As a writer, one can find oneself staring dreadfully long at the blinking cursor on a screen, being taunted by the feeling of being stuck trying to articulate ideas and express them in words. To help combat feelings such as this, The Writing Center aims at assisting students working on their various assignments across grade levels. The Writing Center is a student-led workshop environment, where students interact with trained Writing Fellows to collaboratively cultivate a writer’s ideas and effectively communicate them in their assignment. The Writing Center welcomes everyone to work through the rigorous writing assignments that Harrison’s ninth through twelfth grade students come across.  Writing may not be for everyone, but the Writing Center invites students to grab a snack, get comfortable and effectively collaborate with fellow students to put a spin on the writing process that can only be found in a student-led peer tutoring setting. 

     The Writing Center is located in D163 and is open to all students on Odd Days, periods: 4, 7 and 8. As well as Even Days, periods: 5, 6 and 7. It is during these periods that most students have a lunch period or free period and are more than welcome to stop in, no appointment needed. Whether dropping in to work with a Writing Fellow or using the space to work on writing assignments independently, Writing Fellows prompt writers to ask questions if any should come to mind, ready to be than just a tutor but someone with open ears to all the ideas presented to them. 

     Since the Writing Center officially opened Q3 of the 2022- 2023 school year. Dr. Kanter, the district’s ELA director, and Ms. Reilly, 9th grade ELA teacher, have worked with Writing Fellows to exceed the standards of the center’s mission statement which praises and values student empowerment, individual writing perspectives and “providing a brave space where ALL writers are welcome to explore their voices and express their ideas.” Additionally, Writing Fellows meet frequently throughout the year to discuss the progress of the Writing Center, ways to keep attracting students into the center and enjoying the community aspect of being a fellow.

     At the start and end of each meeting, writers and writing fellows are encouraged to sign in and out of the Writing Center using a QR Code easily accessible around the space. The Qr Code sends them to a google form where they print their name, select their grade level and select the name of the writing fellow they are working with. At the end of the session, the QR Code sends them to a sign out “Feedback Form”, where the writer and writing fellow write down the experience of their session and takeaways. As of Spring 2023, the feedback forms showed that 111 students signed into the center. Each one of these students responded finding their session “very useful.” In Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of the 2023-2024 school year, there have been 127 sessions in the Writing session and many more to come as the year progresses.

     The Writing Center continues to promote peer discussions and student interaction along the writing process to  empower students’ voices. They emphasize that all writing, and more importantly that all writers are different and unique. Valuing an individual writer’s perspective and their unique voice in their writing is the most important principle in the Writing Center. No matter the writing assignment or task at hand, Writing Fellows strive to help the writer clearly communicate their purpose for writing to an authentic audience. In order to achieve this, the HHS Writing Center provides a brave space where ALL writers are welcome to explore their voices and express their ideas. 

Annelise Serpa is both the Editor and Chief of the Husky Herald and a Member of the Writing Center.