Our Mission
Austin Bat Cave is a creative community. Our writing programs empower students to find their voices and tell their stories.
Founded in 2007, ABC works with young writers and artists ages 6 to 18 in Austin and the surrounding areas including Del Valle, Manor, Elgin, San Marcos, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Hutto, and Round Rock. We provide programs in creative writing, journalism, college essay writing, resume writing, expressive journaling, and more. We strive to make our programs safe and accessible for all students, and prioritize partnerships with Title 1 schools and communities that have limited access to creative arts programming. With Austin’s rising housing costs and shifting demographics, we continue to adapt. In the past two years, ABC expanded its geographic reach to increase program equity and accessibility, activated youth civic engagement through op-ed programs, integrated therapeutic journaling into our programs, and provided monthly workshops for system-involved youth.
We believe in the power of words.
Austin Bat Cave Core Values
CARE
An essential ingredient of every program is dedication to the well-being of the students and communities we serve. Austin Bat Cave also takes an active role in supporting the well-being of its staff and instructors as humans, not just workers.
SELF-EXPRESSION
We create intentional spaces for young people to imagine different and better worlds, connect with each other around their own challenges, and ignite a creative spark that will shape who they are in the future.
COLLABORATE
Our programs are guided by the needs, interests, and creative passions of our communities’ stakeholders, respecting self-determination, agency, and communal wisdom at every step of program development.
EQUITY & ACCESSIBILITY
We investigate the systemic barriers and historical contexts of the communities we serve and engage in ongoing self-reflection to assess our practices and inform inclusive program design.
CREATIVITY & PLAY
We’re all artists with a story to tell, and writing is a source of magic and joy. In all of our programs, we strive to create an experimental, whimsical atmosphere where we can break boundaries and dream up big ideas.
INTERCONNECT
As members of a creative community, our futures are intertwined. We thrive when we take care of and speak up for one another, honoring our shared knowledge, histories, and experiences.
Programming
Last year, ABC partnered with 50 schools and nonprofit organizations to serve over 1,000 Central Texas youth.
In School
ABC volunteers assist teachers in the classroom during the school year and provide one-on-one mentorship with college & scholarship application essays and other writing activities.
After School
Our after school programs give students the opportunity to explore a full range of creative writing activities including fiction, poetry, songwriting, and more!
Summer Camps
Spend the summer at our free half-day creative writing summer camps and our popular overnight writing retreat.
“Austin Bat Cave taught me writing and bravery.”
– ABC Student, 5th grade
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