center Alder House Innovative Housing, Inc. (IHI) - Musolf Manor and Broadway Vantage Apartments Rose Community Development/Leander Court Apartments The Giving Tree St. James Lutheran Church The Jeffrey Apartments/Cascadia Rahab's Sisters/LifeWorks NW New Columbia Youth Group (Housing Authority of Portland) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Intersex, Transgender, Queer Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) Elder Resource Alliance/Friendly House Senior Services Transgender Group Homelessness/Transitional Housing Dignity Village JOIN Jean's Place Street Roots Julia West House Sisters of the Road Salvation Army Harbor Light New Avenues for Youth p:ear Janus Youth Services Bridge House Multicultural services Hispanic Access Center Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRC0) Native American Youth Association North Portland Youth and Family Center Clara Vista Common Bond Girl Scouts Hispanic Initiative/El Programa de Iniciativa Hispana de Girl Scouts Rigler SUN School Bradley Angle House/Healing Roots Center Girl Scouts Columbia River Council Hispanic Initiative Sexual Assault Resource Center Urban League of Portland Multi-Cultural Senior Center Domestic/Sexual Violence West Women's and Children's Center Raphael House YWCA Transitional Opportunities Project YWCA Clark County Volunteers of America - Family Center Portland Women's Crisis Line Bradley Angle House/Healing Roots Center Sexual Assault Resource Center Prisons/Jails/Post-Incarceration State of Oregon, Coffee Creek Correctional Facility - Minimum & Medium Security State of Oregon, Columbia River Correctional Institution Multnomah County Correctional Facility Multnomah County Inverness Jail Multnomah County Restitution Center Girl Scouts Beyond Bars MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility/University of Hope Multnomah County Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Facility VOA Men's Residential Center VOA Women's Residential Center YWCA Transitional Opportunities Project Community Centers and Other Groups Zimmerman Community Center Schools Uniting Neighborhoods (SUN Schools), Portland Public Schools – Roosevelt, Marshall, Portsmouth, Tubman, Rigler, Clarendon, Gilbert Park, Kelly, Harvey Scott, Jackson Portland Parks and Recreation Dishman Community Center Reflections Cafe Brentwood Darlington Center Neighborhood Pride Team Families of Military Service members in Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns Portland Art Museum - Object Stories Seniors Urban League of Portland Multi-Cultural Senior Center Volunteers of America, Velma Joy Bernie Center and Lambert House East REACH/Station Place Tower Cherry Park Plaza Easter Seals Providence ElderPlace Glendoveer Neighborhood House Senior Center/Multnomah Arts Center Elder Resource Alliance/Friendly House Senior Services 917 SW Oak St. #406, Portland, OR 97205 503.796.9224 info@writearound.org	“Write Around Portland has given me a brighter perspective. It has given me hope. It has been a tremendous benefit to write about my experience. To put it on paper and to share it with others has been healing.” --Josh, Workshop Participant Donate Now Provide journals to 15 workshop participants.
Home \| Workshops & Events \| Donate Now \| Get Involved \| Publications & Writers \| About Us

What We Do

Workshop Model & Philosophy

Writing Workshops

Community Readings

Published Anthologies

Write Around Portland Partner Agencies

Youth

Drug & Alcohol Recovery

HIV/AIDS

Mental Health

Health Care and Services for People with Disabilities

Low Income Housing & Social Services

Homelessness/Transitional Housing

Multicultural services

Domestic/Sexual Violence

Prisons/Jails/Post-Incarceration

Community Centers and Other Groups

Seniors