Word Street was founded on January 28, 2004 in a classroom (A119) at Lee Middle & High School in the form of an after-school writing program. Every Wednesday the students of Lee, about fifteen or so, remained after school to write stories, poems, plays, newspaper editorials, and to make 'zines. Their enthusiasm for writing urged Word Street's founder, Frank Tempone, to explore the viability of such a writing center for Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Frank met with Carter White, then Vice President of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, to open a fund that would serve as a 501(c)(3) umbrella for Word Street. This enabled the organization to begin taking tax-deductible donations.
Soon after, Word Street secured an agreement with Mr. Ronald Latham and the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts' public library, to occupy space in its Young Adult Library twice a week from 3-6PM. Volunteers found out about us, came forward, and allowed us to expand our services to a local middle school and an elementary school.
In May 2004, Word Street met with Mrs. Norma Ruffer through a local arts organization called the Storefront Artist Project, a group of artists, led by Maggie Mailer, who occupy storefronts in downtown Pittsfield with the hope of attracting local business while beautifying the city and promoting the arts. Mrs. Ruffer offered the space at 163 North Street, Pittsfield, rent-free so that Word Street could get on its feet financially and concentrate on the task of providing free reading and writing services to area youth.
Today Word Street has a volunteer staff of about thirty dedicated writers and teachers who love working with young people. The Writing Center has a library, a hi-speed internet computer lab, quiet comfortable spaces to work and study, and a publishing center where young people can discover their voices and a lifelong love for language and literature.