Fostering a Love for Literacy
Through Publishing & Exploration
A NC EmpowerUP Program
More than a youth literacy program.
Writing, Publishing, Creative Industry Career Exploration and Entrepreneurship
What we do
NC EmpowerUP is a non-profit with the mission to empower individuals in underserved communities with programs that enhance education, skill-building, and access to essential community resources.
Early Scribes offers a place for the creative young mind. It is ideally suited for students in grades 6 to 10, with a special focus on those from Title 1 schools or under-resourced communities. Through our program, participants will use their powerful and unique voices to write, illustrate, and publish their own books, fostering a lifelong love for literacy. The cohort will meet lived experience speakers who will introduce jobs in the creative industry that revolve around literacy, expanding their future career possibilities. Additionally, participants will receive foundational training in entrepreneurship, learning how to create a marketing and sales plan for their book that they can implement right away.
"...if something is challenging to a reader, one of the most accessible paths to overcoming that challenge is through writing."
- Colleen Cruz
Author of teacher titles like "Writers Read Better: Nonfiction" (July 2018) and "Writers Read Better: Narrative & The Unstoppable Writing Teacher."
Creative Writing Curriculum
Crafted with a team of educators, our writing curriculum aligns with the North Carolina DPI's Standard Course of Study for ELA
Planning, Writing, Editing, Illustrating
Our publishing experts guide students through every step, from drafting to publishing, resulting in participants leaving as published authors of a book-store-shelf-worthy book.
Creative Career Exploration
Lived experience guest speakers introducing jobs in creative industries that revolve around literacy such as copy writers, illustrators, content creators, and beyond.
"Writing early and constantly, in and out of school, is a powerful lever for helping our students learn to read profoundly."
- Pam Allyn
Scholastic Education's Senior VP, a literacy expert, author, and speaker, Founder of LitWorld, a global organization promoting literacy
FACT:
There is a 3 to 1 reading disparity among economically disadvantaged middle school students and their counterparts in WSFC Schools.*
*according to 2022-2023 WSFCS Accountability Data Release by Economic Status