The Power of Communicating Clearly

Founded in 2009, Mighty Writers (MW) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to teach Philadelphia’s youth to think clearly and write with clarity. Serving kids aged seven through 17, MW’s programs include group writing workshops, one-on-one tutoring sessions, college-preparatory courses and more.

   Photo by James Wasserman, courtesy of Mighty Writers. 

“We’re not trying to teach kids to be professional writers… but to write with clarity and communicate clearly,” says Tim Whitaker, Executive Director. He explains that if someone is able to think with clarity in one form of communication, it then translates to others. “It’s not just about emails and resumes, it’s about making everyday decisions.” 

    Photo courtesy of Mighty Writers.
  

A great concept in theory, but enticing today’s young people is no easy task. However, it turned out the demand for MW’s services far exceeded expectations. A total of 75 students signed up for the initial course offerings. “We were overwhelmed from the very beginning, which was a great thing, just very challenging.” At that time, the total staff consisted of two people. MW has 42 full-time and 21 part-time employees.

On the subject of keeping kids engaged, Whitaker says they gather “teachers who aren't just great writing teachers but who have a sense of showmanship. During the pandemic, we learned that to keep kids engaged… you really have to entertain them.”

MW also began offering free lunches to students during the pandemic and ultimately groceries and hot meals to the communities it serves, a program which continues to this day because, “You can’t think clearly if you’re hungry.” 

     Photo by James Wasserman, courtesy of Mighty Writers.  

Since its beginnings in a South Philly storefront, MW has expanded with locations in Germantown, West Philly, North Philly, the Italian Market, and Camden, Atlantic City and Newark, N.J. 

In Kennett Square, Pa., their program is tailored to the needs of that community, offering bilingual after-school writing workshops and other activities    Photo courtesy of Mighty Writers.
   that honor their Latino heritage. Most recently, MW opened a location in El Paso, Texas, a hub of binational and bilingual culture with a Hispanic population of more than 80 percent. 

When asked what’s next, Whitaker doesn’t see an end in sight anytime soon. “We’d like to expand further into New Jersey, into New York City obviously and Baltimore, really everywhere.”