Every great story starts with a strong voice. This year, St. Louis Park High School launched the new writing center, a space where students can grow their writing skills and gain confidence.

From essays to personal stories, the six writing coaches do it all. They can help with writing, editing, idea generation and much more. Ninth grade English teacher Callie Hefstad, who implemented the center, wants to create a space where students feel they can receive help without fear or judgement.

“This is something that other schools around us are doing,” said Callie. “It’s a great addition to empower students to help each other.”

Writing is a skill that can take years to develop and feel confident about. Elena Mutchler, 10th grade student and a writing center coach feels this all too well. 

“At the start of high school, I wasn’t prepared for the amount of writing that my classes required, so it was a struggle at first,” said Elena. “I wanted to help other people through that journey, and made sure they knew that writing is not easy for everyone.”

The writing center is a part of the Secondary Schools Writing Center Association, which provides training and opportunities for students to engage with one another. The association ensures students are well trained and are connected with other groups that host similar writing centers. 

The writing center is allowing students to thrive without barriers to access. This is a true example of one of the district core values of advocacy for equity. Our coaches and their teacher brought an important part of learning to the high school.

Interested in receiving help? The center is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and during WIN Wednesdays (about every other Wednesday) from 10-10:50 a.m. It is open after school in conjunction with The Orioles Nest, which offers academic support and credit recovery time.