Write the World Launches Clara: An AI Writing Assistant for Teens and Schools
Write the World, a global nonprofit focused on developing writing and critical thinking skills for teenagers, has introduced Clara, an AI writing assistant for students aged 13 to 19. Unlike AI tools that generate text, Clara uses question-based prompts to support students’ creativity and critical thinking while keeping their unique voice intact.
Clara is available on the Write the World platform and employs a Socratic approach. It guides students by asking targeted questions that encourage reflection, organization, and analysis. This helps students develop and refine ideas, structure their work, and improve clarity and coherence.
Encouraging Authentic Writing and Critical Thinking
Brittany Collins, Director of Education at Write the World, explains, “Clara supports teen writers by bringing out their creativity and unique voice. It’s a writing companion that asks relevant, personalized questions to promote metacognition, analytical thinking, and creativity.” The tool empowers teens to become authentic, confident, and competent writers by prompting them to think deeply rather than outsourcing their writing.
Feedback That Builds Writing Confidence
Clara interacts directly with students’ drafts, offering prompts like, “What specific emotions or themes do you want to evoke with this setting?” or “How do you plan to support your analysis with examples from the text?” It supports brainstorming, drafting, research, and revision across various writing types — from essays and reports to creative writing and journalism.
The assistant focuses on improving structure, audience connection, grammar, tone, and flow without writing the content for the student. Benjamin Klieger, who created Clara while at Stanford University Online High School, shares that the tool was developed to fill gaps in timely feedback.
“Instead of being an infallible source of answers, you can critically engage in a dialogue with Clara and push back on its feedback,” says Klieger. Over 200 teens tested Clara in pilot programs and reported it helped them think more deeply and improve their writing.
Classroom Version for Schools
Write the World also offers Clara for Classrooms through a subscription model for middle and high schools. This version integrates with Google Docs, allowing teachers to provide differentiated support while spending less time on grading.
Clara can be used across multiple subjects and assignment types, from personal narratives to science reports, helping teachers support diverse writing needs efficiently.
David Weinstein, founder of Write the World, notes, “Teachers are figuring out how to use AI tools as resources that spur creativity and authentic ideas while preventing cognitive outsourcing to technology. Clara returns the thinking and writing process to the student’s own experience.”
He adds, “Clara unlocks the authentic voices of teen writers, helps them become critical thinkers, and promotes ethical values for AI use throughout the learning process.”
This approach can be valuable for writers and educators interested in AI tools that encourage independent thinking rather than replacing the writing process. For those looking to explore AI tools that support writing without replacing the writer’s voice, Clara offers a practical example worth watching.
Your membership also unlocks:
