At The Young Writers Initiative, we empower young writers worldwide by offering Chapter Programs in schools and hosting Write-a-thons that inspire creativity, foster self-expression, and support them in pursuing their dreams.
More than 6,000 people helped our community
All of our services are free or benefits of volunteering. We are dedicated to making sure every young writer gets the resources they need to improve and succeed. We try our best to give our volunteers and clients all the resources we can but never compromise on accessibility.
Creativity is a pillar of writing and art. We seek for all our members and young writers to think out of the box and pursue creativity in all they do. Our contests and literary journal prompt you to be creative and explore the parts of us that makes us creative.
Not only do young writers need resources, they need constructive feedback that will improve their writing. Our services are geared towards providing young writers the truth and giving them the tools to improve.
We strive to educate, which is the purpose student writing workshops with EduMate NYC, our 12-hour Write-a-thon, and all the other events we host. We structure our volunteer programs on an educated basis, organizing bootcamps for editing, beta reading, cover design, and more.
Volunteers are the foundation of The Young Writers Initiative. Giving back to the community while gaining real skills applicable to the real world is a valuable experience and one that gives back to the community.
Our amazing team are the lifeblood of TYWI
Riya Cyriac is the Founder and Executive Director of The Young Writers Initiative. Founded when she was a junior in high school, Riya wanted to establish an organization for young writers based on community collaboration. What she once though would be an organization providing simple services grew much beyond her expectations, because of the amazing team that have made TYWI what it is today. Now, Riya is at the University of Texas at Austin studying Management Information Systems and Plan II Honors with a Certificate in Creative Writing and Elements of Computing.If you wish to contact her, feel free to at riya@tywi.org
Jada Walters is a passionate User Experience Designer and Researcher with over two years of experience, committed to enhancing digital interactions through insightful research and user-centered design. With a background in Computer Science, she is currently building her portfolio with projects while performing in UX and tech roles.
Zoe is a passionate writer and reader, inspired by her older sister, culture, and personal experiences. She has penned numerous short stories, poems, and essays. Currently pursuing business management with a focus on human resources and marketing, she leverages her knowledge to contribute to TYWI's growth. When she's not immersed in her studies, writing or reading, she enjoys revisiting classic 2000s TV shows and indulging in the latest reality TV.
Lydia Wang is someone who loves stories so much, she decided to create her own. As the Director of Chapters for The Young Writers Initiative, she is dedicated to expanding access to education and fostering writing communities. She is currently a student at Stanford University, studying biology and creative writing. Lydia has been recognized by Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Iowa Young Writers' Studio, among others. Contact her at chapters@tywi.org.
Zoe is a senior mechanical engineering student who thinks everyone deserves a little bit of art in their lives. She has spent countless hours daydreaming and writing stories, finishing her first book during the pandemic. As both a client and volunteer for the organization, she fell in love with the community, enthusiasm, and spirit of TYWI, and hopes to spread those joys to many more young authors as they chase dreams, hobbies, and artistic craze.
Joy Giaus-Obas has always had a love for creating stories and reading stories that invoke thought since childhood. She’s currently a student pursuing a Nursing degree at Queen’s University. Aside from studying, reading/writing she enjoys volunteering and playing video games (mainly RPGs). In addition to that, she also enjoys learning new things as the world changes practically everyday.
