Composing college identities: Latina girls writing their way to the Universidad

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore Somos Escritoras, a creative space and writing workshop, for Latina adolescent girls (grades 6–8), as a program that supports not only writing and literacy development of girls, but also their college going identities. Design/methodology/approach This is a case study focused on the experiences of five Latina girls who participated in Somos Escritoras and what they define as the important aspects of the program that supported their personal and academic development. Findings Through girls writing, interview transcripts, and ethnographic conversations, their words illustrate how Somos Escritoras provided a safe space to examine their lives and find comunidad. Girls described the value they found in examining their lives through art and writing in ways that school did not invite them to do. Also, girls discussed the power they found in writing alongside Latinas their age and Latina mentors. Originality/value This study offers pedagogical implications for English language arts classrooms and schools to support Latina girls’ college-going identities.