History
YWP was founded by Geoffrey Gevalt, who brings to the project 32 years of experience working in journalism. In 2003, while working as Managing Editor of the Burlington Free Press, he worked with the Vermont Chapter of the National Writing Project to create a weekly feature that offered tips on teaching writing and best student work. Within three years this feature had ballooned beyond his wildest expectations -- about 850 pieces of writing were submitted during the 2005/06 school year.
In early 2006, Gevalt was offered a two-year grant to expand the program from the Vermont Business Roundtable, a collection of 125 CEOs from Vermont’s leading business and colleges who recognized the importance of students writing well. In the summer of 2006, Young Writers Project, Inc. was incorporated as an independent 501(c)3 corporation and work began on expanding its impact.
YWP's tale by the numbers:
35,000 submissions and posts each year.
An estimated 120 students have participated as judges
2,500 students have had their work published in five daily newspapers.
Students from 300 schools in Vermont (and part of New Hampshire) have participated.
150 pieces of student art published.
2,000 entries given feedback by 125 College Mentors since spring 2007.
An average of 600 visits to youngwritersproject.org each day.
About 4,300 students are registered users of youngwritersproject.org ...
.... have posted 80,000 comments in one year.
20,000 students & at least 54 schools participated in YWP's first Vermont Writes Day, January 27, 2009
35 schools are using our sites through our sister project, YWP Digital Writing Classrooms at ywpschools.net
15 teachers are participating in YWP's Master's Level Practicum on Digital Writing and approximately 150 teachers will receive digital learning training in 2009/10.
