Discusses the Cross-Aged Literacy Program as a mediational agent to assist adolescents who struggle with reading, writing and schooling. Notes that the procedures and activities enable ninth-grade students to take the responsibility for the learning of younger children and thus themselves. (SG)

Describes a community project (based on Kenneth Koch's book "I Never Told Anybody") in which students in a ninth-grade English class paired up with nursing home residents, making regular visits to encourage them to write poetry. Discusses finding a place, getting ready, working together, and what students learned about writing poetry and about…