Harry Hayman Celebrates Cosmic Writers: Where Young Voices Become Authors in Philadelphia
Philadelphia philanthropist Harry Hayman and the Hayman Foundation reflect on the power of treating young writers with respect, dignity, and the unwavering belief that their words matter.
There are moments in philanthropy when Harry Hayman knows he and his family have found something special. Not just another program with good intentions, but an organization doing the quiet, essential work that changes lives. Cosmic Writers is one of those rare discoveries.
Founded by Rowana Miller, a University of Pennsylvania graduate who won the prestigious President’s Engagement Prize in 2022, Cosmic Writers doesn’t just teach kids how to write. The organization treats them like authors from day one—a subtle but profound difference that Harry Hayman has come to deeply appreciate through the Hayman Foundation’s partnership with the nonprofit.
More Than a Program: A Transformation
When a parent shares that their 10-year-old daughter, Emily, called Cosmic Coaching—the organization’s one-on-one mentorship program—“the best activity she has ever done,” Harry Hayman pays attention. That’s not just satisfaction. That’s transformation. That’s a young person discovering confidence, possibility, and the power of her own voice.
Emily’s mother wrote to Cosmic Writers leadership about her daughter’s experience: “My favorite part was Emily talking to someone who clearly has a passion for writing as much as Emily does, and being treated as an author from the get-go instead of like a little kid with a story… Overall, I think Emily learned more in 9 weeks about her passion than she has learned all throughout school.”
For Harry Hayman, testimonials like this capture exactly why the Hayman Foundation chose to support Cosmic Writers. This is what happens when you respect young people’s creativity, when you nurture their curiosity, and when you give them the tools and confidence to express themselves.
Building Something Rare in Philadelphia
What Rowana Miller and her team are building is increasingly rare in today’s educational landscape. At a time when creativity is too often sidelined in favor of standardized testing and rigid curricula, Cosmic Writers is creating spaces where imagination is not just welcomed—it’s celebrated and weaponized as a tool for growth.
The organization’s model is intentionally flexible and accessible. Cosmic Writers offers virtual workshops, in-person programs, one-on-one mentorships through Cosmic Coaching, and partnerships with schools and community organizations throughout Philadelphia and beyond. The nonprofit has expanded its reach to university partners in New Jersey and Michigan, always staffed by college-age instructors who bring dual passions for writing and teaching.
Harry Hayman recognizes the brilliance in this approach. By employing college students as instructors, Cosmic Writers not only provides meaningful work for young educators but also creates mentorship relationships that feel authentic and inspiring to the children they serve.
The Hayman Foundation’s Investment in Young Authors
The Hayman Foundation’s support of Cosmic Writers has already yielded measurable impact. Through sponsorship of the organization’s annual campaign events this fall, the partnership has generated more than $17,000 in direct donations, plus approximately $1,000 from ticket sales. Even more significantly, connections made at the Philadelphia event led to a referral to a new foundation partner interested in supporting a $10,000 program in 2026.
But for Harry Hayman, the numbers tell only part of the story. The real return on investment shows up in moments like these:
- A young immigrant from Cambodia, new to English, standing up at the Taggart School to share his illustrated story after weeks of working with a Cosmic Writers instructor
- Hundreds of students across Philadelphia participating in Halloween monster-building creative writing programs
- Emily and countless other young writers discovering that their words have power and that someone is listening
”That’s the purpose of Cosmic Writers: to teach writing skills in a way that makes kids feel respected, capable, and invigorated,” Rowana Miller wrote to the Hayman Foundation in her year-end update. Harry Hayman couldn’t agree more.
Why Harry Hayman Champions Creative Education
Throughout his career as a Philadelphia business leader and philanthropist, Harry Hayman has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to causes that strengthen communities and empower young people. From his work with the Feed Philly Coalition addressing food insecurity to his founding of the Philadelphia Jazz Experience preserving the city’s musical heritage, his philanthropic philosophy centers on creating sustainable, transformative change.
Supporting Cosmic Writers aligns perfectly with this vision. The organization doesn’t offer a quick fix or a feel-good moment. Instead, it invests in the long-term development of young people’s confidence, communication skills, and creative thinking—abilities that will serve them throughout their lives, regardless of whether they become professional writers.
