The Writer’s Den had started a mentoring program that is being overseen by its advisor Fiona Maurissette. The program involves Malden High School students mentoring middle school students in a Mini Writer’s Den

Maurissette explained that “it was an opportunity to give younger writers a chance to write creativity outside of a school structure.” Through the program, Maurissette states that “[the mentors] do a number of writers games and [the middle school students] share out their stories, some of them are writing poems [and other types of writing as well].” She hopes that the program will be “an opportunity for [young writers] to hone their writing skills.”

Since the program allows high school students to work with younger students, they are able to take the lead into shaping someone else’s writing. “this is [the older students’] time to give feedback to younger writers to encourage them and to be apart of something [where they] can take on a leadership role.”

The MHS Writer’s Den. Photo by Falyn Kelley.

The students who can join the Mini Writer’s Den right now are only middle schoolers from sixth grade to eighth grade. The way a middle schooler can join the program is by volunteering for it. They would get a permission slip for parents to sign that allows them to be a part of the program.

The MHS  students who are mentors for the mini-writes den are Senior Minyi Li and Juniors Christina Charles, Grace Dong, and Noor Khurram. A mentor can be anyone in Malden High school who is willing to help middle school student with their writing skills.

Maurissette praises the mentors, saying that  “[they] did a fantastic job of encouraging the students and made it so that their voices were being heard.” She said, “the mentors volunteer for an hour an a half and they give up their free time to be able to work with young writers and [they are] doing a fantastic job.”

To become a mentor, you can sign up with Maurissette in the Writer’s Den

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