New national cohort advances research-backed writing practices that support youth well-being across diverse settings
SAN FRANCISCO – 826 National announces the inaugural cohort of organizations selected for the Write to Thrive Fund, a national initiative designed to strengthen youth well-being by using writing as a preventative mental health and wellness tool. The inaugural cohort will serve approximately 1,500 young people across multiple systems including education, health, and afterschool programming.
The inaugural Write to Thrive grantees include:
- Southern Indian Health Council — A Tribal health organization serving Native youth along the California–Arizona border, embedding writing within a holistic community wellness and youth development framework.
- COR Inc — A nonprofit based in Atlanta, Georgia, operating within a Title I high school model and integrating writing into a school-based mental health and wellness ecosystem.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas — A large-scale urban afterschool system within the national Boys & Girls Clubs network, serving young people across Dallas, Texas.
- YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School — A re-engagement education model serving opportunity youth, where writing supports identity reconstruction, voice, and future orientation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 826 MSP — Serving young people across Minneapolis, embedding writing as a space for reflection, voice, and belonging.
Grounded in two decades of practice and emerging research, Write to Thrive is based on the idea that writing can help young people develop core social-emotional skills linked to mental health and long-term well-being. When young people feel supported and seen, writing offers a practical way to express emotion, reflect on experience, and imagine new possibilities.
Together, these sites represent the range of contexts in which young people can meaningfully turn to writing as a tool for care and growth.
“This cohort allows us to move beyond belief and toward evidence,” said Laura Brief, CEO of 826 National. “We know writing helps young people process emotions, build confidence, and strengthen their sense of self. Write to Thrive is about understanding how that happens across different settings, and how educators and facilitators can reliably bring those benefits to young people in their care.”
Through Write to Thrive, participating organizations receive a $20,000 grant along with access to 826 National’s writing-and-SEL curriculum, facilitator training, and implementation support.
Interest in the pilot underscores the urgency of this work. With limited seed funding, 826 National received nearly 400 applications from organizations nationwide representing more than a million young people in education, health, and community-based youth systems.
826 National’s initiative reveals a critical demand for preventive tools that educators and youth workers can use in everyday settings. Visit 826 National’s Write to Thrive Fund page to learn more and support this work.
Upon request by the media, interviews are available with Laura Brief, CEO of 826 National. For inquiries, please contact Heidi Lepe at heidi@826national.org.
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826 National is the largest youth writing network in the United States, amplifying the impact of writing and publishing centers across the country, along with the words of young writers. We serve as an international proof point for writing as a tool for young people to ignite and channel their creativity, explore identity, advocate for themselves and their community, and achieve academic and professional success. The 826 Network serves approximately 903,000 students with free writing programs and resources across nine chapters in major U.S. cities—Boston, Chicago, Detroit/Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.—and through 826 Digital. Our online platform, 826 Digital, supports over 23,000 educators nationwide with teaching tools and professional support. Visit 826national.org to learn more about our writing movement.
