Writing Partners

Writing Partners is a high-impact project designed to practice reading and writing language skills. The project involves exchanging three handwritten letters between paired elementary and SJSU students. Whereas the focus of the project is to enrich language competence, an added benefit is the mentor-mentee relationship that organically occurs through the paired relationship.

During the 2024-25 academic year, in partnership with Professor Pamela Wells’s BUS-160 and BUS-210 class, participating elementary school students were paired with 75 SJSU students to exchange handwritten letters. The first letter was written to the SJSU students by elementary school students, and SJSU students responded in kind.

CommUniverCity supported project logistics, which included matching SJSU students to elementary school students, picking up and delivering letters, and hosting a culminating meet-and-greet event that included SJSU students engaging in pre-planned activities with their partners.

Participating students (elementary and college) and teachers had overwhelmingly positive experiences. The SJSU students and elementary students exchanged personal stories about hobbies, sports, family, and school while establishing an emotional connection. Students reported that they were excited to meet their writing partners; they waited all semester to meet their partners in person, and stated how fun it was to meet their pen pal. Backed by research, exchanging handwritten letters increases student language skills, provides an avenue for authentic communication, and serves as a method for role-modeling.

Project Impacts

91% of elementary school students indicated they would like to attend college after the field trip to SJSU

55% of elementary school students indicated Writing Partners helped improve their writing

100% of elementary school students liked Writing Partners

Participants*

Community Engaged Learners*

Cumulative Hours

Investment Value*

$ 0 K

Faculty Lead

Pamela Wells

What people say?

I am very happy with the program and the outcomes of it. I know some of our students shared some deeper, more personal experiences with their pen pals and it was incredibly meaningful for them.

Margarita Ojeda

Site Supervisor

The program was a useful opportunity to apply and experience emotionally what we learned abstractly and intellectually. It demonstrated what socialization and cultural capital means in practice.

SJSU Student Service Learner

I liked Writing Partners because it made me happy and not feel alone.

Elementary School Participant

* Community Participants include K–12 students engaged in educational activities and workshops, along with residents attending neighborhood events and celebrations.

* Community Engaged Learners (CEL) include SJSU students who apply course-based knowledge through activities and presentations for K–12 students, as well as Public Health, Communications, and Educational Counseling interns who work directly with the CommUniverCity team to implement projects.

* Investment Value encapsulates the total monetary worth of the CEL volunteer hours contributed to the project.