1,191 Participants Shared Their Stories!

We had an impactful year at Gemini Ink, especially in our Partner Classes! In 2024, we served 1,191 youth and adults through Partner Class workshops and events. We

nurtured 199 talented youth authors and proudly featured 23 passionate adult storytellers on Empower House Radio.

One of our young participants from Bowden Elementary School said:

“What I liked about class was that we got to write about silly stories and feelings.”

Another student from Camelot Elementary shared:

“[I liked that] everybody cares for me. Can we have Gemini Ink every day?”

It wasn’t just the youth that felt the impact of our partner classes either. In our Metro Health workshop, a participant shared:

“Thank you for the welcoming and supportive environment. It was a great atmosphere that really helped me to be comfortable in not just generating, but potentially sharing.”

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Partnering with Impact: Reaching Communities Across San Antonio

We are incredibly grateful to our 2024 partners and sponsors whose generous support makes this program possible! These collaborations have created invaluable opportunities for young writers to flourish.

Partners

Camelot ES (NEISD) completed a workshop in Spring 2024 with the theme “Everyday Stories” and began a new workshop in Fall 2024 focusing on “Being Human” in creative nonfiction.

Montgomery ES (NEISD) finished their Spring 2024 workshop with the theme “Being Human/Human Beings” through comics and started a new workshop in Fall 2024 with the theme “Everyday Stories” in creative nonfiction.

Walzem ES (NEISD) concluded its first workshop in Spring 2024 with a focus on “Tiny Tales” (fantasy fiction with animals) and began a new music-infused workshop in Fall 2024. The workshop culminated in student work being published as broadsides.

Bowden Academy (SAISD) conducted a workshop in Spring 2024 where 3rd-5th graders wrote flash fiction.

Bonham Academy (SAISD) held two workshops during the school year, one for 6th graders and one for 8th graders, focusing on poetry.

Rise Inspire Academy (charter) completed a Spring 2024 workshop with high school students in recovery, focusing on poetry and the theme of “Transformation.” Student work was published as an anthology, The Poetry of Transformation.

Promesa Academy (charter) held two workshops, one for Kindergarten and 1st grade and another for 2nd and 3rd grade, focusing on poetry and animals as guardians and culminated in student work published as broadsides.

Metro Health conducted five workshops in 2024 for employees, including Creative Journaling, Creative Nonfiction, and Storytelling.

Alpha Home is currently in its third series of workshops, each focusing on self-love and self-care through various genres for women in recovery.

San Antonio Public Library partnered with Gemini Ink for the “Voices of San Anto” storytelling workshop series, where bilingual adults shared true life stories which were recorded and broadcast on Empower House Radio.

Empower House hosted a summer workshop for middle school students, focusing on social justice through horror stories. The workshop culminated in students’ stories being published as broadsides, students recording their stories for Empower House Radio, and a final celebration.

Krier/Bexar County offers two workshops, one within the Krier juvenile correctional facility and another for students completing community service, both focusing on poetry. Student work was published in an anthology, When the Storm is Over.

MOSAIC/The Contemporary at Blue Star held a three-week intensive summer workshop for teens in the MOSAIC program, combining poetry writing and art making.

 

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Thank you to Our Sponsors!

 

Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department

The Greehey Family Foundation

HEB

Kronkosky

Mays Family Foundation

The Poetry Foundation

San Antonio Area Foundation

Shield-Ayres Foundation