Our Supporters

We couldn't do it without you!

We are a small but mighty force of teachers and artists, who are here for the sole purpose of giving young people a way to tell their stories, whatever form that takes. Writing can free your soul or a nation, help your heart heal or the world grow, or reveal who you really are or want to be.

Every organization and individual listed here understands the importance of creative writing and why supporting Uptown Stories is vital to our young writers, and the community of upper Manhattan. Thank you for supporting us – we couldn’t do it without you!

Major Funders

Ava's Smile
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
Elephant Rock Foundation
Find Your Light Foundation
Kettering Family Philanthropies
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine
Medical Center Neighborhood Fund
NY State Senator Robert Jackson
William T. Grant Foundation
The Hyde and Watson Foundation
Leon Levy Foundation
The Matisse Foundation
Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation
NYC City Council
Discretionary Funding Carmen De La Rosa
NYC Department of
Cultural Affairs (DCLA)
UMEZ Hybrid Microloan
NewYork-Presbyterian
New York State Council on the Arts

Community Supporters

Buunni Coffee
Cornerstone Center
HEIGHTSIGHTS
Le Cheile NYC
A Sign of Success
Word Up Community Bookshop

Community Partners

Bank Street School For Children
SONYC
Early RAPP
Hudson Cliffs
Harbor Heights
Columbia Secondary School
The Uptown Hub / NewYork-Presbyterian
Cabrini Immigrant Services NYC
Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics
Muscota New School
Being able to expand my mind in a loving and supportive environment has shaped my mind in so many wonderful ways, and I'm eternally grateful for it. I've come a long way, and it's all thanks to the community at Uptown Stories.

Susannah

Student

I feel like if I hadn't taken Girls Rising, I wouldn't have become a better writer, and I wouldn't have met some friends who have changed my life.

Xanthe

Student

I would not be the writer I am today without Uptown Stories.

Elias

Alumnus

I love the teachers, love the community, have made SO many new friends. I feel like I can express myself through writing, and I couldn’t do that before. Everyone should be a part of Uptown Stories!

Isabella

Student

Writing used to be something that was just work; something we have to do at school. However, now it's a way for me to express different things, and it's much more enjoyable now that there is a place where everyone has the same passion for writing that I do.

Anna

Student

The quality of teaching is superb. The teachers have the chance to get to know each child, and due to the small class size, the feedback is very specific. Also, witnessing the other children critique the writing is remarkable - the children are kind and respectful, but very honest.

Lori

Parent

I've met a fantastic group of people and become a much better writer. Kate and the rest of the staff are hardworking and fun to work with.

Joseph

Student

My daughter’s writing has improved tremendously. She loves writing now. She can sit for hours and let her imagination fly.

Annie

Parent

Ready to Join a Workshop?

The Art of Me

How many ways can we tell a story about ourselves? Through mixed media, drawing, creative writing activities, and collaging, each week we'll explore a new approach to making self-portraits that get to the heart of who we are. We will take inspiration from artists including Frida Kahlo, Faith Ringgold, and Andy Warhol as we dive into rediscovering what makes us unique—our quirks, feelings, interests, dreams, and everything in between. At the end, each of our self-portraits will showcase who we are in a new light. 

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From Flash to Fiction

Sometimes images speak louder than words, but what kind of impact can you create if you put them together? In From Flash to Fiction, we explored the writing of, from, and alongside the images that spoke to us. Together, we wondered about how to bring images to life with our words and sharpened our imaginations by playing in the crosshairs of writing and photography. Using photos we took ourselves or ones we found through research, we found inspiration for short stories. 

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My World, Your World, Our World

What’s the one thing that separates your world from the next person? It’s simple: perspective. In this workshop, we’ll take a magnifying glass to the world around us, what we love and hate, and everything in between, to unpack what makes things so amazing, disastrous, or just plain “mid.” Amazing teaching artist and poet, Daemond Arrindell, will guide us as we write odes, epistolary poems, acrostics, vignettes, persona poems, recipe poems, and more!

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