Partnering with the San Diego County Office of Education, the Juvenile Court & Community Schools, San Diego Unified and several local colleges and universities, Words Alive opens opportunities for underserved teens to realize academic and social success.

Adolescent Book Group

Words Alive's Adolescent Book Group brings books alive for teenagers facing extraordinary circumstances such as homelessness, violence, teen pregnancy and impact by the justice system. Through engaging projects, writing workshops and discussion sessions, Adolescent Book Group participants enhance their critical thinking skills, self-esteem and ability to express themselves.

Words Alive's commitment to reading diverse and relevant texts provides an avenue for program participants to connect books to themselves and the world while changing the story of their life.

Westreich Scholarship

The Words Alive Westreich Scholarship was founded by philanthropist Ruth Westreich and aims to support Adolescent Book Group graduates as they work to achieve their higher education goals. In addition to a financial award, which can be used to cover living expenses, the program pairs recipients with a mentor. Through the mentorship, students have support navigating the college landscape from a career professional, gain assistance in accessing academic and community resources, learn relationship-building skills, and more often than not, have a friend with a shoulder to lean on. The WAWS program also offers personal and professional development opportunities through workshops on financial literacy, resume building, job interviewing skills, time management and more.

This program sunsetted June 30, 2023