Harry Hayman understands that literacy is about more than reading comprehension scores. It’s about giving young people the tools to express themselves, to process their experiences, to imagine different futures, and to believe that their perspectives matter. In a city where educational inequity remains a persistent challenge, Cosmic Writers is doing essential work to level the playing field.
The Power of Treating Children as Authors
What sets Cosmic Writers apart—and what resonates so deeply with Harry Hayman—is the fundamental respect the organization shows to young writers. Too often, children’s creative work is treated as cute or derivative, something to indulge rather than take seriously. Cosmic Writers takes the opposite approach.
When a child works with a Cosmic Writers instructor, they’re not just “a kid with a story.” They’re an author with a unique voice, specific interests, and stories worth telling. The curriculum is never one-size-fits-all. Instead, instructors like Cecilia, who worked with Emily, provide personalized attention and direction tailored to each young writer’s needs and passions.
This approach yields remarkable results. According to reports from The Philadelphia Citizen, ongoing research shows that creative writing education improves students’ overall literacy skills while building the self-confidence they need to thrive. But more than that, it gives them something precious: the belief that their imagination, their voice, and their stories matter.
Looking Toward the Future
As Cosmic Writers continues to grow under Rowana Miller’s visionary leadership, Harry Hayman and the Hayman Foundation remain committed partners in this work. The organization’s expansion to new university partners, its successful acquisition of city and state-level government funding from Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, and its partnerships with libraries and schools throughout the region all point to a sustainable model with enormous potential for impact.
Miller’s ultimate goal is ambitious but achievable: “For any school library or community organization in the country to be able to call us up and ask for a creative writing workshop. And for us to be able to send an instructor from the local university.”
For Harry Hayman, this vision represents exactly the kind of scalable, replicable model that philanthropy should support—one that doesn’t just serve individuals but creates systems and pathways that can benefit entire communities.
A Partnership Built on Shared Values
The partnership between Harry Hayman, the Hayman Foundation, and Cosmic Writers exemplifies what meaningful philanthropy looks like. It’s built on shared values: respect for young people, belief in the power of creativity, commitment to equity, and dedication to building something that lasts.
Rowana Miller’s gratitude to the Hayman family—Harry, Ruby, Ben, and others—reflects the collaborative spirit that makes this work possible. “Thank you so much for your and the Hayman Foundation’s support over the course of 2025,” she wrote. “It is a pleasure to work in partnership with you to bring creative writing education to kids throughout Philly and beyond.”
For Harry Hayman, the pleasure is mutual. Supporting leaders like Rowana Miller—who lead with heart, rigor, and an unwavering belief in the next generation—is exactly why he and his family established their foundation in the first place.
The Stories Yet to Be Written
As 2025 draws to a close, Harry Hayman finds himself reflecting on what Cosmic Writers represents: possibility, transformation, and hope. Every young person who walks into a Cosmic Writers workshop carries stories worth telling. Every child who sits down with a mentor like Cecilia discovers that their words have power.
In a world that too often tells young people—especially those from underserved communities—that their voices don’t matter, Cosmic Writers offers a radically different message: Your imagination is valuable. Your stories deserve to be heard. You are not just a kid with an idea—you are an author with something important to say.
Harry Hayman is genuinely honored to support this work and to stand alongside leaders like Rowana Miller who are doing the quiet, essential work of reminding young people that someone is listening, that their creativity matters, and that they have the power to write their own stories.
Here’s to Emily and the thousands of other young authors discovering their voices through Cosmic Writers. Here’s to the college instructors sharing their passion and expertise. Here’s to Rowana Miller and her team for building something truly special in Philadelphia.
And here’s to the stories yet to be written—and the young authors brave enough to write them.
To learn more about Cosmic Writers or to support their mission of bringing creative writing education to young people throughout Philadelphia and beyond, visit their website or contact Executive Director Rowana Miller at [email protected].
Harry Hayman is a Philadelphia-based philanthropist, hospitality leader, and social impact advocate. Through the Hayman Foundation and initiatives including the Feed Philly Coalition and the Philadelphia Jazz Experience, he works to strengthen communities and create lasting positive change throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.
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