This report describes a program which grew out of a study that explored writing and literacy skills in Anglo, Black, and Hispanic high school students in North Philadelphia. Section One describes writing in the lives of adolescents as viewed within the home, community, noninstitutional, and broader sociopolitical settings. Particular emphasis is given to ethnographic data collected and used to identify and describe sociocultural factors affecting students' writing both in the community and in the school. Themes related to literacy, such as bilingualism, bidialectalism, informal language, and the role of writing in the workplace, are also discussed. Section Two focuses on writing in the classroom as it is viewed by educators. Educational strategies that were developed and employed to teach functional writing to urban students are detailed. The introduction of music to the writing curriculum is described as one of the major strategies implemented. Other ways that ethnographers can share their complementary approaches to develop and enhance students' literacy skills are stressed. The report's conclusion focuses on the integration of school and social relationships in the successful development of writing and all learning skills. The text is followed by an extensive bibliography; several case studies of Anglo, Black, and Hispanic learners/writers; and samples of writing from community and school contexts. (CJM)