"IT'S OFFICIAL! Girls Write Now has received the 2009 Coming Up Taller Award from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. TODAY, at the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama presented the award to founder and executive director Maya Nussbaum and third-year Girls Write Now mentee Tina Gao. This award distingushes Girls Write Now as one of the top 15 youth arts and humanities organizations in the country." As you know, I'm the chair of the board of directors and Girls Write Now is a cause close to my heart. Visit www.girlswritenow.org for details on this breaking news and how you can help support the next generation of New York's best writers and future leaders.