Our Impact

For more than 35 years, PEN/Faulkner’s education programs have connected DC students with published authors to help them discover the joy of reading and writing. Our programs empower the next generation of readers and writers and make literature meaningful to local students. We currently operate three distinct education programs in partnership with DC’s Title I and Targeted Assistance public and public charter schools:

• Writers in Schools, which brings writers directly into students’ classrooms for a one-time, interactive discussion and provides each student with a copy of the visiting author’s book to help build their own personal library and instill a love of reading.
• Writing Workshops, a three-session series of workshops led by a professional writer and designed to support students’ writing skills development.
• Writers in Residence, in which PEN/Faulkner pairs one writer with one classroom of students to develop a writing project over the course of an entire semester or school year, providing a long-term, in-depth learning experience.

Additionally, our Nuestras Voces initiative amplifies Latino stories, characters, and authors, providing a culturally relevant experience for the 20% of our students who identify as Latino and the 15% who are English Language Learners. 100% of our school partners are Title I and Targeted Assistance schools and, thanks to the support of our generous funders, our programs are offered to schools completely free of charge, ensuring that our programming reaches the students who need it most.

Your support makes our programs possible. Please consider a contribution. Thank you.