When we connect to the stories of our past,
we are able to build our dreams for the future.
It's the Appalachian way.

The Origin Project was co-founded in 2012 by author Adriana Trigiani and Executive Director, the late Nancy Bolmeier Fisher. TOP is a year-round,

in-school writing program that encourages students to find their voices as they write their stories of origin.

Each student is provided with a journal at the beginning of the school year where they are encouraged to record their ideas and observations. They learn to see the world around them, connecting thought to emotion. Over the course of the year, they craft an origin story about their Virginia roots in the genre of their choice: poem, play, essay, or interview. Their work is published in the annual anthology.

As they write, our students attend TOP seminars, state writing festivals and meet published authors. They participate in TOP sponsored field trips to museums, universities and the Library of Virginia in Richmond.

They celebrate the history, music, theater, and literature of the Commonwealth through the written word. Their final projects are presented in assembly because community has been essential to their process.

You will see the depth of talent and vision brought to the page by our students. We believe when young writers connect to the stories of history, they are able to build their dreams for the future.