In the News

Tell Congress to Make the Write Decision (March 12, 2010)

Take Part
This op-ed writer says that the Obama Administration's 2011 budget proposal to consolidate a group of literacy programs might seem like an admirable goal, but it means the loss of vital programs, including the National Writing Project. More ›

“Winterim” Program Gives Young Pennsylvania Writers Creative Outlet (March 9, 2010)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Western Pennsylvania Writing Project co-sponsored the first Young Writers Institute's "Winterim," a creative writing program that involved theater, radio, computers, guitars, paint, and a very creative group of teachers. More ›

Six New Sites Added to NWP Network (March 1, 2010)

The National Writing Project announces the addition of six new sites, located in Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, and New York. More ›

Writing Project Inspires New York Times Writer (February 26, 2010)

The New York Times
Katherine Schulten, a teacher-consultant with the New York City Writing Project and a writer for The New York Times's blog The Learning Network, recalls how the NWP shaped her teaching style and her students' ability to "think in writing." More ›

Administration's 2011 Budget Request Eliminates Direct Funding for NWP (February 23, 2010)

NCTE urged its members to contact their legislators in support of NWP because the Obama administration's 2011 budget proposal consolidates funding for the NWP with that of five other literacy programs. More ›

Plymouth Writing Project (NH) and Founding Director Recognized (February 22, 2010)

The Citizen of Laconia
A $25,000 endowed Peterson Scholarship has been established at Plymouth State University, recognizing in particular Meg Petersen, a professor of English at Plymouth State University and founder of the Plymouth Writing Project. More ›

Ohio Teacher-Consultant Wins State Award (February 19, 2010)

Sun Star-Courier
Lynne Krug, a teacher-consultant with the National Writing Project at Kent State University, was named the 2010 Teacher of the Year runner-up. More ›

Effective Literacy Programs Lose Funding (February 16, 2010)

Education Week
Donalyn Miller, teacher-consultant with the North Star of Texas Writing Project, says on her Education Week blog that "we must fight to keep literacy programs that have been proven to work," such as the NWP. More ›

Arizona Summer Program to Feature “rl txt” (February 10, 2010)

Arizona State University News
The Central Arizona Writing Project is offering two summer sessions to teenagers this summer that focus on producing genuine writing, or "real texts," in a collaborative and non-evaluative environment. More ›

Obama Budget a Blueprint for Department of Education Overhaul (February 5, 2010)

Education Week
Education Week examines President Barack Obama's proposed $49.7 billion budget for the U.S. Department of Education, including how it might affect organizations such as the National Writing Project. More ›

Massachusetts Middle Schoolers Write Novels (February 3, 2010)

The Herald News
Working under the tutelage of Buzzards Bay Writing Project teacher-consultant Louise Brady, twelve students participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and churned out completed books. More ›

Writing Project Gives Nebraska Teachers Confidence (January 25, 2010)

Omaha World-Herald
The Oxbow Writing Project, a new writing project site located at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, is planning events for teachers to discuss effective and ineffective methods of classroom writing instruction. More ›

Help Your Child Build Writing Skills (January 13, 2010)

SchoolFamily.com
Shelbie Witte of the Florida State University Writing Project shares her list of practical strategies for helping children become better writers. More ›

New Art-Oriented High School in Philadelphia Praised (January 12, 2010)

The Philadelphia Inquirer
Led by principal Jessica Brown, who is also a Philadelphia Writing Project teacher-consultant, the new Arts Academy at Rush High School is receiving high marks for its academic focus, arts bent, and emphasis on technology and other 21st-century skills. More ›

Delaware Teacher Among Those Honored by White House (January 12, 2010)

University of Delaware College of Education & Public Policy
Jo Anne Pryor Deshon, Delaware Writing Project teacher-consultant, was among a select group of elementary school teachers awarded the 2008 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). More ›

Fifteen Questions for a Louisiana Teacher (January 8, 2010)

St. Tammany News
Jeralyn Spiehler, teacher-consultant with the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project, talks about the secrets of her teaching success and the classroom matters that have stayed the same over time. More ›

New York Teacher Helps Students Probe Beliefs (January 6, 2010)

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Inspired by a writing project workshop she attended, teacher-consultant and seventh-grade language arts teacher Danielle Norton-Hippert assigned her class to write about what exactly they believe. More ›

