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P/Arts Grant

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The Writing Institute is pleased to be the recipient of a P/Arts grant from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation in support of scholarships for Yonkers Public School students to attend Writers Week.

Launched in 2019, P/Arts—short for Philanthropic Arts—is the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation’s signature initiative designed to support and inspire nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in weaving the arts into daily learning. Through this program, the Foundation helps schools and educational partners implement or enhance arts-based curricula for students from early childhood through college. The Foundation believes the arts are not an accessory to education but a cornerstone of it.

Now in its 27th year, Writers Week is Sarah Lawrence College’s premiere creative precollege program. This immersive artistic program allows teens ages 14 to 18 to attend creative writing workshops, theatre arts workshops and electives in a supportive and rigorous atmosphere. This summer the Writing Institute welcomed more than 200 young writers to join us virtually and on campus across three weeks.

The P/Arts grant allowed seven Yonkers Public School teens to attend Writers Week in 2026, and will allow additional students to attend in 2027. “The writing workshop was amazing,” said one Yonkers scholar. “It really helped me understand my writing style better.” Another Yonkers scholar shared about their positive experience in their theatre workshop: “It was so fun and I was able to improve and become less shy while acting. I learned how to become better at becoming the character.”

“Writers Week is for teens who have a desire to become a writer,” said Courtney Gillette, Director of the Writing Institute. “We are delighted to welcome young writers from Yonkers Public Schools to be part of Writers Week through this opportunity. Our community of young writers was made all the better by their participation and enthusiasm.”

Special thanks to Emily Rosen, Chief Program Officer at Yonkers Partners in Education, who was instrumental in recommending Yonkers Public School students for this scholarship.