Hello, teens! Hello, counselors and teachers! The Pongo Teen Writing Project is a volunteer, nonprofit program for teens who are in jail, on the streets, or in other ways leading difficult lives. We love to help young people express themselves through poetry, especially teens who have never written before. We believe that people who have led difficult lives have important things to say. And we want to share teen poetry and our teaching techniques with caring adults. This site is dedicated to our authors!

FROM THE PROJECT JOURNAL

Pongo now has a blog!

Sharing stories of our work with teens

We all know how hard it is to express and comprehend deeply felt pain. Pongo teaches creative writing to teens (and others) who have led difficult lives. Many have experienced multiple traumas in their childhoods. Many have too few people who truly listen to what they have to say.

These tragic circumstances and lack of support affect the young people’s abilities to feel good about themselves and to heal. But writing can make a difference. It will be my goal in this blog to share stories of this work – and the difference it has made in my life as well as for the teens. My first entry is called Telling Your Story, Claiming Your Life, and a recent entry is about a Pongo workshop at a women's prison, Thanks for the  Rose.  [READ]