Last spring, students Rylan Pearson ’27 and Cole Poutre ’26, along with other high school students from the metro area, founded a nonprofit organization called Write to Learn. The group’s mission is to support students who may be struggling in their classes by helping them feel more prepared for exams and empowering them to achieve better grades.
“The idea for Write to Learn started with looking into the community and seeing the need for tutoring in schools,” Pearson said.
What began as a simple idea between high school students has already grown into a program making a direct impact, proof that students are able to do anything when they put their mind to it.
Currently, the group has 27 members representing seven different high schools. Members take on a variety of roles, ranging from direct tutoring to media outreach and executive leadership. Their tutors provide support in more than nine different subject areas, ensuring a wide range of academic needs can be met.
Write to Learn’s vision extends far beyond raising grades. The organization strives to give students the tools and strategies they need to become independent learners. By connecting struggling students with peer tutors, Write to Learn aims to remove the stigma that often comes with asking for help. Students often feel more comfortable working with someone close to their own age who understands what they are going through academically.
Uniquely, Write to Learn is one of the few organizations that ultimately strives to make its own services unnecessary. The program’s greatest measure of success is when students no longer need tutoring because they are thriving in their classes independently. This outcome-driven approach emphasizes empowerment and long-term growth rather than dependency, setting Write to Learn apart from other academic support programs.
Although still in its early stages, the nonprofit has already gained momentum. Much of its outreach has come through digital platforms like Instagram, where the group connects with students in need of free tutoring.
Their growth, however, has not been without challenges. As with many nonprofits, funding remains a concern. The group has leaned on community support, raising money through donations and hosting fundraisers like their La Casa food night event on Sept. 18.
The success of Write to Learn shows how young people can make a meaningful impact on their communities. Too often, students feel like they must wait until adulthood to create change, but Pearson and Poutre’s work proves otherwise.
By identifying a need, gathering support, and taking action, they have demonstrated that age is no barrier to leadership. Beyond tutoring, the group also hopes to inspire their peers to recognize needs in their own communities and take initiative.
“You don’t have to wait until you’re older to do something important,” Pearson said.
Looking ahead, Pearson recognizes that his time in high school is limited, and he wants Write to Learn to continue long after he graduates. Pearson has been trying to build a strong foundation in order for the organization to be passed down to younger members a part of the non-profit, ensuring its mission carries on.
By training new members for executive positions, he hopes the organization will not only survive, but also grow in the years to come. Pearson and the other founders’ ultimate goal is to create a lasting legacy of peer-to-peer support that future students can step into and continue leading.
Students seeking academic support, as well as those interested in volunteering as tutors, can learn more by visiting Write to Learn’s Instagram page @writetolearnproject or their website at www.writetolearn.org.
