As the 2024 election cycle brings up complicated emotions for many, a new project from the nonprofit YpsiWrites offers innovative resources for "Engaging With Democracy Through Writing."

"We really try to be responsive as an organization to the interests and needs of the community," says YpsiWrites founder Ann Blakeslee. "Since there’s been so much conversation this election cycle about democracy, it seemed like a good and effective idea to engage with the concept through writing."

The organization's new project, funded by a grant from Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) Jiu-Hwa Lo Upshur Institute for Civic Education (UICE), will consist of three separate sets of writing materials and resources developed by three teams of community members, teachers, and students, all approaching the concept of democracy in unique ways. Once complete, those materials will be available to pick up at Ypsilanti Community Schools (YCS), EMU, and Ypsilanti District Library branches. 
 Doug Coombe"Engaging With Democracy Through Writing" project contributor Melissa Brooks-Yip.
"This project creates space for community members to develop their writing skills in the context of real-world civic issues, which is invaluable for fostering informed and active citizenship," project contributor Melissa Brooks-Yip says in an email. "In the current political climate, where misinformation and polarization are significant challenges, projects like this that encourage thoughtful, informed, and respectful civic discourse are more important than ever."

YpsiWrites also has plans to hold workshops and construct public-facing displays to celebrate the project and the writers involved, similar to YpsiWrites' ongoing Love Letters to Ypsi project. 

"No matter what happens in this election, we hope writing will be a way for community members to engage with these questions no matter what age they are," says YpsiWrites Programs and Partnerships Director Kristine Gatchel. "Our teams are making resources that are multigenerational, and can exist in perpetuity for community members to use."
Doug CoombeYpsiWrites Programs and Partnerships Director Kristine Gatchel.
Blakeslee explains that she’d reached out to some of YpsiWrites’ colleagues and previous contributors to gauge interest in the project. Gatchel says surveys and focus groups were held last year to determine exactly what the project could look like. Those discussions ultimately led to partnerships with YCS and Wayne RESA, as well as the formation of three teams of local writers who are developing the project’s public materials.

"We wanted it to be community-driven," Blakeslee says. "We’re providing logistical support to put the materials together and make sure they address state education standards, but our teams are the ones developing materials and taking ownership over them."

The first team’s materials are nearly complete, according to Blakeslee and Gatchel, and will be available at YpsiWrites’ upcoming 5th Birthday Celebration on Oct. 26. The second and third teams are aiming to have their materials distributed in January and April of 2025, respectively.  
Doug Coombe"Engaging With Democracy Through Writing" project contributor Angelica Esquivel.
"I often ask myself as a writer: How can we use the written word to work toward a more just and equitable society? And what are the limitations of the written word?" says project contributor and Angelica Esquivel, a past honoree of YpsiWrites' Writers of Ypsilanti program. "There are still so many factors that prevent people from having a voice in their government, and this project encourages people of all ages to think deeply and engage with the politics of the world around us."

Esquivel says her team, made up of herself, fellow Writer of Ypsilanti honoree Lisa-Erika James, and community member L Tantay, is working to "expand on the idea of what writing is." They're developing activities like zine-making, a card game, and acting exercises. Esquivel hopes these nontraditional methods of writing will allow individuals to explore their personal relationships with democracy in "new, engaging ways." 

Both Esquivel and Brooks-Yip say their experience with the project has been joyful and very informative.

"I’ve been learning so much from my teammates, and collaborating with them feels like a kind of mini-democracy in action," Esquivel says. "My experience has been really fun. All of our voices are heard and we all give equal input."
Doug CoombeAngelica Esquivel, Ann Blakeslee, Melissa Brooks-Yip, and Kristine Gatchel.
"My experience working on this project has been fun and rewarding," Brooks-Yip adds. "I’ve gained new insights into the challenges and opportunities promoting democratic participation at the local level, and seeing the work foster authentic writing opportunities in the community has made it all worthwhile."

Both Blakeslee and Gatchel say they're allowing team members to take things into their own hands when developing their project materials.

"The ownership that each team has taken and the initiative we’ve seen so far has been incredible," Blakeslee says. "It’s really gratifying to see that."
Doug CoombeYpsiWrites founder Ann Blakeslee.
Blakeslee says she and the rest of the YpsiWrites team want the project to live on with materials that could be reused and updated in years to come. She hopes that working closely with YCS as well as Wayne RESA will continue to open up new partnerships for YpsiWrites.

"This is something I imagine will be ongoing," Blakeslee says. "We want to marry different resources in the community. Collaboration is so valuable and beneficial to a project like this."

To keep up to date with YpsiWrites and its upcoming events, visit ypsiwrites.com or the organization’s Facebook page.

Rylee Barnsdale is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. She wants to use her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.

All photos by Doug Coombe.