New York Tech Liaison Named Leader of the Year (December 21, 2009)

Tech & Learning
Tech & Learning named Paul Allison, New York City Writing Project technology liaison, a Leader of the Year for his work on Youth Voices, a school-based social network for students, and Teachers Teaching Teachers, a weekly podcast on teaching and learning in 21st century classrooms. More ›

Characters Most Welcome in New Jersey Classroom (December 16, 2009)

The Record
After attending workshops put on by the National Writing Project at Rutgers University and changing their approach to teaching, educators such as West Milford fifth-grade teacher Phyllis Blau say students are much more enthusiastic about writing. More ›

Teen Poets Give Teacher Hope for Central California City (December 9, 2009)

The Salinas Californian
Teacher-consultant Natalie Bernasconi writes a moving op-ed about Teen Salinas Slam, a poetry competition and open mic for teen poets, organized in part by the Central California Writing Project and local students. More ›

Arkansas Professor Finds Place for Teens’ Music in English Class (December 4, 2009)

The Colleague
Chris Goering, University of Arkansas assistant professor and site director of the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project, says discussing song lyrics in the classroom can help students connect in multiple, complex levels with traditional literature. More ›

Kansas City Teachers Become Students Again (December 3, 2009)

Sun Tribune
Teachers spent several days sharpening their own skills at a writer's workshop at the Northland Writing Academy, produced in partnership with the Greater Kansas City Writing Project. More ›

Lowcountry Teachers in South Carolina Do the “Write” Thing (November 26, 2009)

Post and Courier
The Lowcountry Writing Project is one of those "behind the scenes" organizations that makes living in Charleston a more enriching experience, according to local paper The Post and Courier. More ›

Teen Poetry Exposes Heart of Central California Neighborhood (November 23, 2009)

Monterey County Herald
Workshops co-sponsored by the Central California Writing Project allow teens from East Salinas to fight back against the realities of gang culture and violence—with words, with attitude, and with passion. More ›

Nation’s Most Promising Teen Writers Published in New Anthology (November 23, 2009)

StreetInsider.com
Highlighting the emerging talent of American teen writers, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers has released The Best Teen Writing of 2009, which features work from young writers, ages 12–18, and includes an introductory essay by Dr. Sharon J. Washington, NWP's executive director. More ›

The New Writing Pedagogy (November 23, 2009)

District Administration
Thanks to Web-based social networking tools, the next revision of writing pedagogy—one that emphasizes digital spaces, multimedia texts, global audiences, and linked conversations among passionate readers—may be upon us. Three NWP teacher-leaders are quoted. More ›

Mystery Writing Inspires West Tennessee Students (November 5, 2009)

Dyersburg State Gazette
The West Tennessee Writing Project, led by teacher-consultants Jenny Brandon and Becky Hasselle, hosted a Young Writers Clubhouse on Halloween, attracting many excited students from across the area. More ›

Arkansas Site Director Named English Teacher of the Year (November 3, 2009)

Log Cabin Democrat
Stephanie Vanderslice, associate professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas and site director of the Great Bear Writing Project, has been named Arkansas University English Teacher of the Year. More ›

Michigan Teacher Teaches by Example (October 26, 2009)

Petoskey News-Review
Teacher-leader Dan Polleys of the Red Cedar Writing Project credits the writing project for boosting his career and for allowing him to assume a greater leadership role as a teacher. More ›

Michigan Students Put Pen to Paper (October 22, 2009)

Monroe News
Students at Flat Rock High School took the time to write, write, and write some more as part of the National Day on Writing festivities on campus, sponsored by the Eastern Michigan Writing Project. More ›

California Families Write Together for National Day on Writing (October 21, 2009)

Manteca Bulletin
The Great Valley Writing Project held a Family Writing Night to celebrate the National Day on Writing, attracting dozens of parents and children who shared their creativity with each other. More ›

Rhode Island Students Let Words Fly in Writing Marathon (October 21, 2009)

Providence Journal
Dozens of fourth- and fifth-graders fanned out across the Rhode Island College campus on the National Day on Writing as part of a writing marathon organized by the Rhode Island Writing Project. More ›

New Mexico College Students Stop By to Write (October 21, 2009)

The Daily Times
San Juan College and the Bisti Writing Project organized a place for students to contribute their works online for the National Day on Writing. More ›

Texas Teachers Fill Hundreds of Sacks With Stories (October 20, 2009)

