What we do
The National Writing Project focuses the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of our nation’s educators on sustained efforts to improve writing and learning for all learners.
In 2017, 180 Writing Project sites, based in universities nationwide, prepared
3,000 new teacher leaders, who joined a network that worked with
100,000 educators in classrooms and other education spaces, and with
2,000 youth-serving practitioners in museums, libraries, national parks, youth programs, and more
to strengthen thinking and writing among more than 1.4M students (pre-K through college).
I have been involved with the Connecticut Writing Project for four consecutive years. My attraction to it stems from its focus on community, respect for a diversity of perspectives, and human rights advocacy.
I am an ESL teacher/coordinator at Bassick High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. As such, I work with high-school students who are newly arrived in the United States. Some of my students have little experience with school while others have had access to educational systems and programs for many years in their native countries. I assist English Learners with reading, writing, and speaking, all while teaching the culture surrounding their new language. I believe it is important for students to know the cultural implications of a question mark or why an author might place quotations around a phrase or sentence. In this way, students are practicing the mechanics of the English language while being exposed to the subtle nuances in modern discourse and the ways in which people function in their new environments. This style of teaching is what I believe gives students a chance to survive in a completely new world.
How we do it
In 2017, local Writing Project sites revitalized teachers and built their leadership skills through the core work of leadership institutes, on-site coaching, and local networks. Work with youth outside of school created learning experience labs for teachers while providing opportunities for young people to increase civic engagement through writing and connecting across disciplines.
How we do it
Supporting Teacher Leaders
Our core work identifies and supports great teacher leaders. Leadership institutes mix it up, bringing together experienced teachers of different disciplines and expanding the local cadre of teachers able to support their peers in pursuing educational excellence. Every year, inspired teachers then lead additional programs such as LRNG Innovators, Writing Our Future, and summer writing labs.
“The CAWP helped me find my voice as a teacher and writer. I started to tap into, nurture, and exercise my authority and expertise as a teacher.” — Monica Avila, Teacher-Consultant, Central Arizona Writing Project; Tempe, Arizona
NWP’s online networks, research, and national programs continue to support educators’ enormous creativity and youth civic engagement.
NWP is a valued resource for educators everywhere.
In 2017, 9,500 downloads from NWP Radio and 83,000 minutes of videos viewed sparked new conversations in classrooms.
Our news and resources reached 3.3M people on Twitter and
2.1M people on Facebook.
“The most important lesson: Not only are the kids going to be alright, they’re going to do a better job than we have.” — Skylar L. Primm, Teacher-Consultant, Greater Madison Writing Project; Madison, Wisconsin
Ubuntu: I am, because we are—it's a philosophy, a theoretical lens, a lifestyle, and a movement.
How we do it
Writing Outside of School
NWP is committed to supporting young people's writing and civic participation. Many Writing Project sites provide writing and publishing opportunities for young people through after-school, summer, and school-year programs. A number of sites have developed family literacy programs, multilingual family writing nights, and youth and community programs that focus on social action. National programs such as Writing Our Future, Civic Summer Writing Experience Labs (C-SWEL), and LRNG Innovators provide professional learning opportunities for educators interested in expanding their work with youth outside of school.
In 2017, 120 Writing Project sites in 44 states hosted after-school and/or summer writing experiences for young people.
These out-of-school writing opportunities served more than 35,000 youth and provided hands-on professional learning experiences for nearly
4,000 teachers as they connected family, youth, and community in public events that brought together more than
50,000 participants.
“One of the things I love most about writing with teenagers is their buy-in to this idea: that any time we create something new — a story, a poem, a song — we put something into the world that hasn’t been there before and this conjuring of our creativity is a kind of magic.” — Kim Culbertson, NWP Writers Council
Kids are eager to learn about the world around them...they love to share what they know; so writing activities for young learners should be tied to authentic experiences, whether read-alouds or science experiments or personal narratives.
I have been a teacher in the early elementary grades for 14 years in Tempe, Arizona. I love children and their thinking, their ideas, and their questions; I marvel at how they see the world. Kids are eager to learn about the world around them. They may not like formal writing assignments, but they love to share what they know; so writing activities for young learners should be tied to authentic experiences, whether read-alouds or science experiments or personal narratives.
Where we work
More than 180 university-based Writing Project sites connect teachers nationwide to networks, resources, and research.
Support for NWP is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, private foundations, corporations, universities, K-12 schools, local community programs, and individuals.