Story Pirates was founded in 2003 to bring arts and literacy programs to under-resourced New York City public schools and has since expanded to Los Angeles in the 2010-2011 school year. The organization offers a variety of in-school and after-school programs to schools. The in-school Play/Write program, its cornerstone curriculum, encourages student interest in creative writing. The program begins with the Greatest Hits Show, an hour-long performance of original student work from past Play/Write events. Students then participate in a series of writing workshops to develop new stories. The program concludes with a performance of brand new stories from the workshop.

To create confident, literate students equipped with a variety of tools for written, verbal, and artistic expression and to improve the relevance and effectiveness of in-school learning.

Story Pirates visits more than 150 schools each year, and has reached hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. Teachers have reported that, through the workshops, their students become more engaged in learning. The Play/Write program teaches kids storytelling fundamentals and encourages them to express their ideas and share their work.