Golf Pencil Group

Overview

We are a cohort of Seattle teaching artists who bring creative writing practices to adults surviving incarceration and trauma. We envision a world of collective care and healing, and we affirm our students as agents in their own empowerment and transformation.

Description

The Golf Pencil Group is a bi-weekly creative writing class for women incarcerated in the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle. We are one of the longest-running volunteer programs at KCCF, one of few for women, and we do it with limited resources: blank paper and golf pencils. Our class is a space of resilience, creativity, and strength, where students can process their experiences, delight in their imaginations, and reach out to loved ones. We’re seeking your support through GiveBig to pay our teachers, create lessons, and provide books.

Women are the fastest growing segment of the incarcerated population in the U.S.: the number of women in jails and prisons has risen by more than 750% since 1980, and women of color are nearly three times as likely as white women to experience incarceration. Isolated from homes and families, the women in our class tell us they have few opportunities to remind themselves of their humanity while in jail. Many have been victims of intimate-partner violence, been denied housing, struggled with addiction and mental health, and survived poverty. Most women in our class have children. 

In 2024, Golf Pencil Group is expanding our programming, hosting a second bi-weekly creative writing class for adults for adults in supportive housing, who are transitioning back into their communities after experiences of incarceration, addiction treatment, and homelessness.

What Do Our Students Say?

Many of our students tell us they have never before had access to an affirming educational space. We strive to provide students of all levels with meaningful access to artistic and emotional expression, and encourage friendship and community in an environment that can otherwise feel hostile. Some students hone their craft; others discover their voice.

One student told us, “This class is almost therapy: it’s not just writing, but it also helps me to think more clearly about where things went wrong in my life. I’m more thankful for my loved ones and family.”

When we asked what students took away from our class, one student said, “Class makes me feel at ease. Being in this class has helped me more than 28 days in treatment. Jail would have been so different without it.” Another student told us, “I’ve written a whole book [since I’ve been in class].” Another said, “When you’ve been through trauma, it’s hard to connect to your feelings. After class, I feel things more—it’s very cathartic.”

How Can I Help?

Your gift is vital to our work! Every dollar amount is meaningful to us, broadens the community effort, and helps ensure the sustainability of the Golf Pencil Group. Your gift covers the cost of teacher stipends, lesson prep time, essential supplies, administrative work, and student book requests. Thank you for being here.

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The Golf Pencil Group is a nonprofit program hosted by Evergreen Social Impact, a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor organization (EIN: 86-2954398).  Questions regarding the relationship between the Golf Pencil Group and ESI should be directed to receptionist@evergreensocialimpact.org.