About

The FW project is a five-year collaboration between public high schools and a university social work program in Ohio. The primary author is social work faculty and trained in AWA writing group methods created by Pat Schneider (2003). The primary author also serves as the main facilitator of the writing groups. The university students involved in the project are trained in the writing group method and write with the high school students using prompts. Both high school student and university mentor share their raw written pieces often completed in 5-7 minutes. All group members are encouraged to give strengths-based feedback about what aspect of another’s writing they found powerful. This writing and feedback process can be very therapeutic, but the purpose of the writing isn’t therapy it is to recognize and respect each member as a writer and artist.  FW is intended as a social justice intervention. Everyone gives feedback because every member of the group has an important and unique voice. The group reminds each member that their perspective matters.