Applications for Summer 2025 will open in January
The Teen Summer Writing Fellowship is an intensive, three-week creative writing program for young writers. Through classes, workshops, and readings, students will generate new work, learn about the craft of writing, and gain knowledge of the writing/publishing world. In the tradition of adult writing fellowships, each student will receive a stipend of $800 upon completing the program and successfully completing its requirements. Fellows have the option of staying on for a fourth and/or fifth week to edit and format the YAWP Anthology, which will collect writing from from all teens participating in summer programming at GrubStreet.
The YAWP Fellowship is by application only and 20 students will be chosen to participate. YAWP fellowship recipients may only attend the fellowship every other year, once as an incoming freshman/sophomore and once as an incoming junior/senior. Students learn techniques in all genres: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. And no matter their favorite genre, they’re expected to try any and all writing techniques covered in the program. Students are also encouraged to fuse genres and explore sub-genres like sci-fi/fantasy, verse novels, speculative fiction/magical realism, mystery, romance, and whatever their imagination calls for. This program is rooted in artistic exploration and learning how to commit to their art no matter where life takes you.
- High school students entering grades 9-12 in fall of 2025
- Boston and Greater Boston residents looking for a creative community.
- Only applicants who live and attend school in Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex or Plymouth counties will be considered, although Boston residents will be prioritized
- Writers of any genre who are eager to experiment and explore a future in the arts
- 3 weeks studying under local, established writers:
- Generating new work in multiple genres
- Workshopping how to give and receive feedback on creative work
- Learning how to sustain a future in the literary world as students, educators, agents, editors and working artists
- Lunch and snacks provided
- Two visits from guest authors
- A college and workplace readiness writing day
- Weekly open mics on Fridays with all teen writers
- Daily All-YAWP morning writing sessions will all teen writers
- Daily office hours with all teen writing instructors for 1:1 mentorship
- Perform work in culminating Teen Writing Fellowship Showcase
- Optional 4th week where a team of two instructors experienced in publishing will guide fellows in the production of an anthology of work produced by all teens who participated in summer programming at GrubStreet
- Optional 5th week All-YAWP Anthology Week – open to all GrubStreet teen writers at the end of the summer, where they will complete the production of the anthology with GrubStreet peers
- GrubStreet Center for Creative Writing in the Seaport:
- 50 Liberty Drive, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02210
- Mondays through Fridays, July 21st to August 8th, 2025, 10:30am to 3:30pm
- Annual Teen Writing Fellowship Showcase: August 6th, 2025, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
- Optional Anthology Production 4th Week: August 11th to August 15th, 2025, 10:30am to 3:30pm
- Optional All-YAWP Anthology Week: August 18th to 22nd, 2025, 10:30am to 3:30pm
- Mentorship/peer writing community
- Public speaking/performance practice
- Publication in this year's Anthology
- $800 stipend upon fellowship completion
- Annual reunion events/future paid opportunities
- Connections with locally and nationally established authors
- College and professional writing education
The Application Process
Once the application period opens, each student must upload in their online application the following documents:
- Creative Writing Sample (2-10 pages) which can include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, screenplays, songs, cross-genre or experimental work. This may include multiple pieces and/or genres (no academic essays). Don't be afraid of spelling mistakes or in-process drafts, we're looking for your unique voice!
- Personal Statement (no more than 600 words) – Answer the question: If you were chosen as a writing fellow, what do you think you'll gain from this experience and what do you think you can offer this writing community?
We encourage you to consider aspects of this fellowship you find helpful and compelling. How would you learn from and contribute to a diverse community of fellow writers? We welcome you to write about aspects of your background, experiences, or interests you might bring to your cohort. - The online application will also ask for the following information:
- Your name, contact information, and high school name.
- Your parent/guardian name, contact information
- A teacher/mentor name, contact information
- Your demographic information (optional)
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
Application Deadline: Monday, March 16th, 2025 at 11:59pm (ET)
No applications will be accepted after the deadline. No changes can be made to submissions after they have been received. 20 students will be chosen to participate with a short list of alternates. Any updates or additional information will be posted to this site, as appropriate. Students will be notified in April.
No phone calls please. We cannot release any information prior to the deadline. Any updates/information will be listed on this page.
YAWP Summer Fellowships are made possible, in part, thanks to The Calderwood Charitable Foundation, The Linde Family Foundation, The Boston Public Library Foundation, The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, MassHousing, The RBC Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, The Vertex Foundation, The 'Quin Impact Fund, and donors like you.