Knitters, spinners and weavers one and all,

The Young Writers Project gives thanks this year to all of you generous folks out there who've sent us checks or PayPal donations for $25, $50. $100 and even $2.50. Every dollar helps! And we have made substantial progress in our goal to raise $5,000 to pay for a Digital Writing Classroom Web site at an economically challenged school next year!

As many of you know, YWP is a nonprofit that helps students in Vermont and parts of N.H. and New York become better writers. Why is this important? Because good writing skills are essential for students to fully participate in learning and are needed now, more than ever, to succeed in work life. Yet nationally 75 percent of our high school seniors canNOT write proficiently. We are setting these students up to fail.

While our work is not in life-and-death situations, what we do is help students gain confidence, gain skills and express themselves.

And we greatly appreciate your support and hope you will continue to support us. Click the "ChipIn" button to donate by PayPal or credit card. Or send a check to us or Kathleen Bruce (Click read more for more info)

We estimate that over the last three years, you folks have donated approximately $4,500. We say approximately because we know that others donate through our various accounts and it is not always easy to see who's just an avid writer, a parent or a knitter. Regardless, we thank you.

Many of you help us fund a new Digital Writing Center at our new headquarters at Champlain Mill in Winooski, VT. A sponsor donated work to rehab the space and it is now completed. We moved back in last week and are now scheduling events, workshops, author forums and teacher trainings for the coming year.

We had established a short-term goal of raising $19,000 to build a Digital Writing Center at our new headquarters in the basement of Champlain Mill in Winooski, VT. Thanks to you, we made it!

We have purchased 10 iMac computers, several digital recorders and cameras and are just about to have work started to upgrade our space! And we have already had workshops, training and an incredible live Poetry Slam that was absolutely stupendous.

We will have the exact donation figures when our books are back from the accountants (our fiscal year ends in July so we are doing our annual tax forms) but here's the breakdown:

• kbbspin donations: $1,800
• Computer discounts: $5,000
• Camera/recorder donations: $1,000
• Corporate donation: $5,000
• Donated construction: $6,000
  TOTAL: $18,800

I want to thank all of you who have helped support the Young Writers Project.

So far, in our three year existence, we have received 17,000 submissions, published the work of nearly 3,000 kids and have worked with close to 6,000 kids on our main Web site.

Our new Digital Writing Classrooms will be used by 51 schools and some 6,000 students, this school year! YWP builds private Web sites for schools to use within their curricula in English, Social Studies, science and history. The sites are designed to give students authentic audience -- their peers -- which helps them try harder, learn more and write more! Teachers love the sites and after two years of pilots we are rolling out the sites this year. Thirty-two schools have signed up! YWP provides training to teachers and students, ongoing mentoring and full technical support during the year.

So our next fundraising campaign is to get your support -- the support of individuals -- to fund one Digital Writing Classroom for one school. Essentially you will be adopting a school. My hope is that we'd have enough money to fund the school next year and then see if we could set up some kind of writing exchange with any of you who might be interested.

But we need your financial help. As you know, school budgets are tight, the economy is still moribund and nonprofits appreciate all the help they can get. So if you can send us your $5, or $25 or $100 through the widget on the right or directly through PayPal or through our PayPal on our site: http://www.youngwritersproject.org/node/616 that would have an enormous impact on our programs.

Feel free, if you'd rather, to send your check to Kathleen. However you do it, your donations are being put to great use.

Thanks so much. Please do check out the kids' work at http://youngwritersproject.org and get a sense for our new Digital Writing Classrooms at http://ywpschools.net

Take care,

Geoffrey Gevalt
YWP Founder and Director

My contact info::

Geoffrey Gevalt
Young Writers Project
Champlain Mill
20 Winooski Falls Way, Suite #4
Winooski, VT 05404
802-324-9537
ggevalt@youngwritersproject.org