Brink Literacy Project

BRINK LITERACY PROJECT IS DEVOTED TO UTILIZING THE POWER OF STORYTELLING TO POSITIVELY AFFECT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE ON THE BRINK. THROUGH OUR EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, AND PUBLISHING DIVISIONS, OUR NONPROFIT WORKS WORLDWIDE TO FOSTER A LOVE OF LITERATURE, INCREASE LITERACY RATES, AND USE STORYTELLING TO EMPOWER UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. OUR EDUCATION DIVISION DELIVERS INNOVATIVE LITERACY AND STORYTELLING PROGRAMS WITH A FOCUS ON INCREASING LITERACY RATES AND ASSISTING PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH STORYTELLING. WE HAVE A STRONG FOCUS ON BRINGING OUR INITIATIVES TO LOW-INCOME, LOW-LITERACY, AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, WHETHER THAT MEANS TEACHING IN PRISONS OR CREATING COMPLETELY ORIGINAL CURRICULA TO TACKLE LOW READING PROFICIENCY IN OUR YOUTH. THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY DIVISION, BRINK FORGES PARTNERSHIPS WITH UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN AND LITERARY ORGANIZATIONS. AS A GLOBAL COMMUNITY OF READERS, WRITERS, ARTISTS, STUDENTS, AND SUPPORTERS, BRINK BRINGS PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO

F(R)ICTION JOURNAL. F(R)ICTION, BRINK'S TRIANNUAL LITERARY JOURNAL, IS AT THE HEART OF OUR MISSION TO INCREASE LITERACY RATES AND ENGAGEMENT WITH STORYTELLING THAT PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF CONVENTION. DRAWING TOGETHER THE BEST WORKS FROM OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SUBMISSIONS, WE PULL MORE THAN 50% OF THE CONTENT IN EACH ISSUE FROM OUR SLUSH PILE, WORKING CLOSELY WITH AUTHORS TO HONE THEIR WORK AND ARM THEM WITH THE SKILLS TO SUCCEED IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. EACH ISSUE ALSO FEATURES WORK FROM A COMMUNITY PARTNER, SPOTLIGHTING MARGINALIZED AND UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES THAT ARE OFTEN IGNORED BY THE MAINSTREAM PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. PARTNERS INCLUDE THE AFGHAN WOMEN'S WRITING PROJECT, LAMBDA LITERARY, AND VETERAN'S WRITING PROJECT. WE ALSO PUBLISH DIVERSE TALENT, FROM DEBUT AUTHORS TO PIONEERING WRITERS SEEKING TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES. OUR CELEBRITY WRITERS RANGE FROM INTERNATIONAL LITERARY GREATS, SUCH AS ALASDAIR GRAY, TO TRAILBLAZERS WHO ARE CARVING OUT A UNIQUE SPACE IN THE LITERARY FIELD, SUCH AS JEFF VANDERMEER. ALONG THE WAY, WE'VE PUBLISHED POETRY BY KWAME DAWES AND MARY RUEFLE, FLASH FICTION FROM KATHY FISH AND DAVID GALEF, PROSE BY CHRISTOPHER MOORE AND KIRSTY LOGAN, AND NONFICTION BY LEE GUTKIND AND PHILLIP LOPATE. AND IF THAT WASN'T CRAZY ENOUGH, EACH ISSUE ALSO INCLUDES AN ORIGINAL SHORT COMIC AND CUSTOM ARTWORK TO ACCOMPANY EVERY PIECE, CREATING A COLLECTION THAT IS AS VISUALLY ENGAGING AS THE STORIES WITHIN. ESTIMATION OF PEOPLE BENEFITTED (BASED ON SALES, CONTRIBUTOR, AND READERSHIP NUMBERS): 10,000

PUBLISHING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. PUBLISHING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. BRINK'S PUBLISHING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM SEEKS TO BRING UNDERREPRESENTED AND DIVERSE VOICES INTO THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY ITSELF. THROUGH OUR FIFTEEN- WEEK PROGRAM, INTERNS LEARN THE ESSENTIAL INS AND OUTS OF THE INDUSTRY AND BECOME CRUCIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE BRINK AFFECTS EVERY DAY. PEOPLE BENEFITTED: 10 INTERNS.

FRAMES PRISON PROGRAM. THE GOAL OF THE FRAMES PRISON PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE LITERACY RATES, REDUCE RECIDIVISM, AND USE STORYTELLING TO EMPOWER INCARCERATED PERSONS WITHIN THE US PRISON SYSTEM. THROUGH OUR GRAPHIC MEMOIR COURSE, WE WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS TO DEVELOP THEIR STORYTELLING SKILLS, PROMOTE LITERACY, SPARK CRITICAL THINKING, AND HELP THEM GROW THROUGH SELF-REFLECTION. BY HELPING STUDENTS TO TRANSFORM A SINGLE TURNING POINT IN THEIR LIVES INTO A SHORT GRAPHIC MEMOIR, THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO: - INTRODUCE STORYTELLING AS A MEANS OF POSITIVE SELF-EXPRESSION - ENGAGE LEARNERS IN CREATIVE AND FLEXIBLE EDUCATION THAT UNLOCKS THEIR BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL - STRENGTHEN THE READING AND WRITING SKILLS OF EACH PARTICIPANT REGARDLESS OF CURRENT PROFICIENCY - EMPOWER INMATES TO REFLECT ON THEIR LIVES, ASSESS IMPORTANT PAST DECISIONS, AND SET POSITIVE GOALS FOR THE FUTURE - SHARE STUDENT WORK WITHIN A SAFE GROUP AS WELL AS WITH THE GREATER COMMUNITY - BUILD STUDENTS' INDIVIDUAL SKILLSETS AS THEY LEARN COMPONENTS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN, WRITING, SELF- EXPRESSION, ANALYSIS, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THEM ACHIEVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL AND ECONOMIC GOALS - REVOLUTIONIZE THE WAY IN WHICH LITERACY IS APPROACHED AND TAUGHT, ESPECIALLY WITHIN LOW-LITERACY, UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS.

GENERAL PROGRAMS DEVOTED TO UTILIZING THE POWER OF STORYTELLING TO POSITIVELY AFFECT THE LIVES OF PEOPLE ON THE BRINK