NC EmpowerUp

09/16/2026

There is still time to apply! EarlyScribes.org

09/09/2026

We’re Championing Literacy & Young Entrepreneurs! A HUGE thank you to Wanya Reese and WXII 12 News for helping us shine a spotlight on literacy and the next generation of young authors and entrepreneurs! 💛

We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share the story of The Early Scribes Program and celebrate the amazing accomplishments of our talented young “authorpreneurs!”

Early Scribes is a creative literacy camp designed for middle school-aged youth, where students learn:
📝 Creative writing
📚 Book publishing
💼 Entrepreneurship
🌟 How to turn their creativity and ideas into something they can proudly share with the world!

And now it’s time for our Fall Camp! Applications are NOW OPEN!
📅 Application Deadline: September 17
🚀 Camp Begins: Tuesday, September 22

If you know a creative young person with a story to tell, an imagination to explore, or an entrepreneurial spark waiting to be ignited, Early Scribes is the place for them! Visit EarlyScribes.org for more information and to apply.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPA178iGM68

WS Early Scribes Fall Camp 2026WXII12 is your home for North Caro...

08/24/2026

What a FUN weekend we had at the Annual Triad Women & Minority Business Expo at the Benton Convention Center! If you weren’t there…you definitely missed out! Our booth was buzzing with excitement as some of our amazing young authorpreneurs signed and sold their very own books! There’s nothing quite like watching young people confidently share their creativity, tell their stories, and experience entrepreneurship firsthand.

We also had Expo attendees stop by to play our plinko-style game for a chance to win books and other great prizes. We gave away LOTS of goodies and had an incredible time meeting so many wonderful people!

We were also SUPER proud to see one of our Early Scribes shining as a young entrepreneur with her very own booth, DaMia’s Unique Lemonade and Sweet Treats! She served up some of the BEST flavored lemonade around…and yes, we might be just a little biased! 🙂

A special thank-you to Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn, Jr. for stopping by our booth and taking time to encourage our young authors. Your words and support meant so much!

I just love showing young people what’s possible when their creativity, ideas, and dreams are given room to grow.

08/20/2026

We’re excited to be at the Triad Women and Minority Business Expo this Saturday at the Benton Convention Center!

Stop by the NC EmpowerUp booth and meet some of our talented Early Scribes “authorpreneurs”! These amazing young writers will be signing and selling their books, so come grab a copy, get it autographed, and show them some love!

And don’t forget to play Plinko! You’ll have a chance to WIN a book or one of our special gift bags! 🎁

📅 This Saturday
⏰ 11 AM – 5 PM
📍 Benton Convention Center

Bring your family, stop by our booth, have some fun, and most importantly, come meet and support our young writers!

We can’t wait to see you there!

05/08/2026

Well, folks… we’ve done it again! 🎉📚
Our Early Scribes Spring Camp has officially wrapped, and we are so proud to celebrate EIGHT new young authorpreneurs! Over the past seven weeks, this incredible cohort learned creative writing techniques, wrote their own books, collaborated with illustrators, and published completed works they can proudly call their own. What an accomplishment!

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing support of our sponsors: Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, Lee Hairston and the Corning Corporation Team, Sam’s Club, The Gorham Group, and Domino’s Pizza on Fourth Street Downtown. Your support helps make opportunities like this possible for our youth, and we are truly grateful.

We also want to give a huge thank you to Bookmarks Bookstore for once again partnering with us to host such a special Book Reveal Reception. The Bookmarks team is amazing, Damarius Johnson, Judy Breakstone and everyone! And to our parents, supporters, and everyone who came out to pack the house last Thursday night. THANK YOU for celebrating and encouraging these young authors along the way.

Watching these students grow in creativity, confidence, and entrepreneurship has been such a joy, and we cannot wait to see what they do next! ❤️

03/22/2026

Last week, something powerful began…
We officially welcomed our third cohort of young creatives into the Early Scribes Spring Camp.
Nine bold storytellers.�Nine untold worlds.�Nine journeys just beginning…
They’re diving headfirst into the creative process: writing, imagining, building. And soon, they’ll be publishing books of their very own.
This is more than a camp. It’s the start of something unforgettable.
Buckle up… you’re going to want to see what happens next. 👀

03/09/2026

Big thanks to Winston Net and the Winston-Salem Foundation for helping our young authorpreneurs bring their stories to life! ✨

Because of your partnership, the Early Scribes Camps now have 12 brand-new Windows laptops, making it even easier for our young writers to create, type, edit, and publish their amazing ideas.

More tools = more stories, more creativity, and more young voices being heard. We’re so grateful for your support of the next generation of storytellers! 💻✍️ EarlyScribes.org

03/05/2026

Early Scribes Spring camp will begin on March 16th! You still have time to apply for your middle schooler at EarlyScribes.org
The deadline to apply has been extended to March 12th.

02/23/2026

Visit EarlyScribes.org to apply for a young creative in your life!

02/23/2026