Mission & Vision

MISSION

We partner with schools and communities to teach the imaginative power of language. We embrace creativity, empowerment, inclusion, and excellence. We build communities of hope and compassion through writing.

VISION

We believe that through creative writing, students can express the worlds inside and outside of themselves. We believe in the power of words to stir imaginations and awaken creativity.

The Missoula Writing Collaborative is a non-profit organization committed to reaching the underserved in our society. Started in 1994 in 5 Missoula schools, MWC has expanded to 37 Montana rural, tribal, and town schools. Each year our 14 writers teach more than 2,500 students free verse and form poetry. During 12-week writing residencies, students write about memory, imagination, and place, while learning the tools of good writing.

In our 2-week Words with Wings summer camp, 8- to 13-year-olds write poetry on the University of Montana campus and explore rivers and culture surrounding Missoula. Our Rattlesnake Writers Workshop is designed for teens ages 14-18. In biannual Writers’ Room classes, adults write classes on fiction, poetry, and memoir. We believe writing transforms lives.