Program Basics

How has your program been affected by the covid-19 pandemic?

Learn about our Covid-19 response here.

How much does it cost for participants?

Nothing, it’s free!

Over the years, we’ve had some parents of participants who were able to choose to make a donation within their means to Girls Write Nashville when their child is drawing close to completing a year of programming. We absolutely do not require or expect this, but it is always welcome as a contribution toward the sustainability of this resource.

What region(s) do you serve?

Right now we serve Nashville Metro-area/Davidson County, Tennessee. If you’d like to talk about bringing Girls Write Nashville to where you live, shoot us an email.

Is Girls Write Nashville only for girls? What about the complexity of the construct of gender and the inherent flaws in the strict idea of a gender binary?

Girls Write Nashville was started to support the empowerment of young people and especially to support the unique needs of young women. It was also started to be a safe and inclusive space for people who are traditionally excluded from music education due to things like gender, race, sexual orientation, and economic status.

For those reasons, Girls Write Nashville is actually really open to anyone who meets our other enrollment criteria and would love to be in one of our programs. Girls Write Nashville is unequivocally open to all trans youth.

Also, if you’re a cisgendered male teenager in Davidson County and you really really would love to be able to participate in Girls Write Nashville, apply to join us! It’s not quite active yet, but we’re working on developing some gender neutral “co-ed” Guilds. GWN is about creating safe, positive spaces and of course that’s something all people deserve.

Priority Enrollment

Who qualifies for priority enrollment?

Priority enrollment for Girls Write Nashville programs are granted to youth enrolled in a MNPS Title I school and to youth who self-report one or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

How do I know if I’m in a Title I MNPS school?

A list of 2019-2020 Title I schools in Nashville is available here!

What is an a.c.e. and have I experienced any?

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is the term used to describe all types of abuse, neglect, and other potentially traumatic experiences that occur to people under the age of 18. The number of ACEs experienced is referred to as an ACE score.

To qualify for enrollment based on an ACE score, we will only ask for a participant’s ACE score. This information will always be kept completely confidential and you will not be asked to disclose any other details.

Our list of ACEs includes the 10 ACEs defined by the CDC as well as several we have added for expanded inclusivity.

To determine your ACE score, make a mark on a piece of paper for each one of the following ACEs you personally have experienced:

  • Physical abuse

  • Sexual abuse

  • Emotional abuse

  • Physical neglect

  • Emotional neglect

  • Exposure to domestic violence

  • Household substance abuse

  • Household mental illness

  • Parental separation or divorce

  • Incarcerated household member

  • Participant mental health issues

  • Hospitalization for mental health

  • Death of a parent

  • Parental or close family member deportation or other immigration status issues

However many marks you then have is your ACE score! If you made three marks, your ACE score is 3. This number is the only piece of information you’ll need to provide in order to qualify for priority enrollment due to ACE score.

Still have a question?

We’d love to answer it for you! Send us an email.