CHAPTER 510 REturns to westlake middle!
Chapter 510 is back in our Westlake Writers’ Room, bringing our creative writing, bookmaking, and publishing programs to English-learning students! In partnership with Westlake, we’ve launched eight months of in-school programming focused on memoir, poetry, and fantasy short stories—all leading to a student-published anthology.
This return is made possible by a $250,000 grant from the Crescent Porter Hale Foundation, which supports enriching academic opportunities for middle school youth over the next three years.
Our new Teaching Artist Belinda Bellinger will lead creative writing, while long-time Teaching Artist Anna Kingsley will guide students in bookmaking across countless creative forms.
Westlake Middle School is one of Oakland’s oldest and most diverse schools, and has long championed arts and writing programs, serving students from every zip code in the city. In 2022, the Westlake community successfully fought district plans to close the school, demonstrating their deep commitment to creative learning and equity in education.
Chapter 510 is proud to return to a school so aligned with our mission to help young people write with confidence and joy. As alum Halla Alajji, who wrote a novel in our 2019 Westlake program, shared:
“Writing my novel through the Westlake [Chapter 510] program felt like discovering a new part of myself… It was the best choice I made.”
In this moment of political uncertainty, Oakland youth need safe, creative spaces more than ever. Thank you, Westlake, for welcoming us back—and for continuing to believe in the power of young voices and their stories.