The Palo Alto High School English Resource Center will be turned into a Writing Center that will provide help for writing essays and peer review, according to Paly librarian Rachel Kellerman.

The Writing Center is scheduled to open sometime in October, according to Principal Kim Diorio. The administration wants to provide the maximum amount of support for seniors who need help for college essays.

According to Kellerman, the idea to reinvent the ERC has been around since before the addition of Tutorial. Already, the first shipment of furniture has been set up.

Along with the new donated library furniture, the Writing Center has been set up for collaboration and discussion. The Writing Center will also be furnished with desktop computers and printers according to Diorio.

“We’re figuring out how to staff it, what we’re going to put in it and what we’re going to do with it,” Diorio said. “We want to give the space back to students.”

The Parent Teacher Student Association is supportive of the Writing Center, and the administration is trying to fix the past claims that English teachers are not as accessible. The Writing Center is a more focused ERC with longer hours and, unlike the ERC, will not be rented out for meetings.

“The whole goal is to get support when you need it,” Diorio said.

The Writing Center is currently scheduled to be open during 7th period and after school. After evaluating the budget, the school will decide if staffing during brunch and lunch is also possible. The goal is to have a constant clerical person to aid students and to have teachers in the breakroom be easily accessible to students.

“Reading and writing is in all departments, and there is so much room for collaboration,” Diorio said.