Knovva Boosts Language and Literacy with up to $2,000 for the Letterly Summer Writing Bootcamp
Written by Knovva Academy Staff
A recent study found that over 60% of students are below average in reading and writing proficiency. Over time, this gap will widen and create disparities in higher education and career opportunities. In order to eliminate educational inequality and boost students’ language and literacy skills, we must take advantage of multiple resources, technologies, and funding where possible.
Our mission is to extend the transformative power of education to all students. A critical component of that mission is to ensure every student has access to expert writing instruction.
Even in schools with outstanding educators and robust curricula, motivating students to engage with writing can be a challenge, especially during the summer months. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Letterly, an innovative EdTech platform dedicated to amplifying young writers’ voices through writing bootcamps.
Why Writing Matters and How Letterly Makes a Difference
We need to stop thinking about writing as only an academic requirement. Writing skills are often seen as a means to an end – a way to earn a good grade in school and move onto a new course. That mindset fails to recognize that writing is also a tool for self-expression, communication, critical thinking, and civic engagement.
Letterly has already helped thousands of students publish 15,000 articles in its online magazine, giving young writers a platform to share their perspectives with the world. The act of publishing not only boosts students’ confidence but also drives them to refine their skills through practice and feedback. Students also use these articles to enter and possibly win writing competitions, such as New York Times Tiny Memoirs, Scholastics Gold & Silver Keys, John Locke, etc.
With this shared vision, Knovva and Letterly are excited to offer schools a unique opportunity to provide a summer writing bootcamp designed to supercharge student literacy and motivation. The program is fully supported by Letterly and doesn’t expend any of the school’s resources during the summer.
How the Summer Writing Bootcamp Works
This customizable, high-impact program is designed to strengthen students’ writing skills through consistent practice and expert feedback. Best of all, it comes at no cost to schools.
While the program is tailored to specific students, each student can expect these core offerings in the bootcamp:
Four-Week Writing Intensive
Students participate in a structured program in which they write and revise three articles each week, culminating in 12 fully edited, high-quality pieces by the end of the bootcamp. The Letterly app gives students access to data-driven insights to watch as their skills progress through the program.
Bootcamps begin with an in-depth orientation session to introduce the theme. Each student is then paired with a personal writing coach, who reviews and provides feedback on each of the student’s drafts and guides them through the program through weekly one-on-one meetings.
Expert Feedback and Publication
Letterly boasts an excellent roster of writing coaches, hand-selected from top-tier U.S. universities. Coaches provide multiple rounds of feedback on student pieces, refining their work to meet publication standards.
Each student is then given an “author page” on Letterly’s online journal site, and their finished drafts are then published in the journal, giving students a tangible sense of accomplishment as they build confidence in their writing.
Full Program Support
Letterly provides everything needed to run the program, from creating a branded webpage for the school, to developing the curriculum, to providing expert coaches, to managing publication. Schools don’t need to allocate extra capacity during the summer, making it a seamless addition to existing programming.
Customization to Fit School Goals
The bootcamp can be tailored to align with your school’s objectives, with flexible themes such as:
- College application essay prep
- Civic engagement through journalistic writing on a variety of topics, including international topics related to the G-20
- Mastering a new writing style each week (creative writing, literary analysis, expository writing, journalism)
Schools involved in the summer writing bootcamp can choose a topic of their choice! Thematic writing can be an excellent way to help students engage with local issues in their communities.
Progress Tracking and Reporting
Letterly’s platform also keeps track of students’ writing progress using AI-driven insights and common-core-aligned “knowledge points,” allowing participants to see a detailed report of their strengths and weaknesses over time.
At the end of the program, schools receive a thorough summary of each student’s progress against these knowledge points to showcase their growth and achievements. This information creates a record of essential milestones for students as they help build literacy in and outside the classroom.
Breaking Barriers with Scholarships
To ensure that all interested students can take advantage of this opportunity, Knovva will provide up to $2,000 in funding for school bootcamps. This funding helps make the program accessible to families, reinforcing our dedication to educational equity.
Interested in Hosting the Summer Bootcamp?
We believe this partnership with Letterly has the potential to change lives by giving students the skills, confidence, and platform they need to share their stories and ideas. We’re accepting new school sign-ups and applications for up to $2,000 in scholarship funding, but only for a limited time.
Start the process by scheduling a call today.
Together, we can help students unlock their full potential through the power of writing. Let’s rewrite the narrative one student at a time.