Each year Wordsmiths includes a maximum of ten students from 8th-12th grade. These students work hard. Some hope to be writers, while others hope to be doctors or engineers or professors. What they all have in common is that they love learning.

All Wordsmiths students either live in the Birmingham city limits or attend school systems where more than 60 percent of students receive free or reduced price lunch. Those who complete the program receive a $1,000 scholarship to the college of their choice. Students are eligible to apply to Wordsmiths for multiple years, with the possibility of up to $5,000 in scholarship money.

For students who are interested, they’ll also receive help with standardized test preparation and help with the college process.