Doing the Write Thing

(Above: Adjunct Assistant Professor Joan Atlas and the Honors students who helped write winning grant proposals for their non-profit partners. From left to right: Top row: Sean Crowley ’21, Isabella Barrios ’22, Rahul Bhojwani ’22. Middle row: Emma Morlang ’22, Katelyn Petronack ’21, Jacob Matosky ’21. Bottom row: James Curran ’20. Photo illustration by Claire Anderson.)

The students who signed up for Honors Expository Writing 201 had a pretty good idea of what they’d experience in the classroom. From the course title alone, they expected to become better writers. As an Honors class, they also anticipated a more intensive workload. And with its embedded service-learning component, they knew there would be a community-based project of some kind. 

What they didn’t expect: To discover firsthand the power of prose, working hand-in-hand with non-profit partners on a grant-writing assignment that resulted in $25,000 in funding for two Waltham-based organizations supporting underserved youth. 

According to Adjunct Assistant Professor Joan Atlas, who developed the course and has been teaching it annually since 2005, the goals are two-fold: To help students enhance their writing and critical thinking skills and to “expand their view” by highlighting the diversity of needs that exist in our world — and what they can do, both individually and collectively, to meet them. “I’m not just teaching writing,” she says. “I’m teaching writing for a bigger purpose.” 

This emphasis on civic engagement and social responsibility was evident from the second day of class, when students met with representatives from four community organizations: Africano Waltham, which provides afterschool and cultural arts programs for immigrant families; Historic Newton, which manages the Jackson Homestead, a historic home in Newton, Mass., that served as a stop on the Underground Railroad; Waltham Fields Community Farm; and Waltham Partnership for Youth, which offers a variety of services, including workforce and personal development programs, for middle and high school students.  

Working in small groups, students were paired with a non-profit partner and tasked with two main goals. First, each student was responsible for completing an on-site project to support the organization’s programs or services. For example, Jacob Matosky, a junior pursuing a joint BS/MS in Finance, spent an entire Saturday at Waltham Partnership for Youth, participating in a financial literacy workshop for more than 60 high school students.  

Second, the groups of students met regularly with their organization to gain a thorough understanding of its mission and programs, which they then used to identify potential funding sources and write a formal grant proposal. For many, this was an exacting process, requiring many hours of research and revisions.  

As James Curran ’20, a Data Analytics major, observes, “This was probably the most rigorous course I’ve ever had at Bentley.” But he’s quick to note it was also “a phenomenal experience”: “Professor Atlas consistently pushed us to do our best work. The entire class was really invested in doing what we could to help our groups.” Finance major Rahul Bhojwani ’22, agrees, calling it “one of the most rewarding classes I’ve ever taken,” and crediting Atlas with “teaching us how to write with clarity, concision and, most importantly, humanity.” 

Ultimately, the students — and their non-profit partners — were rewarded for their efforts, securing a $20,000 grant for Waltham Partnership for Youth’s Summer Internship Program, which provides paid internship opportunities and skill-building seminars for approximately 100 high school students, and a $5,000 grant for Africano Waltham’s Community Engagement Program, which fosters connections among families from various immigrant communities. 

For Katelyn Petronack ‘21, a Marketing major who worked with Waltham Partnership for Youth, the experience was eye-opening. “We learned through this process just how hard it is for non-profits to get funding, so it was daunting to think that we, a group of 20-year-old novices, could compete against professional writers,” she explains. “I’m honestly amazed to see the impact of our work. It’s incredibly rewarding.” 

The non-profit groups who worked with the students are also appreciative. “It was a great experience,” says Juliet Najjumba, founder and CEO of Africano Waltham. “We are so grateful to Professor Atlas and the students for recognizing and supporting the needs of our community.” 

Adds Kaytie Dowcett, executive director of Waltham Partnership for Youth, the grant they received “was from a foundation we didn’t even have our eyes on until the students brought it to our attention. We’re incredibly excited and would absolutely partner with Joan and her students again.”