Writing Project Promotes Being a Power for Good

Leaders in MISH (Masters Interested in Sharing and Helping) and tutors in the Writing Center, the two explored several initiatives before selecting The Aerin Project, a national letter-writing initiative now active in more than 20 schools.

The project was created in memory of Aerin Glaser, a Los Angeles teenager who died in 2024 from a rare form of cancer. Before leaving for college, Aerin wrote a series of letters to her best friend with instructions to open them during moments of sadness, stress or self-doubt. Inspired by those letters, Aerin’s parents started The Aerin Project, which invites students to write notes of encouragement and kindness for others to read when it’s needed most.

At Masters, middle school students write letters during X-band with support from upper school mentors, and ninth graders participate through seminar classes. “The prompts can be anything from ‘open this when you’re sad’ to ‘open this when you need a smile’ to ‘open this when you’re worried about a test,’” explained Marie-Louise Miller, associate dean of purposeful engagement. “The letters are available for anyone in the community to read.”

“This project is meaningful to me because it brings together two central parts of my identity as a student, and it’s all for a really good cause,” said Panos.

Lisa Green, upper school English teacher and director of the Writing Center, said that the project has expanded the Writing Center’s mission beyond academic writing support. “This is a more intimate form of writing — not for grades or self-expression, but for empathy and human connection.” According to Green, students conducted surveys which showed that nearly all participants reported feeling uplifted and energized by the experience.

Panos said it was important “for students on campus to participate because it fosters personal connection and can really strengthen our community.”

Panos and Kasoff have teamed up with fellow Writing Center tutors Helen Gao ‘27, Talia Hird ‘27, Sophie Ricks ‘27, Gabriela Li '27 and Elaina Barreto ’27 to use The Aerin Project as the foundation for research on writing centers and community service. Their proposal was accepted to the Secondary School Writing Centers Association Conference (SSWCA), where they will present their work later this year.

Green noted that handwritten letters may feel old-fashioned, but their tactile, personal nature offers something lasting in an increasingly digital world.

One letter written by an upper school student captures that sentiment: “If you opened this, you needed a confidence boost. I hope you know you are valued, have a meaningful purpose and are doing the best you can — which is more than enough.”