Marissa Quenqua

Girls Write Now

For almost 25 years, Girls Write Now has broken down the barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor the next generation of writers and leaders. Together, our community channels the power of our voices and stories to shape culture, impact industries and inspire change. New York's first writing and mentoring organization for girls and gender-expansive youth, we match underserved young writers from the five boroughs of New York City and across the US with women professional writers and digital media makers as their personal mentors. Our mentees publish in The New York Times, Newsweek, and BuzzFeed, have performed at Lincoln Center and the United Nations, and have earned hundreds of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. 100% of Girls Write Now seniors are accepted to college. The organization has been distinguished three times by the White House as one of the nation's top youth programs and twice by the Nonprofit Excellence Awards as one of New York's top ten nonprofits. Reaching thousands, Girls Write Now is a founding partner of the New York City Council's STARS Citywide Girls Initiative.