The Skyline Writing Center (Room B429) has a lot of resources; whether it’s with essays or basic assignments, the tutors at Skyline Writing Center are here to help. Tutors are available to support students who come into the Writing Center, in classrooms by teacher invitation and online through the Online Writing Lab. The 2022-2023 Writing Center team consists of 42 Skyline 10th-12th graders who have been either recommended by teachers or applied for the position.
The Writing Center is a student-run, student-centered program that puts tutors in important decision-making and organizational roles. Since 2012, Writing Center tutors have been building identity-affirming, justice-seeking, equity-driven, humanized spaces inside and outside of Skyline.
Writing Center tutor, Sara Zubieta (‘23), says she “like[s] being able to help people with their creative process…being able to relate to people because writing is very personal.” Part of the Writing Center’s goal is to provide opportunities for Skyline students to find authentic audiences and purposes for their writing. Since the beginning, the Writing Center has published hundreds of pages of student fiction, poetry, collage cut-ups, photography, visual art, songs, and short films from hundreds of students in order to amplify student voices and get the amazing creative work in our school community to authentic audiences.
“The most important part of the writing center is our ethics and ideas we hold ourselves to,” Liam McLoughlin (‘23), another Writing Center tutor, says, “We try to encourage good writing through encouraging strengths.” As an organization, the writing center has four foundational beliefs that form the basis of our continuing work of building an inclusive, identity affirming, justice seeking, equity driven program: Growth mindset, Shared vulnerability, Funds of knowledge, and Community collaboration.
According to Sophia Szymanski (‘23), “The writing center was very helpful. It was a kind environment. Everyone was very accepting.”
The writing center has helped many people and is a strong organization that has beliefs and values such as equality and social justice. The statement on Equity and Social Justice in the Writing Center is divided into two parts: beliefs and values. They see their beliefs as the philosophical underpinnings of our actions, which are embodied in our values.
As tutors, the writing center wants to work together with peers, teachers, administrators, and the community to reduce systemic inequities within public education. The writing center is a great resource to do homework or even let your creativity flow.
