Letting Go by intern Kylynn White
“The leaves are about to show us how beautiful it is to let go”--- Unknown
The whole room went silent when I read the above quote in our SpeakOut! workshop. I did not expect this quote to be so inspirational, but the men at Harvest Farm took time to fully understand what each word meant and absorb the comparison with a leaf in nature doing its natural thing to die off and humans choosing to move on from anything that is holding them back. When they asked me to continuously repeat the quote so they could write it down, I realized the differences that lie between us.
Harvest Farm is located in Wellington, Colorado, and is a rehabilitation center for men looking to change their life path. This organization is referred to as a New Life Program as it offers men a space to cultivate new life skills that they may have not been given.
As a new facilitator and intern through the Community for Literacy Center SpeakOut! Workshop organization, I have learned and gained a lot of experience facilitating prompts I have created.
When I first started, I was scared because I did not have much experience leading a group and was afraid to make mistakes. I have now learned that mistakes will be made when you are new to something and they are not to be ashamed of but instead supposed to be lessons to learn. I am learning that my fear of being a “bad facilitator” was not something I had to be worried about; instead, I needed to learn and acknowledge the position I have to offer a safe space for writers.
Being a Creative Writing major and engaging in workshops within those courses prepared me to encourage these writers to feel free to share anything they want to write about. I believe that writing is beneficial for anyone, but especially for those who may experience trauma that they want to heal themselves from.
Writing to me is being able to take real-life experiences and break them down into stories. It is powerful to me because as a black woman, history has always taken something from us; but they have never been able to take away my words.
In this internship, I read Until We Are Strong Together by Caroline Heller where she highlights a woman's writer workshop in the tenderloin district of San Francisco. In this text, I learned of other struggles people face and how they can use their writing to explain those experiences to heal their past traumas. Heller shares what these writers choose to let go just as I am aware of how the men at Harvest Farm want to let go. Seasons will always change, just like people, as we exist as part of nature, and we should always be awarded that satisfaction of change. It is beautiful to let go just as much as it is to write and heal.
Sharing Stories: Observations by intern Maddy King
In many neighborhoods today, people pass one another with little more than a hurried glance, if they cross paths at all. It seems that the days of lingering on front porches to chat or asking to borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor are fading. At the Community Literacy Center (CLC), we recognize that without these small, everyday moments of connection, a sense of isolation can quietly and quickly settle in. One of the best ways to help recapture this essential community spirit is through shared writing, and that’s how the ‘pop-up’ writing wall came to be. Unlike a traditional bulletin board or suggestion box, our writing wall is both an art installation and an invitation. Several times throughout the year, we place large, moveable structures in parks, libraries, museums and other communal spaces (sometimes we have small table top pieces to accommodate space). On these structures, we post prompts created by actual community members.
Some prompts invite reflection (“What advice would you give to someone who just moved to Fort Collins?”), while others spark happy ideas or humor (“What is your favorite winter/snow memory?”). Pens and sticky notes are provided, and we encourage anyone passing by or attending the event to contribute their thoughts. What we’ve seen so far is that these shared words have a remarkable way of connecting people who might otherwise remain strangers. When the prompt reads, “Name a story that needs telling,” someone might use the space to honor a local hero or event of the specific land (Fort Collins, for example), while another person might spotlight an indigenous landmark whose history seldom appears in tour brochures. Soon, these notes gather side‑by‑side: snapshots of overlooked heroes, untold hardships, or small triumphs - which collectively illuminate voices and names that rarely reach the wider public.
Over time, the wall becomes a living archive, a woven tapestry of local narratives that showcases the community’s diversity, resilience, and shared imagination. These prompts allow for a space of inclusivity and building community. By encouraging people to share parts of themselves - whether that be a dream, a frustration, or a fond memory - the writing wall breaks down barriers that often keep us at a polite distance from other people. We don’t always realize how much we have in common with a person until we see their words reflecting our very own experiences. This is especially meaningful for those who feel unheard or invisible in larger community settings, and are unsure how to go about changing that. Even a brief message on the wall can remind them, and everyone else, that they belong.
