Bussed to Hofstra's campus for two hours a week from Roosevelt, the girls formed dynamic relationships with one another and with Dr. Garcia and the instructors. "One of the first things you notice when you walk in the room is the energy," Dr. Garcia says of the weekly gatherings. "There really is a special connection that develops between the students and teachers. Relationships become very important. The program is very organic in that the instructors sow the seeds but the students take the experience where they want it to go."

"Some girls are very comfortable right away and begin writing. Others are not," says Dr. Garcia. "We respect that. This is for them. This is not for a grade or for passing an exam. So some students may write as many as 25 poems and others may only produce a few. We don't look at it quantitatively. It's for the experience."

Dr. Garcia is not yet sure if this year's ninth grade participants will be allowed to return for a fourth year: "We don't know what is happing next," she laughs. She is clearly pleased that it has been the students who have steered the direction for the project. "We discovered by observing the girls closely that through their engagement with literacy we were developing their self-esteem," she says. "We've seen them develop as strong leaders. I think originally we hoped they would learn how to express themselves through writing, but they are also now much more aware of their potential and they are comfortable setting newer and higher goals for themselves."

For the parents, too, the program is enlightening. "They raise their expectations. They are moved by the powerful words in their girls' work. They are voicing issues they find hard to talk about."

The Young Women's Writing Project has also had an impact on the community. As a result of their experiences in the program, the girls recently requested the start of a mentorship program in the Roosevelt district itself. And for the first time they also organized in committees to plan all aspects of the closing celebration on June 10, where each girl read her most meaningful work. As a suggested means of admission, the young women also asked guests to donate a book to the Roosevelt Junior High School Library relating to the challenges and coming of age of young minority women.

If the students have their way and this tradition continues, the books to be donated may someday be written by them.