Standard-Times
In Texas, Pearl of the Concho Writing Project teacher-consultants gathered to fill 400 story sacks to encourage students to write on the National Day on Writing and beyond. More ›

Western Pennsylvania Writing Project Teachers Put Students in Spotlight (October 20, 2009)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Amy Rigsby and Marnie Arnold, Western Pennsylvania Writing Project teacher-consultants, were two of many teachers to help their students publish work in the National Gallery of Writing. More ›

Study Finds Arts Education Improves Graduation Rates (October 20, 2009)

findingDulcinea
A recent report found that schools offering the most arts education had the highest graduation rates. This article tells how parents and teachers can stimulate and nurture creativity before high school, including ideas from the NWP. More ›

Eastern Michigan Students to Celebrate National Day on Writing (October 18, 2009)

The Eastern Echo
On October 20, Eastern Michigan University will celebrate the National Day on Writing with an entire day of writing events that reflect the multitude of styles and types of writing students participate in. More ›

Teachers Are the Center of Education: Profiles of Eight Teachers (October 17, 2009)

Charleston Gazette
A new report, Teachers Are the Center of Education: Profiles of Eight Teachers, describes several accomplished teachers, including Seth Mitchell, a technology liaison with the Maine Writing Project. More ›

The Rhode Island Writing Project Celebrates the National Day on Writing (October 15, 2009)

The Anchor
A student newspaper editor at Rhode Island College reflects on what a writing marathon, hosted by the Rhode Island Writing Project to celebrate the National Day on Writing, means to her and the campus at large. More ›

World War II History Lesson Inspires Play in Indiana (October 2, 2009)

The Post-Tribune
The Northwest Indiana Writing Project is cosponsoring a presentation of Life in a Jar, a play written by a high school class. In the course of a history writing assignment, the class uncovered the story of a social worker in Poland who helped save thousands of children from the Nazis during World War II. More ›

Training Is Key to Schools’ Digital Media Use (September 25, 2009)

eSchool News
Teachers need high-quality professional development to engage students in learning through digital media, according to education experts invited to a September 21 Capitol Hill briefing, which included NWP Executive Director Dr. Sharon J. Washington. More ›

Western Massachusetts Writing Project Winners Share Knowledge (September 1, 2009)

The Republican
As part of the school system's effort to connect each grade's writing skills to the next, local teacher-consultants will share what they learned from the summer institute with their colleagues. More ›

New Jersey High School Looks to Writing Project for Improvement (August 27, 2009)

Warren Reporter
Eleven teachers from Warren Hills Regional High School were trained to implement the NWP model in all content areas, something administrators hope will result in "a strong emphasis on writing in areas other than English and social studies." More ›

Swamp Fox Writing Project Believes in Teachers Teaching Teachers (August 26, 2009)

SCNow.com
Since its inception ten years ago, more than 140 teachers from the Swamp Fox Writing Project in South Carolina have gone on to become school and district teacher leaders. More ›

Class on Writing Serves as Muse for Texas Teachers (August 24, 2009)

San Angelo Standard-Times
Teachers are entering the school season with a new view of writing after completing the summer institute at the Pearl of the Concho Writing Project in San Angelo, Texas. More ›

Young Central California Writers Explore “Magic” of Writing (August 19, 2009)

Salinas Californian
Twenty-six Salinas-area writers, ages 10 to 14, took part in the Central California Writing Project's Young Writers Camp 2009. Conducted with The National Steinbeck Center's Steinbeck Festival, the five-day conference aligned its theme to the festival's "Legends, Myth and Magic," which focused on Steinbeck's fascination with King Arthur. More ›

Get School Supplies Before Teachers Do! (August 18, 2009)

Marketplace
One school population segment is out shopping for the best deals at back-to-school sales. Commentator and San Marcos Writing Project teacher-consultant Allen Teng raised his hand to tell the public radio show Marketplace about it. More ›

SUNY Program Stokes Teachers' Passion for Written Word (August 2, 2009)

Elmira Star-Gazette
Teachers learn how to hone their writing skills as part the Seven Valleys Writing Project, which is in its second year. The program is free for teachers—even their textbooks are covered. More ›

Young Writers’ Camp Caps Third Year in California Cities (July 31, 2009)

Temecula Valley News
Students explore the writing, revising, and publishing process at Young Writers' Camp, which is part of the California State San Marcos Writing Project. More ›

