WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS
- Legal name
- Writers in the Schools
- Website
- https://witshouston.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Creative Writing Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (611610), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM), Writing, Journalism & Publishing Camps (EDAMALAM), Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)
Keywords
Where WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: WITS receives contributions from individual donors through its website giving portal (igfn.us/form/5GLqhw). The organization hosts annual fundraising events including galas and luncheons to generate charitable donations.
- Program Fees: Club WITS is described as a 'parent-funded after-school program.' Winter Intensive costs $300 per student. Summer camps have registration fees at various locations.
- Grants and Foundation Support: WITS receives grants and foundation awards. The Travelers Foundation provided Meta4 Houston with $10,000. SCDC supports WITS programs. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN# 76-0338549).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Winter Intensive Program - $300 per student |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Club WITS - Parent-funded after-school program |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Annual Gala/Luncheon tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Writers in the Schools (WITS) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects children and youth with professional writers and spoken word artists to deliver creative writing, poetry, and storytelling programs. Core offerings include in-school creative writing workshops, after-school clubs (Club WITS), summer creative writing camps at multiple partner locations, the Meta4 Houston youth poetry slam team, and the Houston Youth Poet Laureate Program. The organization also runs teacher professional development (WITS On Demand and WITS Collaborative) and community programs (FreeVerse) for teen poets.
Product overview
Writers in the Schools (WITS) offers a comprehensive portfolio of creative writing and poetry programs serving children and youth in Houston. The core offerings include in-school creative writing workshops (WITS Creative Writing Workshops), after-school clubs (Club WITS), and professional development for teachers (WITS On Demand and WITS Collaborative). Seasonal and specialized programs include Summer Creative Writing Camps at multiple locations (Rice University, HCC, Duchesne Academy), Winter Intensive for slam poetry, and the Houston Youth Poet Laureate Program. WITS's competitive poetry programs include Meta4 Houston (the award-winning youth poetry slam team) and the Meta4 Slam Series. FreeVerse provides year-round open mics and workshops for youth ages 13-19. Together, these programs connect children and youth with professional writers to unlock the joy and power of storytelling and creative expression.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Meta4 Houston: Houston's premier youth poetry slam team, coached by Outspoken Bean and Adam Mac, representing Houston at national and international slam competitions including the Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam.
- FreeVerse
- Houston Youth Poet Laureate
- WITS Creative Writing Camps
Products and services
- WITS Creative Writing Workshops In-school creative writing workshops delivered directly in Houston-area classrooms by professional writers for K-12 students across fiction, poetry, and non-fiction genres to help students develop their own voices and become writers and storytellers.
- WITS Performance Creative writing and performance workshops that encourage self-expression and help students explore their truths through writing revision techniques, writing for an audience, performance strategies, and practice performing.
- Club WITS Parent-funded after-school creative writing program where WITS writers work with groups of 6-15 students one afternoon per week on school campuses in fiction, poetry, and non-fiction genres to help students develop their voices and imaginations.
- WITS On Demand for Teachers A series of online asynchronous writing courses for teachers at any stage of their professional journey who want to become more confident as writers and more effective teachers of writing.
- WITS Community Writing workshops and events with community partners across the city, including free writing workshops and public readings at parks, libraries, hospitals, and community centers for youth and writers of all ages.
- WITS Collaborative A job-embedded professional development model that brings a professional writing coach to work, plan, and model writing lessons with a group of teachers on a campus.
- WITS Creative Writing Camp (Summer Camp) Summer camp programs for students from pre-K through 12th grade offering opportunities to work with professional writers across various literary genres and topics, hosted at Rice University, Houston Community College, Duchesne Academy, Holy Spirit Episcopal, and Annunciation Orthodox.
- WITS Winter Intensive A three-day winter break program for students aged 13-19 focused on slam and performance poetry, designed to help participants build a portfolio of work and prepare for the Meta4 Slam Series.
- Houston Youth Poet Laureate Program A collaboration between Writers in the Schools, the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Houston Public Library that identifies young writers and leaders committed to civic and community engagement through poetry and performance.
- Meta4 Houston Houston's premier youth poetry slam team coached by Outspoken Bean and Adam Mac, representing Houston at slam competitions including the International Brave New Voices festival. Top six competitors from the Space City Slam Series earn spots on the team each year.
- FreeVerse A year-round poetry program for Houston-area poets ages 13-19 offering open mics, free writing workshops, and an annual three-day festival, delivered by Writers in the Schools and Meta4 Houston with community partners.
- Meta4 Slam Series (Space City Slam Series) A free youth poetry competition that invites performers ages 13-19 to compete for a spot on the Meta4 Houston youth poetry slam team, providing opportunities for young Houston poets, rappers, emcees, and spoken word artists.
- WITS Camp @ HCC Summer camp at Houston Community College West Loop Campus offering rising 6th through 12th grade students opportunities in podcasting, digital storytelling, screenwriting and more, including sessions in Digital Storytelling, General Writing, Podcasting, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writing, Screenwriting, and College Essay Bootcamp.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 65,000 students and educators served annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs (Houston)coreThe Houston Youth Poet Laureate program is a collaboration between WITS, the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Houston Public Library. This partnership has been operating since 2016 to identify young writers and leaders committed to civic and community engagement through poetry.
