Election Year: Personal Stories for Public Change - Remote!

Are you eager for change in this election year? Do you have opinions about political or social topics? Does your own personal experience inform those opinions? Perhaps you work in government and you have ideas about the election process. Maybe you are an immigration lawyer who can give an insider’s view on policy, or you are an immigrant who has experienced discrimination. Perhaps your brother struggles with mental illness and you know first-hand how difficult it can be to get appropriate healthcare. Or you have strong opinions about what's coming out of the White House, or who you'd like to see move in there next. In this class, through readings and in-class writing prompts, you will learn how to harness your personal experiences into powerful essays or persuasive op-eds that can help effect change in society. We’ll read published pieces that use personal experience for public impact and talk about specific craft techniques necessary for this type of writing. You’ll begin writing at least one essay or op-ed and will receive on-the-spot feedback on your draft in progress. We’ll also talk about how and where to publish finished pieces. 

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.