The CLC plans to keep expanding the writing pop-ups, incorporating more prompts from different groups, and hosting them in more varied locations. Each time we put up a new story wall, we witness again how a simple invitation to write can spark unexpected interactions and rekindle a sense of unity. In a time when genuine connection can feel elusive, we remain convinced that sharing our words - our stories, experiences, and insights - is one of the most powerful ways to bring people back together.
Space for Understanding: Observations by intern Danny Saldana
“The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried... And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you've said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That's the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.”
― Stephen King, On Writing
These days, it feels like every piece written about community outreach begins with “in these uncertain times," but I would like to beg for one more. In these uncertain times, the concept of community has felt more precious and precarious than ever before. As the end of my time at CSU and the Community Literacy Center is on the horizon, I reflect on the year that I’ve spent writing with the participants at Acqua Recovery Center and the steps we’ve made in friendship and expression. I would obviously love to say that the things I brought to the table facilitated this growth from one to two near-silent, politely indulgent participants to a full fledged support night of 5+ people, but anyone who does community work knows that this isn’t really the case.
Aimee Knight says that in order to create meaningful community work, one must ensure that their definition of community is one that focuses on strengths-based views, as a relationship that focuses on the partner (in my case, Acqua), rather than the university, and does not shy away from real-world issues as the context–and often, content– of the writing that is created in our space (Knight, p. 16-17). For me, and for the writers at Acqua, we have become the understanding ear that Stephen King speaks of that is so crucial for writers to uncover and express their personal epiphanies.
To create the space for understanding and for epiphanies, I believe that it is crucial to create a safe space. Although the term "safe space" has become diluted over the years to mean any number of things – and often as a tool of derision – I propose that the actual role of a safe space in writing workshops has more to do with acknowledging and understanding the contexts that writers bring to their work and facilitating a space where expressing the wide range of human emotions, from joy to fury, is not only allowed but necessary. The “safe” in “safe space” does not refer to a sanitized, de-contextualized pretend world with only positivity, in my opinion, but rather the understanding between writers that their fellow participants may express hurt, anger, fear, and pain in their writing; that their revelations that cost them so dearly, as King describes, are welcome and crucial in this space.
The unique nature of writing programs such as the CLC is that each site is its own individual, yet “at the same time remaining a part of the matrix of groups within the larger program” (Rousculp p. 74). This means that the revelations, truths, and works of each participant expand the scope of understanding between me as a university representative and the communities that are participating alongside us. In the best-case scenario, this means that the work that is accomplished at one site can enrich the other sites connected to the program.
However, there are pitfalls, specifically if “an institution's research goals can unintentionally override the mutually-beneficial relationships that colleges and universities can have with their surrounding communities, thus alienating the community partner who may end up feeling objectified by the partnership” (Rousculp, p. 76), or if a deficit thinking model creates a “savior complex” amongst the university volunteers (Knight, p. 3). All of these things are inherently insulting to the participants, of course, because it discounts their expertise and learned experiences, but it can also shut down any attempts to authentically express their unspoken truths.
We must, as volunteers and workers, endeavor to create a safe space to lend an understanding ear to each of the tellers of their own precious epiphanies.
Writing on Fatherhood: Observations by intern Cade Zehner
I have been privileged to work with the men at Larimer County Community Corrections and Work Release over the course of this academic year. During this time, I have had the joy of being able to facilitate and watch these men write creatively, sometimes for the first time, though this isn’t a summary about my time there. Across the workshops we’ve held so far one theme comes up time and time again: fatherhood. It’s not always noticeable in the writing itself, but when it comes time to discuss what we’ve written, it’s there.
Fatherhood comes out in these workshops in a variety of ways, even in moments where it wouldn’t be expected. A prompt concerning favorite songs or genres of music brought out many conversations about being in the car with their kids who shared songs or being introduced to songs as a kid by their father. Another prompt about favorite books prompted a round of discussions concerning the times these writers would read bedtime stories to their kids. In these moments of sharing, there is always an energy that wasn’t there before, an energy of pride and accomplishment from these writers when talking about their kids. This energy is full of beauty that is noticeable when it enters and leaves the room.
