Writing center programming inside out

Writing Center programs serving refugee, sexual minority and other underserved populations are expanding but there is little evidence to support their effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of writing center programs and determine the populations utilizing writing center programs. The methodical processes adopted in this research include an extensive literature review, examining student writing center and community writing center databases and my personal experiences observing and participating in writing center programming. We will determine the populations that are utilizing writing centers, the purpose of their writing coaching sessions, the length of the sessions and any additional comments from the writing assistant and the writer. We will compare programs utilized by student writing centers and community writing centers and the populations they serve. We know the importance of offering writing coaching sessions to students and members of the community. This research allows to know optimal writing center programs and how to better address the needs of the populations utilizing the writing center.