Observation and Writing Nurture Critical Thinking (July 26, 2009)

Catherine LeMar, a teacher-consultant with the West Texas Writing Project, discusses the importance of developing observational skills as a foundation for critical thinking. More ›

Texas Teacher Emphasizes Reading and Writing in Early Years (July 25, 2009)

Bernadette Valenzuela, a teacher-consultant with the West Texas Writing Project, discusses the importance of early reading and writing and their role in school success. More ›

Indiana Writing Teachers Write (July 8, 2009)

South Bend Tribune
Teachers at the Hoosier Writing Project summer institute remember what it's like to be students as they help each other become better writers and, in the process, better teachers. More ›

Teachers Get Schooled in South Carolina (July 6, 2009)

The Herald
For the handful of teachers in the Winthrop Writing Project, summer is when class starts. Throughout June, educators gathered to work on becoming better writers and better writing teachers. More ›

Summer Writing Program Helps Central California Migrant Students Improve English (July 4, 2009)

The Record
Selected students in San Joaquin County, where more than one in five schoolchildren speak a language other than English at home, are improving their English skills at a Great Valley Writing Project summer writing camp. More ›

“Book Whisperer” Awakens the Inner Reader in Children (July 2, 2009)

The View from the Bay
Donalyn Miller, teacher-consultant with the North Star of Texas Writing Project and widely-read literacy expert, discusses her book, The Book Whisperer, during a recent tour around the country. More ›

Teachers Focus on Writing Skills at Four-Week University of Arkansas Invitational (July 1, 2009)

University of Arkansas Daily Headlines
Eleven Arkansas teachers have been invited to learn new strategies to improve their students' writing skills this summer during the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project invitational institute on the University of Arkansas campus. More ›

Arizona Teachers Learn to Be as Good as Their Words (June 26, 2009)

Arizona Daily Star
Teachers gather in Tuscon for the Southern Arizona Writing Project's summer institute to not only become better teachers and get "a taste of teaching paradise," but also to become better writers. More ›

South Carolina Teachers Develop Writing Strategies (June 20, 2009)

Aiken Standard
Teachers in South Carolina find common ground at the Aiken Writing Project's summer institute, where teachers develop writing strategies for their classrooms and become better writers themselves. More ›

Louisiana Students Engage in Downtown Writing Marathon (June 18, 2009)

The Daily Iberian
Teacher-consultants from the National Writing Project of Acadiana lead a group of elementary school students on a writing marathon through the "rich panoply of life on the Bayou Teche." More ›

Hawai`i Students Recognized for Writing Contest Entries (June 11, 2009)

Molokai Dispatch
A Hawai`i Writing Project teacher-consultant leads her students in a state writing contest. Some are chosen to read their pieces at the Hawai`i State Library. More ›

There Just Ain’t No Wrong Or Right Way To Talk (June 11, 2009)

Bristol Herald Courier
This newspaper column features Amy Clark, director of the Appalachian Writing Project, which recently won a $4,000 grant from the National Writing Project to study language patterns at public schools in southwestern Virginia. More ›

Mississippi Teacher Publishes Book of Weekly Columns (June 1, 2009)

The Greenwood Commonwealth
Connie Bunch, a teacher-consultant with the Alcorn Writing Project, has been publishing a weekly column, "Bless Your Heart," in a local newspaper for a year. She's collected those columns into a book that has just been published. More ›

Philadelphia Writing Project Teachers Create 'Classroom Buzz' (June 1, 2009)

The Philadelphia Writing Project is profiled for reframing the "achievement gap" by using writing to help teachers explore issues of social justice, language, and race. More ›

Teacher of the Year Creates Hunger to Learn (May 16, 2009)

The Bay Net
For her experience and desire to teach and instill children with a love for reading, teacher-consultant Janet Jones, a 33-year veteran educator with the Maryland Writing Project, earned the 2009 Charles County Public Schools Teacher of the Year award. More ›

Central Virginia Teacher Pens Adventure Book (May 13, 2009)

Altavista Journal
One year after taking part in the Central Virginia Writing Project, Mary R. Bailey finished a book titled Vhan Zeely and the Time Prevaricators. After finding a literary agent and a publisher on her first attempt, the book was printed. More ›

Indian Students in Texas Focus on Family Stories (May 12, 2009)

