Writing Zones 12.5 aims to help bridge the gap between high school and college writing, as well as, more broadly, between high school students and university communities by:

(1) helping all students in target schools become more skilled and enthusiastic writers;

(2) providing students of diverse economic and cultural backgrounds, especially, with responsive local college tutor-mentors, in order to support their aspirations toward higher education;

(3) providing hands-on professional experience and opportunities to contribute and give back to local communities for university students involved in the program.

Description:
If you are a volunteer, Writing Zones is an innovative, locally-based (in West Chester, PA, with connections in Philadelphia), growing COMMUNITY where you can contribute your talents, including networking, supervising, writing, budgeting, planning, training, designing, or mentoring.

If you are a high school student, Writing Zones is a SPACE to talk about your writing and make it better—school papers to spoken word. Trained university mentors will work with you one-on-one at your school, during free periods in our on-site Writing Zones centers, or in your class.

If you are a university student, Writing Zones is an OPPORTUNITY where you can give back to the community, gain hands-on professional experience, and possibly earn some cash, too.

If you teach or work in a high school or university, Writing Zones is a cutting-edge college access PROJECT. Writing Zones is a university-high school partnership program, designed to use high school writing centers as a gateway to provide resources and mentoring to encourage students of all backgrounds to consider, reach and succeed in higher education.

History:
Writing Zones 12.5 was started by a then-WCU Master's student, Lisa Shafer, and faculty member Dr. Hannah Ashley in the spring semester of 2005 at Downingtown High School West. Shafer came up with the idea for establishing a writing center at DHSW when she learned that West Chester English professors were teaching English Composition courses at DHSW to honors students. It only seemed fair that the DHSW students, who were taking the same first-year writing courses offered on WCU’s campus, taught by WCU professors, and getting college credits, should have access to a writing center just like the WCU students have.

The project rapidly added to its focus college access for potential first generation college students, especially low-to-middle income students, students of color, and ESL students.

The project currently has two sites, B. Reed Henderson High School and East High School, both in the West Chester Area School District. WZ continues to serve all students in the partner schools, while continually working to serve first generation, low-income and minority students, without being a "pull-out" program. Writing Zones is a unique project, nationally, in that it explicitly ties together writing center philosophy and practice with college access and preparation.

Contact person: Hannah Ashley, Program Director, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (610) 738-0499

Address:

551 Main Hall, West Chester University West Chester, PA 19383 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.wcupa.edu/writingzones

Directions:

Take 76 West to 202 South. Follow signs to West Chester. Please call for further instructions to office on campus. For maps or information, please see http://www.septa.com/

Miscellaneous Information

Are court referrals welcomed?
	No