The majority of the writers that come into the workshop either haven’t written creatively before, or if they have, aren't used to sharing their writing with others. This usually leads to a level of nervousness from the writers that can be felt in the room at the beginning of most workshops. Though, once the topic of fatherhood is brought up, the room lightens as this is something most of the writers that come through can relate to. This has caught my attention for multiple reasons. The biggest one is the sense of understanding. Though everyone in that room is there for different reasons, fatherhood is something that breaks down the walls separating the writers. It also reminds everyone that each of us has a life outside of that room; that what we do there is an expression of what’s going on in each of our individual lives.
When thinking about community writing, I have sometimes found it hard to find ideas or identities that can connect us beyond what’s easily presented; though the beauty of these workshops is finding the ways beneath the surface that connects us all. Fatherhood has been one of those surprising identities that connects us. Your community growing up is largely defined by your parents. Where you go, and what you do, is left up to your parents at a young age. Though most people start making their own decisions about community as they get older; these decisions are influenced by the choices our parents made when we were younger. In this we are reminded that the community we hold today is based on the community we once had.
VOLUNTEER PROFILES
Mandy Gonzales (submitted by Kylynn White)
Are you curious about what it’s like to facilitate a creative writing group? You may want to consider interning or volunteering with the Community Literacy Center to gain experience giving back to your community, building a space that fosters creativity, and helping writers coming from various backgrounds. In this article, Mandy Gonzales, a Creative Writing major, will reflect on her personal experience and how it has not only shaped her as a writer, but as a facilitator who can create a community that will last a lifetime.
At Harvest Farm in Wellington, Colorado, two recurring facilitators volunteer their time and energy to give back to the writers. Mandy has been a consistent volunteer for two years during her undergraduate studies. Starting as a transfer student from California, she was interested in getting involved on campus and in the Fort Collins Community. She stumbled across the CLC volunteering opportunity, feeling that it perfectly aligned with her major. She said, “When I started my training at various facilities and talked more with participants and fellow volunteers alike, I knew I was in the right place!”
She has discovered a lot from the writers at Harvest Farm, such as developing lesson plans that help participants feel more confident in their writing abilities, express their creativity, and manage difficult emotions. She believes that the workshops have an impact on the writers’ lives because it allows their unique voices to be heard.
One moment that stood out to Mandy was holding several workshops over winter break when workshops are usually on break. To her, that the men continued to come to write emphasized how strongly they valued having this creative space, which in turn had a strong impact on her to keep volunteering. She says, “It increased my respect for the group and made me value my position as a volunteer even more.” Her primary motivation for continuing to volunteer is getting to know the returning writers each week and building a space that encourages diverse writing styles and voices. After leaving each workshop, she is always inspired and in awe by what the group has written.
One piece of advice she would give to a new volunteer is to connect with your writing site and the workshop group. She believes that fostering an environment in which participants feel comfortable enough to share their writing is very important. Also, “Compliment a specific part when they read their work so they know you are actively listening.” By doing this, one can learn what prompts the group responds well to.
Volunteering alongside Mandy has been an amazing journey that I’m proud to have been a part of. She has shown her ability to take the lead to encourage the group to publish their work in our journal, offered help with feedback to the writers, and has made deep connections with everyone she interacts with.
Jamie Suto (submitted by Maddy King)
A writer who frequently adds her voice to SpeakOut! is Jamie Suto, a second year volunteer. Jamie is a wonderful addition to the organization, and she has done so much for the Community Literacy Center. Jamie is 27 years old and from Fort Collins, Colorado, where she received a bachelors in English Literature at Colorado State University. She is currently working on her masters at CSU, continuing to further her path with literature. Jamie’s area of focus in environmental writing, and she always brings that fun aspect into the workshops. Her favorite type of writing is nonfiction or literary analysis essays, and she definitely gets to do a lot of that in her major! While she loves to write those types of critical essays, everybody needs a break every once and a while. One of the main reasons Jamie joined SpeakOut! was to try and branch out in her writing, especially because she enjoys reading poetry and fiction. Jamie’s energy and writing is always an amazing addition to the SpeakOut! workshops and we are so lucky to have her.
