Andover Bread Loaf Writing Leaders

For 27  years this nonprofit writers program  through Middlebury College and Phillips Academy, in Andover, MA has not only been teaching writing skills but changing lives of the children of Lawrence, MA - a former mill town. The program not only leads to children gaining the skills and confidence to pursue college but has resulted in inspiring many to become community leaders.

andover.edu

Workshops are entirely student led and the "writing leaders" are children that have gone through the program themselves, and the same ages as those they mentor. "Writing leaders" receive mentoring and training from public school teachers.

More than 600 children have participated in the program and most have gone on to complete college. Quite an accomplishment, according to Edwin Santana, who became an instructor in 2004,  in a community where almost half the students drop out of high school. The Writing Leaders program is only one facet of Andover Bread Loaf - a nonprofit and community program of Middlebury College and Phillips Academy integrated with their academic programs.

The mission of Andover Bread Loaf is to promote literacy and educational revitalization in the most economically disadvantaged school systems and communities around the world, particularly in American urban public schools. The initiative is tied closely to Middlebury College's masters in English program.

To make a donation visit the Phillips Academy website, www.andover.edu.  More detail about the program can be found on the site as well under the "Summer Sessions And Outreach" tab.