UTSA Today
The San Antonio Writing Project is putting on the Kahani Project, a literary endeavor in which Indian and other international students write family-oriented stories for public display. More ›

Spatial, Visual Rhetoric Meet New Media (May 5, 2009)

UANews
The First Year Writing Showcase, which incorporates teachings in writing and visual communication, began at the University of Arizona in 2007 and has since seen exponential growth in participation among UA students, faculty, and instructors. More ›

Louisiana Teen Wins National Poetry Award (May 1, 2009)

The Independent Weekly
Skyler Pham, a recent participant in the National Writing Project of Acadiana's invitational student writing retreat, was named the grand prize winner of the 2009 River of Words Poetry Contest sponsored by the Library of Congress' Center for the Book. More ›

Tampa Bay Writing Project Helps School Improve Scores (May 1, 2009)

St. Petersburg Times
After partnering with the Tampa Bay Writing Project, Richey Elementary went from one of the county's lowest-performing schools in writing to scoring above grade level on this year's state writing exam. More ›

Students and Community Explore Steinbeck, Writing, and Growing Up (April 30, 2009)

Salinas Californian
As part of the Steinbeck Young Authors Program, students from Central California paired up with community mentors for a Day of Writing at the National Steinbeck Center. Teacher-leader Natalie Bernasconi co-authored the curriculum and coached the mentors. More ›

Connecticut Students Write from a Different Point of View (April 25, 2009)

The Cheshire Herald
Each year, middle-schoolers from Dodd Middle School tackle a unique assignment designed to address perspective: they look at a piece of art and choose any aspect about which to write. The results are wonderfully creative. More ›

How One Professor Strives to Enrich Students’, Teachers’ Lives (April 23, 2009)

Daily Record
Professor Bobby Cummings, director of the Central Washington Writing Project, has made a name for herself by making writing central to Central Washington University. More ›

English Professor Remains Inspired by NWP (April 23, 2009)

The Spectator
After more than three decades at Chabot College, Dennis Chowenhill still counts working with NWP founder James Gray and attending the 1983 Bay Area Writing Project summer institute as major influences on his teaching. More ›

Investing in Writing to Win the Ed Race (April 22, 2009)

Teacher Magazine
Mary Tedrow, co-director of the Northern Virginia Writing Project, pens a column in Teacher Magazine describing the one thing she would change if she ran the education world: put at least one teacher trained through the National Writing Project in every school. More ›

The Write Kind of Teacher Training (March 17, 2009)

Washington DC Examiner
The National Writing Project has breathed new life into the lives and careers of thousands of teachers, and has the potential to transform whole schools and school systems, writes one teacher. Here is her story. More ›

The Writing Solution (March 10, 2009)

Washington DC Examiner
Teacher-consultant Erica Jacobs of the Northern Virginia Writing Project writes in the Washington DC Examiner about the link between reading and writing and the importance of writing communities. More ›

The National Commission on Writing Series of Reports: Letters to the President (March 1, 2009)

In an effort to focus national attention on the teaching and learning of writing, the College Board established the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges in September 2002. The Commission's latest in its series of reports is "Letters to the President: Students' Voices." More ›

Ten New Sites Join NWP Network (February 6, 2009)

With the addition of ten new writing project sites this spring, the NWP now partners with more than two hundred colleges and universities to offer professional development programs. More ›

Students Write Environmental Guidebook for Desert Newcomers (February 5, 2009)

Green Valley News & Sun
In a project sponsored by the Southern Arizona Writing Project, students from Tucson wrote essays and drew illustrations for a book titled Desert Living Is Different! to help explain desert life for new residents. More ›

Arkansas State University to Host Writing Project (January 26, 2009)

The Herald of Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University will join over 200 universities that are currently home to a National Writing Project site. It will host a summer writing institute for Northeast Arkansas teachers in order to develop them more as writers and to enhance their ability to teach writing. More ›

Letters to the President: Part of a Shifting Mindset in Education (January 23, 2009)

ZDNet
An article on ZDNet Education profiles Letters to the Next President, a project co-sponsored by NWP and Google, and details what Internet-based software could mean for education. More ›

Bronx Students Lend President Advice (January 22, 2009)

YourNabe.com
Students from Christopher Columbus High School published opinions on issues such as immigration, health care, and the New York City public schools through Letters to the Next President, a project co-sponsored by NWP and Google. More ›

