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Writers & Books has unexpectedly lost a significant portion of funding for SummerWrite, a storytelling program, from an undisclosed funder.
Since 1985, Writers & Books’ SummerWrite program has aimed to develop storytelling through reading and writing, serving on average around 200 campers each year between the ages of 7 and 16. The $30,000 cut represents 25 percent of the program’s total budget.
“We’re certainly not the only organization that is involved in this very volatile changing ecosystem of funding, and also that our funders are being affected as well, because the economy is so uncertain, with lots of different executive orders descending from Washington,” observes Alison Meyers, executive director of Writers & Books.
In a recent Instagram post, Writers & Books asked for donations from the community and has since raised $4,000.
“Where we depend on our funders is for our tuition-free summer camps that we run at five urban branches here in the city, and about 28 percent of our registrations in all our SummerWrite camps are underwritten by need-based scholarships,” says Meyers.
Despite the loss of funds, programming for this summer remains unchanged. For the next year, Writers & Books hopes to expand its funding portfolio.
More than $14,664 in need-based scholarships have been awarded to 46 families, aiming to keep the program inclusive and accessible. Individual scholarships are available for camps at the Writers & Books building on University Avenue, and the organization also offers tuition-free camps at five Rochester branch libraries.
According to a 2023 study by Education Trust NY, fewer than 40 percent of all Monroe County
students in grades 3-8 are proficient in reading, with significantly lower rates for students from low-income backgrounds, students who are Black or Latinx, and students with disabilities.
The SummerWrite program promotes reading and writing, preventing “summer slide,” the learning gap students face during summer break, while nurturing creativity in students.
“The program gives the opportunity to explore reading and writing in a way that schools don’t explore, giving students creative control,” says Misty Yarnall, a teaching assistant and playwright.
Yarnall originally started as a camper in 2015 before becoming an intern for the program. In 2023, she moved to Rochester to be a part of the program that she credits with helping her learn so much about her own writing. Last year, she received the Genesee Valley Individual Artist Grant to produce her play, “My Medea.”
“Overall, I think in the arts ecology, everybody tries to pull together to have critical mass and inputs, and we’re really fortunate, especially in Rochester, to be in an environment like that,” says Meyers.
Using donations from Meyers’ personal book collection, Writers & Books is hosting a one-day book fair July 26 to benefit SummerWrite.
“All around the country, people are pulling together, trying to make the case for how important (the) arts are. Without them, our culture is not in a good place,” she says.
Meyers is scheduled to step down as executive director on Sept. 29. Michael Solis has been hired to succeed her.
Emmely Eli Texcucano, a University of Rochester student, is a member of the Oasis Project’s second cohort.
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