Join our dream team!
WRITING MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Become a writing mentor for Young Oakland Poets Expedition (YOPE)
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
We are partnering with 8 OUSD fourth grade teachers to lead a series of inspiring and engaging poetry writing workshops for their students during their annual poetry unit. The project will culminate with student poetry readings at Chapter 510, a published anthology of a collection of poems from around 200 fourth graders as well as a celebration release at the Spring OUSD LitFest. We are calling in writing mentors who would enjoy working with fourth graders to help them get their poems on the page!
WRITING MENTOR ROLE & COMMITMENT
Work one on one and in small groups with youth to write poems in response to writing prompts given by teaching artist
Scribe or type for students while they dictate their poem out loud
Brainstorm with youth around what kind of poem they’d like to write
COMMITMENT DATES/TIMES:
We are working with 8 classrooms across OUSD, and need 3–5 mentors per classroom. This is a weekly commitment from Sep 21–Oct 19, 2026 for a total of 5 sessions. The classrooms are listed below. When you sign up on the google interest form, please indicate which classrooms you are interested in working with.
9:15am-10:15am Tuesdays REACH Academy
11am-12pm Tuesdays Highland Community School
9:15am-10:15 am Wednesdays MLK Elementary
11am-12pm Wednesdays Lockwood STEAM Academy
9:15am-10:15am Thursdays East Oakland PRIDE
9:15am-10:15 am Fridays Grass Valley Elementary
11am-12pm Fridays Allendale Elementary
11:10am–12:10am Thursdays Piedmont Elementary
COMPENSATION:
We are able to offer 5 honorarium based mentor slots per classroom at $250. We encourage mentors to sign up for more than one classroom. Volunteers are needed and welcomed!
Become a writing mentor for our Westlake creative writing class
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Chapter 510 has partnered with Westlake Middle School to offer an innovative creative writing, bookmaking, and publishing program in our Westlake Writers’ Room for 6th grade English Language Learners. In this creatively engaging class, students will learn about various forms of writing including memoir, poetry, and fiction, with the goal of writing their own short stories and poems that will be published into a perfect bound and illustrated anthology by the end of the school year.
WRITING MENTOR ROLE & COMMITMENT
As a writing mentor you will work with 1–3 students in support of the development and revision of their short stories and poems to be published in the final class anthology. Writing Mentors commit to attend 10 in person writing mentoring sessions between October–February at Westlake Middle School as well as 1 online mentor orientation on Wednesday October 7 3:00-4:00pm on Zoom (if you can’t make the orientation we will send you the recording).
COMMITMENT DATES/TIMES
Tuesdays 11:03–11:54am
10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 12/1, 12/8
1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9
(10 mentoring sessions, 6 in Fall semester and 4 in Spring semester).
All mentoring sessions happen in person at Westlake Middle School, 2629 Harrison Street, Oakland.
Mentor Online Orientation: Wednesday October 7th, 3:00–4:00PM on zoom (If you are unable to attend this orientation we can share the recording). Attendance at the final book release event in May, 2027 (exact date TBD) is strongly encouraged!
COMPENSATION
Honorariums will be $500 for a total of 10 mentoring sessions. We have 4 mentor slots available. Volunteers are needed and welcomed!
Become a writing mentor for our teen audio storytelling program
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
In this program, teens will go on a journey to explore the role creativity and the arts play in health and wellness and document stories from their community around important issues that matter to them.
WRITING MENTOR ROLE & COMMITMENT
Helping students focus their story ideas. Many will initially have broad ideas. Helping them hone in on: who the students want to talk to, what is the main story/character to drive us through, what is the key question the students will be exploring.
● Supporting with interview practice and question prep.
● Helping students in their script writing. This includes selecting pieces of audio after interviews and writing their narration.
COMMITMENT DATES/TIMES:
Mentor Online Orientation: Wednesday October 21st, 3:00–4:00PM (If you are unable to attend this orientation we can share the recording)
Tuesdays 5:30-6:30pm Oct 27, Nov 17, Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 2, Mar 16, April 6
Attendance at the final listening party on May 4, 2027 is strongly encouraged!
In Person at Chapter 510, 546 9th St. Oakland.
COMPENSATION:
We are offering 5 honorarium based mentor slots. Honorariums will be $350 for a total of 7 mentoring sessions plus attending the final celebration in Spring 2026. Volunteers are needed and welcomed!
