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File #: 120182    Version: 0 Name:
Type: Resolution Status: ADOPTED
File created: 3/8/2012 In control: CITY COUNCIL
On agenda: Final action: 3/8/2012
Title: Honoring, recognizing and commending Mighty Writers for its efforts to educate people to think and write with clarity in order to boost self-esteem and create a generation of young people who are successful in school, their careers and ultimately their lives.
Sponsors: Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Bass
Attachments: 1. Signature12018200.pdf
Title
Honoring, recognizing and commending Mighty Writers for its efforts to educate people to think and write with clarity in order to boost self-esteem and create a generation of young people who are successful in school, their careers and ultimately their lives.
Body
WHEREAS, Mighty Writers is a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 to combat Philadelphia's literacy crisis and increase educational skills by offering a variety of free educational programs; and
WHEREAS, Too many of the students in Philadelphia drop out of school before graduating high school and a large portion of our working-age adults are functionally illiterate; and
WHEREAS, Mighty Writers offers a range of educational programs including daily afterschool programming, writing workshops on nights and weekends, a weekly Teen Writers Lounge Program, intensive SAT preparatory courses and college essay writing classes; and
WHEREAS, By harnessing the talents of over 300 of Philadelphia's most creative teachers, journalists, artists and professionals on a volunteer basis, Mighty Writers teaches and mentors almost 1,000 children each year and provides much needed after school activities for our youth; and
WHEREAS, In order to foster reading and writing skills, Mighty Writers uses innovative strategies like its comic book club where instructors teach students how to construct compelling plotlines and characters; its Garden Reader Program where teachers help students study garden-grown fruits and vegetables; and a poetry class where students hone their prose; and
WHEREAS, Mighty Writers aims to help disadvantaged youth from low-income families and provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed; and
WHEREAS, Mighty Writers' free afterschool program has been extremely successful. The 75 students in the program participate in at least ten projects a year and at least 75 percent improve their writing grades. In addition, 650 students participate in over 50 themed night, wee...

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