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- 440 students experienced the magic of expanding listening, creativity, and writing skills through camps and in-school programs.
- Six Cool School Workshops™: Revolutionary Girl Dreaming; Appalachia Girl Dreaming; Glisten: The Sweaty, Sparkling Science of Brain Listening; April 14, Yeah That Date!; Dear & Sincerely; Starry Night Gogh & Write.
- INKspire Creative Camps during the summers.
- Community outreach with "I Gave Gratitude" program; Front Porch Talks (our speakers bureau); school fairs; and library classes.
- 3,000 people reached during creative camps, poetry readings, workshop presentations, book fairs, newsletter audiences, and I Gave Gratitude events.
- 10 Kentucky counties served, with expansion to 20 in 2026–2027.
- Countless people read our first book. A Pencil Grows in Kentucky shares the poetry of 70 young women in Kentucky Appalachia. We were thrilled to be part of the 2025 Kentucky Book Fair. Available at selected bookstores and on Amazon.
At Why We Write, students experience creativity in a new way.
Our unique approaches build listening and creativity skills in students.
Our partners allow us to provide free workshops and reasonably priced camps. Look at the magic we created in 2025-26:
Partners in Story sometimes go beyond sharing financially—some have shared stories as well.
Click on linked partners for their shared stories.
So Grateful to Our Partners
Creative Champions
$5,000+​​
The Steele-Reese Foundation
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Central Bank & Trust Co.
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National Society for the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR)
Story Tellers
$250–$999
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Carol Anne Wilson
Woman's Club of Central Kentucky, Inc.
Strode Station Resource Center
in memory of Alice Turner West
Dale Jones
Glenn & Cindy Leveridge
Dr. Devert & Judy Owens
Jenny Strickland
​George & Jacqueline Hamilton
​Lissa Racer
JoEllen Reed
Jennifer Kincaid & coworkers
in memory of Ruby Eagleton
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Dr. Rhonda Grissom
Incredible Inkers
$1,000–$4,999
​​Kentucky Historical Society
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America 250
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Kentucky Foundation for Women
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Winchester Black History & Heritage Committee (WBHHC)
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Kentucky Arts Council ​​
Pencil Pathfinders
$15–$249​​
F.R. Murphy
Monty Corbett
S.C.
Ken & Judy Burns
Josh & Jane Dunkelberger
Deidre Horsley
Bradley Chem
Judy Sizemore
Day One with Gina Lang
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In-Kind Gifts Are So Kind
Bradley Chem Designs, Delaware, OH
Broadway Christian Church, Lexington, KY
Central Baptist Church, Winchester, KY
Tom Lynch & Associates, Winchester, KY
First Presbyterian Church, Winchester, KY
Grace Bible Church & Grace Academy, Winchester KY
Maxwell Street Presbyterian Church, Lexington, KY
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Winchester, KY
Lex Center for Creative ReUse
​Kentucky Custom Screen Printing
Staples Office Supplies, Lexington, KY
Harstad Fine Arts Series (HFAS), Lexington, KY
Ed Burtner & Tim Smith, WWKY (990 AM) Radio
Cindy Ford
Mark Lenn Johnson, Art Inc. Kentucky
Steve Vest and Kentucky Monthly magazine
Kentucky Derby Museum
Dr. Monte McGregor, KY. Dept of Fish & Wildlife
Tom Eblen, Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning
Clark County Public Library, Winchester, KY
Rowan County Public Library, Morehead, KY
Bath County Public Library, Owingsville, KY
Lexington Public Library, Lexington, KY
Eastern Kentucky University Library, Richmond, KY
The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, Ashland, KY
Central Kentucky Audubon Society
Cloud Appreciation Society
Winchester Sun
Upsorn Photography, Winchester, KY
Bluegrass Heritage Museum, Winchester, KY
Ale-8-One Bottling Company, Winchester, KY
Creative Coffees Roastery, Winchester, KY