Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Girls Write Now Partner to Bring New Talent, Voices to K-12 Education and Books & Media Industries

NEW YORK, March 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt today announced a partnership with Girls Write Now (GWN), an award-winning writing and mentoring nonprofit that pairs underserved young women with professional women writers as lifelong mentors and role models, to kick off a pilot internship program at HMH's New York office.

This spring, HMH will host four GWN alumnae—three college students and one recent graduate—for an eight-week rotational internship. Each intern will spend four weeks working at HMH Books & Media—shadowing the editorial, marketing and publicity departments for the general interest and young readers divisions—and four weeks learning about the K-12 industry as part of the Supplemental and Intervention Solutions and marketing groups.

Inspired by a sense of urgency to infuse new talent into the education and publishing industries, this partnership will provide more opportunities to a diverse and talented community at all levels—from exposure in high school, to internships for college students and recent grads, to entry- and associate-level employee placements.

"We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional young women to our HMH family," says Ellen Archer, President of HMH Books & Media. "During their time exploring our various workstreams, they will receive valuable exposure to the consumer publishing and K-12 education industries and gain the skills and experience they need to bring their unique perspectives to our industry long-term."

"This partnership with HMH will give our bright, talented alumnae the opportunity to take the writing and professional skills they gained as GWN mentees to the real world," says Maya Nussbaum, Founder and Executive Director at Girls Write Now. "By infusing new, diverse talent into the workplace, we can rise above the race and income-based inequalities of the school system and workforce and shape the future of women leaders in publishing and education."

This internship program builds off a rich partnership—for the past several years, HMH employees have conducted writing and mentoring workshops with GWN students during the company's annual Volunteer Week.

About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ: HMHC) is a learning company committed to delivering integrated solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students' potential and extend teachers' capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 3 million educators in 150 countries, while its award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

About Girls Write Now

Girls Write Now (GWN) mentors underserved young women (90% of color, 90% high need, 75% immigrant or first generation, 25% LGBT/non-conforming) to find their voices through the power of writing and community. As the first writing and mentoring organization for girls, GWN has been a nationally award-winning leader in arts education for 20 years—and continues to innovate ways to elevate the voices of girls who are often not heard—or worse, silenced. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of literature, art, and technology, GWN pairs girls with professional women writers as lifelong mentors and role models—and welcomes them into a diverse community that helps them navigate their professional and personal goals. Our mentees are published in outlets including The New York Times, Newsweek, and BuzzFeed, perform at Lincoln Center and the United Nations, and earn hundreds of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. 100% of Girls Write Now seniors apply and are accepted to college.

Contacts

Leah Riviere
Senior Communications Manager
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5020
[email protected]

Molly MacDermot
Director of Special Initiatives
Girls Write Now
917-575-8930
[email protected]

SOURCE Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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