St. Louis Park High students launch school-based writing center; staff seek sustainable funding

A group of students and teacher Callie Hovstad presented a new student-run writing center to the St. Louis Park Public Schools board on Oct. 28, describing its goals, training and operations. "My name is Callie Hovstad, and I teach English at the high school," Hovstad said as she introduced the initiative and the student coaches.

The students told the board the writing center grew from a former learning lab and summer planning by teachers and students. The center’s core beliefs include that "writing is a process," that "all writers benefit from feedback regardless of skill level," and that peer collaboration can be an effective mode of support. Students described a multi-step coach-selection process that included an application, an essay, summer reading from a tutoring handbook and role-play training sessions.

Students outlined a standard writing-conference structure they use during sessions, including grounding questions, hearing the writer read aloud and focusing on guiding questions rather than direct corrections. Coaches collect a feedback form after sessions so leaders can track patrons’ experience and coach effectiveness.

The presenters showed the board the center's website and explained how students can book appointments via an embedded Google Calendar. Operating hours are Tuesday through Thursday after school and Wednesday during WIN time. Students and staff said outreach to increase student use and stable funding are immediate challenges; the writing center received a $1,500 grant from the SLP Community Foundation this year, and presenters said they are exploring district donations and adviser compensation as next steps.

Board members asked how the center will support multilingual learners and respond to artificial-intelligence tools such as ChatGPT. Presenters said their training includes guidance for working with writers whose first language is not English and that, to date, they have not observed widespread AI misuse in sessions. "We haven't encountered that with the writing center, but I know that it is a problem," a student said, adding the center aims to be an alternative to AI-based shortcuts.

Presenters asked the board for help identifying sustainable funding sources and emphasized plans to expand the coach roster, continue coach training and develop student leadership roles to keep the program student-driven.

The board thanked the students and Hovstad for the demonstration and encouraged continued outreach to increase use and secure long-term funding.