New Club, The Pen Pal Project, Seeks to Improve Philly Students’ Writing

Horace Debussy Jones Studios/Sach Enterprises

Horace Debussy Jones Studios/Sach Enterprises

Popping up among old favorites like HTC and Science Olympiad, new clubs are born at the beginning of each Harriton school year. Sophomore Caroline Coopersmith started one such newcomer, the Pen Pal Project, with the hope of bettering local kids’ writing in a fun and unique way. The Harriton Banner interviewed Caroline about her club and her hopes for its future.

Harriton Banner: Why did you start the Pen Pal Project, and what is the main purpose of the club?

Caroline Coopersmith: I started Harriton’s Pen Pal Project after a discussion with a family friend who is a fifth grade teacher at an inner city school. She shared a story with me about a basic spelling test that she gave to her students, and I was shocked by the results. I have always had a desire to help less fortunate kids, so hearing this story really inspired me to find a way that would help improve students’ literacy while making them feel as though they had a friend at the same time. After much thought, I decided a pen pal would be the perfect way [to do so].

HB: What would you say is unique about the club?

CC: The thing that makes this club unique is that we work with kids that are only 20 minutes away yet live completely different lives than us. Another unique quality is that in today’s world, it is unlikely to communicate through pen and paper.

HB: How many people have signed up?

CC: So far, we have about 120 kids signed up from Harriton. Since this is our first year, this number was beyond surprising yet so exciting to see that so many students want to participate. Depending on how many students from the inner city school (which is still to be determined) wish to participate, we may have two Harriton students to one Philadelphia school student.

Once they determine which school to partner with and get students matched up, Caroline and her co-leaders plan to hang up the letters in the hallways. They hope this will attract more Harriton students to the club and show how the letter writing can improve a student’s writing and spelling skills. If you are searching for a club to join out of the many possibilities at school, the Pen Pal Project is an interesting new option.