Plus, a showcase of original work from the next generation of talent
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May 18 - May 24
Hope Lives In Our Words
Featured Media:
Find Your Next Obsession
The Ever-Changing Earth
By Robyn Lam
In the bareness of Earth, dust veils the land. The thick filter blurs the eyes of many and a thin layer covers all one can see. The glaring sun burns all who are unfortunate enough to fall under its gaze. Nothing but birds fill the land, screaming in the heat. If you look hard enough, you can imagine how this place looked years ago. The ground would have been colored green and animals would have roamed around the world.
Mic Drop:
You Have to Hear This
NEWS & PRESS
Girls Write Now Advocate Jodi Kantor Releases Book to Help Navigate the Job Market
If You're a Young Person Trying to Find Your Life's Work—This is For You!
With warmth, honesty, and inspired wisdom, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jodi Kantor expands on her triumphant Columbia University commencement address, tackling the question, “How, in this environment, is anyone supposed to find and start their life’s work?” In How To Start, Kantor casts aside platitudes and false hope to offer tangible help.
Jodi Kantor's long-standing support of the Girls Write Now community continues with her donation of 125 copies of How To Start and a personal invitation to her book club event with Debbie Millman.
Learn more—and hear from Jodi herself!
"By pairing the principles of craft and need, young people can navigate tough, sensitive choices about money, risk, and when to buck what others are saying." —Jodi Kantor, How to Start
SPEAKING IN FIRST DRAFT PODCAST
Speaking on Climate, Conflict & Coverage
Step into the Minds of Two Incredible Journalists
This week, we’re diving into the intersections of journalism, climate change, and the realities of war. Heavy? We know. Prepare to hear from astute journalists Christabel Nsiah-Buadi and Jordan Gass-Poore, who draw on their many years of experience speaking with and reporting on the communities impacted by war and the climate crisis. Please also welcome Girls Write Now mentee and recent Barnard College grad Allison Su, who leads this truly riveting and timely conversation.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
Famesick. Writing Cures. Join Our Initiative with Lena Dunham
Your Gift of Words & Funds Changes Lives
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we're partnering with Lena Dunham and Random House on a writing contest and philanthropic fund for the next generation of writers. Submissions are open. The fund is live. Lena said it best—
"Reading, writing, and being encouraged to do both is what made being a young woman tolerable for me. This organization means so much to me, both personally and creatively. Girls Write Now is doing the essential, joyful work of nurturing the next generation of writers, and of giving them not just the tools, but the permission, to tell the truth about their lives." —Lena Dunham, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Famesick
More young people than ever are reckoning publicly with mental health and the cost of being seen. When a writer puts down what they can't say out loud, something shifts—for the writer, for their readers, and for the culture that hears them.
The Lena Dunham Writing Contest invites women and gender-expansive writers ages 14–24 to share a piece, in any genre, about a moment they stopped performing or found relief in writing down what they couldn't say out loud. Deadline to submit is June 1, 2026.
The Lena Dunham Fund for Girls Write Now is a tribute and lifeline, investing in the next generation of creative minds learning the craft of telling the truth about their lives. Your gift catalyzes that change—at scale, and across years.
WRITING PROMPT
At the Intersection Between Words & Pictures
By Kayla Dudley & Kenna DeValor, Community Studio Facilitators
Create a Poem about something that’s been on your mind recently, then make a photo collage of it along with your written words.
Finding your life's work shouldn't take luck. It takes real relationships, rigorous skill-building—and a community that backs you. At Girls Write Now, we help young writers start.
Happening Write Now:
Mark Your Calendar
CAREER CHAT
Finesse Your Finances: A Career Chat with Raymond James
Tuesday, May 26, 4:15-5:30 PM ET, Virtual
Everybody has money on their mind right now, and for good reason! Our partners at Raymond James join us to demystify and de-stigmatize all money matters. Learn their tips for managing personal finances and hear about pathways into the finance industry. Take advantage of an engaging session and make sure your money is working for YOU.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public.
FRIDAY NIGHT SALON
Own Your Health Story: Why Your Voice Is a Vital Sign—and How to Use It
With Author Meghan Rabbitt: May 29, 6-7:15 PM ET, Virtual
Women have long been taught to minimize their symptoms and second-guess their instincts, often neglecting their needs and their voice in the process. Longtime Girls Write Now mentor and supporter Meghan Rabbitt, author of The New Rules of Women’s Health, guides us through finding the right language to transform how we are heard and the care we receive. We’ll investigate our lived experiences, and practice expressing our needs with confidence. This Salon offers space and support to express one of the most powerful tools we have for protecting health—our voices!
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public.
COLLABORATORY SHOWCASE
Experience Our Community's Best Original Work
Saturday May 30, 2-4 PT ET , Virtual
See what incredible self-guided projects have taken shape as part of the Independent Study journey.
Saturday May 30, 4:30-6 PT ET , Virtual
Explore Tour gives mentees and mentors the best of ALL worlds—come take a look at what this wealth of literary goodness has inspired.
Saturday June 6, 3-4:30 PT ET , Virtual
Get ready for some knee-slapping, gut-busting gold as mentees give you a taste of the Power of Punchlines journey.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public.
Get the Gig:
Curated Opportunities Just for You
Need help applying for these opportunities—and more?
Meet with a Mentor On Demand today!
FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Theatrical Workforce Development Program in Arts Administration
The Theatrical Workforce Development Program (TWDP) in Arts Administration provides a paid career development fellowship for early professionals and career changers. This year-long program aims to increase access to careers in the arts and entertainment industry for New Yorkers and empower new theatre professionals. This is a career development program, and you do not need to have a background in theatre or arts administration to apply.
Deadline: May 30, 2026
Create a portal account to apply for this opportunity.
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Honor Your Dreams
Follow Your Dreams Internship
This summer, Honor Your Dreams offers full-time internships at technology, health, and climate-focused startups. Interns will work 35 hours per week, from June 23 through August 14, at a rate of $20 per hour. Students must be from NYC, low-income and/or first-generation and enrolled in college, rising into their sophomore, junior, or senior year this upcoming fall semester.
Deadline: May 23 2026.
Create a portal account to apply for this opportunity.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
New Museum
Youth Programs Coordinator
The New Museum of Contemporary Art is seeking a full-time Youth Programs Coordinator. Working within the Education and Public Engagement department, this role will assist in the coordination and implementation of the museum’s new teen initiatives, the NewMu Teen Fellowship and the Bowery Art Space drop-in program, as well as with the School Partnership program.
Deadline: May 29, 2026
Create a portal account to apply for this opportunity.
If you don't already have a Girls Write Now account, create one today!
