On Friday, September 27, Mighty Writers will launch the MightyFest Anti-Violence Initiative as part of the second annual weekend-long MightyFest student writing celebration. Led by Mighty Writers teens, the program was developed as a response to the violence, specifically gun violence, that has been directly impacting youth across Philadelphia.

All September, Mighty Writers students ages 14-18 have been discussing and writing about various types of violence affecting them and their communities. Each student has created an original Anti-Violence booklet as a culmination of their research, with writings and discussion that feature resources for Philadelphia youth who have been affected by violence.

On September 27 from 4:00-5:30pm at Friends Center Philadelphia (1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia, PA 19102), these students will bring their work to the public by holding a town hall meeting with leaders at the city, state and federal level. Elected officials will speak about their own anti-violence initiatives and answer questions on a panel led by students in Mighty Writers' Teen Scholars program. Youth from around Philadelphia will have a chance to voice their concerns and visions for change within the city. State Reps. Donna Bullock and Movita Johnson- Harrell are already confirmed to be part of the panel, with more to be announced.

The event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are required due to space limitations. RSVP now at: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mightyfest-anti-violence-summit-tickets-71830150915?aff=ebdssbeac

Mighty Writers is proud to partner in this initiative with The Peace Center, Philadelphia CeaseFire, Anti-Violence Partnership, and March For Our Lives Philadelphia.  

Learn more about all of the activities at MightyFest 2019, from September 26-29, here: https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/mighty-writers-mightyfest-student-literacy-festival-sept-26-29-philadelphia

About Mighty Writers:

Mighty Writers was founded in 2009 with the mission to teach kids to think clearly and write with clarity. The organization offers free programs for students from elementary through high school at centers in four diverse Philadelphia neighborhoods, including one bilingual location for Spanish-speaking students. Mighty Writers offers daily afterschool academies, long- and short-term writing classes nights and weekends, teen scholar programs, mentorships, College Prep courses and college essay writing classes. Over 400 of the city’s best creative minds (writers, teachers, journalists, etc.) teach 150 writing classes a year to 3,500 kids at Mighty Writers annually. In the past year, they've been recognized by Mayor Jim Kenney for their work in literary arts and received a City Council Citation.

Founder and executive director Tim Whitaker began his career teaching fifth and sixth grade in Philadelphia before becoming a writer and editor. He is the author of “Crash: The Life and Times of Dick Allen.” He was the editor of Philadelphia Weekly (1994-2008), and previously the editor of PhillySport and Pittsburgh magazines. Whitaker was a head writer at NBC Radio and has written for The New York Times, Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer.