After eight weeks of exchanging handwritten letters, students in the After School Enrichment Program (ASEP) at Lansdowne Elementary School and Polo Ridge Elementary School met their pen pals face‑to‑face during a Pen Pal Meetup Celebration at Colonel Francis Beatty Park.

The Pen Pal Program offered students a return to the basics in a digital‑first world: putting pen to paper to express themselves through writing and practicing patience in building connections. The initiative helped strengthen students' literacy skills while encouraging friendships extending beyond their own schools.

At the meetup, pairs of pen pals were called together for in-person introductions.  

“You saw the joy, you saw some shyness,” said Janet Harrison, ASEP area supervisor. “It was a great opportunity for students to get back to something we’ve lost — the art of writing."

Harrison was inspired to launch the pilot program by the positive experience she gained having a pen pal when she was a student. 

"Everything is digital, everything is social media, but now, students are learning the basics of letter writing,” said Harrison.

“I felt like weeks before I met her, I knew her already,” said Chaunell Holmes, fifth grade student at Lansdowne Elementary. 

The meetup included a picnic lunch and plenty of time for students to talk in person and enjoy the playground.