- Houston Public LibrarycoreCollaborative partner in the Houston Youth Poet Laureate program since 2016. Provides facilities and support for youth poetry programming including hosting the 10th Houston Youth Poet Laureate's first Public Poetry performance at Stimley-Blue Ridge Library.
- WITS AlliancecoreWITS Alliance is a network or affiliation program referenced on the website. It appears to be a collaborative network related to Writers in the Schools programs, with its own website (witsalliance.org). The alliance appears to be part of the organization's broader educational outreach structure.
- Basket Books and ArtminorCommunity partner for FreeVerse programming, which offers year-round opportunities in poetry for Houston-area poets ages 13-19.
- Eldorado Ballroom/Project Row HousesminorCommunity partner providing venue space for FreeVerse events and workshops for teen poets.
- Little Dreamer CoffeeminorCommunity partner for FreeVerse programming offering venues and support for youth poetry events.
- Meow Wolf HoustonminorCommunity partner for FreeVerse programming, providing venue space for youth poetry and creative writing events.
- Rice UniversitycoreHost site for WITS Creative Writing Camp. Rice University's Glasscock School partners with WITS to offer summer programming for students.
- Houston Community College (HCC)coreHCC West Loop Campus hosts WITS Camp programs for rising 6th-12th grade students, offering facilities for podcasting, digital storytelling, screenwriting, and other creative writing courses during summer months.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- 826 National: 826 National is a federation of youth writing and tutoring centers (e.g., 826 Valencia, 826NYC) that provide creative writing workshops, tutoring, and publishing programs for K-12 students — directly mirroring WITS's in-school and after-school model with a broader geographic footprint.
- Badgerdog Literary Publishing: Badgerdog Literary Publishing in Austin, Texas runs creative writing residencies in schools and a summer writing workshop for youth — a Texas-based peer running the same in-school writer-in-residence model as WITS Houston.
- The Telling Room: The Telling Room is a Portland, Maine-based nonprofit that provides creative writing workshops and publishing opportunities for young writers ages 6–18. It mirrors WITS's workshop-and-publishing model but operates in a single smaller metro.
- Urban Word NYC: Urban Word NYC is a youth literary arts nonprofit running spoken-word, poetry slam, and youth poet laureate programming for teens. It is highly comparable to WITS's Meta4 Houston and FreeVerse programs, with a parallel annual youth poetry slam pipeline.
- Community Word Project: Community Word Project is a New York City arts-education nonprofit that places teaching artists in classrooms for residencies in creative writing and poetry — directly comparable to WITS's in-school workshop model with a teaching-artist delivery mechanism.
- WITS Alliance: The WITS Alliance is an affiliation network for sister WITS-style programs in other cities (e.g., WITS Chicago, Seattle). It is the most direct peer because it shares WITS's brand DNA, mission, and program design while operating in different metros.
- Young Authors Publishing (Young Chicago Authors): Young Chicago Authors runs in-school residencies, after-school programs, the Brave New Voices International Poetry Slam host organization, and Louder Than a Bomb — all of which parallel WITS's school workshops, after-school clubs, and Meta4 championship pipeline.
Broad incumbents
- Smithsonian Associates / Young Ambassadors Program: Smithsonian-affiliated youth arts-education programs offer workshops, camps, and creative-writing enrichment at national scale. They overlap with WITS's summer camp and Creative Writing Camp portfolio but at a much larger institutional footprint.
- Academy of American Poets (Poetry Out Loud): The Academy of American Poets runs Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation competition for high school students. It is a broader incumbent in youth poetry programming with national reach, overlapping WITS's spoken-word and youth poet laureate mission.
Others
- Aspen Words (Aspen Institute): Aspen Words is a literary arts and education program of the Aspen Institute that funds and develops writing initiatives for youth and adults. It is thematically related to WITS as a fellow literary-arts nonprofit but operates at a national policy/funding level rather than direct classroom delivery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS social profiles
Digital presenceWRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS
What does WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS do?
Writers in the Schools (WITS) is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects children and youth with professional writers and spoken word artists to deliver creative writing, poetry, and storytelling programs. Core offerings include in-school creative writing workshops, after-school clubs (Club WITS), summer creative writing camps at multiple partner locations, the Meta4 Houston youth poetry slam team, and the Houston Youth Poet Laureate Program. The organization also runs teacher professional development (WITS On Demand and WITS Collaborative) and community programs (FreeVerse) for teen poets.
Is WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS a public or private company?
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS founded?
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS based?
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are program Fees and grants and Foundation Support.
Who are WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are 826 National, Badgerdog Literary Publishing, The Telling Room, Urban Word NYC, Community Word Project, WITS Alliance and Young Authors Publishing (Young Chicago Authors). Broad incumbents are Smithsonian Associates / Young Ambassadors Program and Academy of American Poets (Poetry Out Loud). Aspen Words (Aspen Institute) is listed as an others.
Does WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS have an API?
No public API is recorded for WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS.
What industry is WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS in?
WRITERS IN THE SCHOOLS's product category is Youth Creative Writing Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAMAF, Children’s & YA Writing Workshops, with a secondary code of EDAMAMAM, Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops. Its NAICS code is 611610 and its SIC code is 8200.