Joseph Ryan (submitted by Cade Zehner)
Joseph Ryan is an alumni of Colorado State University and a former Community Literacy Center Intern who now volunteers at the Men’s Community Corrections SpeakOut! workshops. Joseph always brings a ton of insight into his own writing and the writing of others. Always having an observation that goes beyond the surface; writing with Joseph is always inspiring as he is able to find the words to keeps us expanding our own ideas. Joseph is not only a wonderful writer, but a wonderful volunteer. Outside of his job at Front Range Community College, Joseph has dedicated a ton of time towards the Community Literacy Center even after graduating. Working with Joseph has been an enriching experience for all, in all ways, including and beyond his ability as a writer.
Nate Conway (submitted by Danny Saldana)
I have had the absolute privilege to work at Acqua Recovery Center this semester, and during this time, I have been able to connect with the site administrators, the participants, and the volunteers in such a meaningful and supportive way. One of the tenets of SpeakOut! is to create a supportive environment for people to explore their relationship with writing, and I know I could not have established a supportive rapport with the people on site if I didn’t have the support of the volunteer who accompanied me: Nate Conway.
I knew I was going to get along with Nate immediately upon meeting him at the first training because he was enthusiastic and approachable. He was always eager to participate in discussions, and as an English major, we had a great shared background in reading and writing. We had quite a bit in common: we both liked science fiction and fantasy, we both liked writing speculative fiction, we both found poetry intimidating, and we both really believed in the goals and mission of SpeakOut! and the CLC. But the time I knew Nate was the ideal partner for this site is, ironically, on a day I wasn’t on site at all.
I woke up sick on a Thursday morning, and I knew we were meeting at Acqua that evening. I knew it was a perfectly fine option to cancel that day and come together next week, but since I had the schedule all written up, I reached out to the site administrator and Nate to see if they were comfortable with Nate handling the session. With permission, Nate amicably accepted the responsibility.
Next week, the participants were awash with praise for Nate’s session. Nate had presented a session with a science-fiction theme, and they eagerly told me about funny stories, and a new character: a robot therapist who asked stock therapy questions in an AI voice. They had also filled a poster board with words, phrases, and associations they had with science fiction as a genre. Nate was able to flawlessly take over as a facilitator in his own right, and it was extremely rewarding to see his connection with the participants that he fostered with care and respect. Fostering a community is a constant balancing act of vulnerability, care, and boundaries. Nate’s welcoming and empathetic nature continually encourages participants to share their thoughts, take risks, and– most crucially, in my opinion– actually enjoy writing with us. Together, Nate and I have been able to work with joy and enthusiasm at Acqua and I hope that he will continue to work with the CLC in any capacity he chooses.
VISUAL STORY EXCHANGE WALL
CLC and Polaris grades 4 and 5 initiate a traveling story wall with partner Poudre Libraries
Clockwise from top left: Back cover art by Samantha / Front cover art by writers from all sites / Resilience Word Cloud [represents a collective brainstorming and writing exercise conducted across all our SpeakOut! Workshops in Spring 2025] / Color art by Airwick H.
Public reading for SpeakOut! spring celebration
Many thanks to our community partners at:
Larimer County Community Corrections and Work Release
Acqua Recovery
Harvest Farms
New drop-in program at Poudre Libraries Old Town Library
AND
The Dean's Office at the CSU College of Liberal Arts
The CSU English Department
Fountainhead Press/Top Hat
Poudre libraries
Do you want to volunteer to lead workshops?
Let us know at clc@colostate.edu and we're happy to talk to you! Or find one of our interns in the CLC office in Eddy 346A -- they'll be happy to tell you all about the challenges, the highs, and the lows (not too many of them!)
And take several copies of our journals to read, and then get them out into your world!
Please consider supporting our work!
The CLC creates alternative literacy opportunities to educate and empower underserved populations, and sponsors university-community literacy collaborations. Through our workshops, we confront stereotypes of men and women who are incarcerated, and other writers dealing with confinement or recovery. We circulate the stories and creative work of community writers through print and multi-media publications. We believe that such dynamic literacy activities are key to individual success, cultural awareness, and a more socially just world.
If you would like to become a volunteer in one of our programs, please let us know at clc@colostate.edu. We are always looking to add thoughtful volunteers to our team. We train!
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