ABOUT URBAN WORD NYC
Urban Word NYC serves 25,000 teens annually with creative writing and performance, youth leadership and college prep opportunities.
We provide mentoring, writing and performance workshops for under-served young men and women. Your support helps keep our programs free for thousands of teens in the metro area seeking development and community. Through performances, scholarships and fellowships, we have been championing youth voices for nearly two decades.
Urban Word NYC spends 85% of all revenue on direct service programs for youth.
WHO WE SERVE
Urban Word NYC believes that self-expression — matured in an enhanced critical literacy environment — improves confidence and strengthens educational achievement in New York City's inner city youth. We promote active literacy, critical thought, and positive social dialogue across the boundaries of age, race, class, gender, culture, and sexuality. Many of our workshops are designed to enhance critical thinking and leadership skills, as well as to ignite a personal commitment to the kind of growth and learning that leads to heightened academic performance and interest in pursuing higher education.
We serve aspiring young writers from across New York City's five boroughs. Urban Word NYC's target population reflects the makeup of the public institutions from which that population is largely drawn (40% African American, 20% Latino, 18% Asian/Pacific Islander, 15% White, 5% Middle Eastern and 2% Other), over 95% of which attend Title I schools (free or reduced lunch). In addition, Urban Word NYC also serves youth in homeless shelters and in alternative incarceration facilities and is dedicated to hosting events for young people in a range of community centers, religious spaces, and commercial venues across the city.
Urban Word NYC boast a 99% college acceptance rate for youth enrolled in our college prep programs. In addition, 92% of the teens enrolled in our college prep programs have earned full or partial scholarships.