Obama as Writing Role Model for Students (January 20, 2009)

The Washington DC Examiner
President Barack Obama's path of self-discovery through writing could lead to greater student interest in classroom writing, argues this opinion piece by a teacher-consultant with the Northern Virginia Writing Project. More ›

Young Writers Provide Thoughtful Insights in Letters to the Next President (January 9, 2009)

The Times of Trenton
Gene A. Budig, a former university president and member of the College Board's National Commission on Writing, calls the writing done by students in NWP and Google's Letters to the Next President project "amazing" and "important." More ›

Blogging in Place: Writing That Explores New Neighborhoods (January 7, 2009)

Edutopia
Teachers with the National Writing Project are combining place-based learning, project learning, and blogging to connect classrooms, provide an authentic audience for student writing, and prompt students to explore the world outside the schoolhouse doors. More ›

New England Teacher's Love of Words Brings Accolades (December 13, 2008)

The Redding Pilot
Jack Powers, a fellow with the Connecticut Writing Project - Fairfield, was recently named the New England Poet of the Year by the New England Association of Teachers of English (NEATE). More ›

Teaching Dynamo Brought Rigor to All Students (December 8, 2008)

Washington Post
This Washington Post column remembers teacher Bernie Glaze, a former co-director of the Northern Virginia Writing Project who worked tirelessly to find the hidden potential in students. More ›

Nebraska Kids Turn Despair to Hope (December 5, 2008)

York News-Times
Students at McCool High School have benefited from a Holocaust Literature class, offered at the school for the first time by Danielle Bethune, one of 20 teachers nationwide chosen by NWP's Rural Sites Network to attend the Memorial Library Summer Seminar on Holocaust Education in New York City. More ›

New Mexico Schools Benefit from Writing Project (November 20, 2008)

The Daily Times
San Juan County teachers in New Mexico are benefiting from the National Writing Project's professional development programs and its dedicated network of teachers. More ›

Utah Sophomore Urges President to Develop Alternative Sources of Energy (November 13, 2008)

Salt Lake Tribune
In a letter featured on the Letters to the Next President website, Utah sophomore Matt Kirkegaard writes that the United States should focus its energy policy more on generating wind and solar power. More ›

Can Technology Make Teens Better Writers? (November 11, 2008)

MSN Encarta
New technologies are broadening the types of writing students can produce and consume. This article quotes former NWP Executive Director Richard Sterling and highlights the digital storytelling work of the University of Maine Writing Project. More ›

Writing Leads to Deeper Learning, Study Finds (November 10, 2008)

USA Today
When college courses provide extensive, intellectually challenging writing activities, students engage in a variety of positive activities, according to a report from the National Survey of Student Engagement. More ›

Can MySpace Make Better Writers? (November 9, 2008)

Miami Herald
Some teachers are embracing social networking sites, text messaging, and blogs as a way to revive student interest in writing. Former NWP Executive Director Richard Sterling is quoted in the article. More ›

Florida Students Write Moving Letters to Next President (November 8, 2008)

Suncoast News
Most of them won't even be eligible to vote in 2012, but eighth-graders at Hudson Middle School took great interest in the just-completed presidential election. The students took part in "Letters to the Next President," a collaborative effort between the National Writing Project and Google. More ›

New York Students Pen Powerful Letters to President (November 7, 2008)

WABC-TV
As the new president transitions into office, he's going to receive a lot of advice. Some of it is coming from New York students participating in the Letters to the Next President project. More ›

Students Sound Off: New Mexico Teens Write to Winner of Election (November 4, 2008)

The Daily Times
No matter who emerges victorious in the presidential election, students at Bloomfield High School are letting the winner know what's on their mind, writing letters to the future commander-in-chief as part in the "Letters to the Next President: Writing Our Future" project. More ›

North Carolina Students Writing “Letters to the Next President” (November 4, 2008)

WNCT-TV Channel 9
In Beaufort County, students at Northeast Elementary are writing letters to their future president. The goal is to get students thinking about issues that are important to them and then telling the president how those issues should be solved. More ›

Maryland Teens Express Concerns to Next President (November 2, 2008)

Baltimore Sun
Students from Aberdeen, Maryland, tackle a host of tough subjects—war, child abuse, crime, racism, the environment—when crafting their arguments in the Letters to the Next President project. More ›

Global Classroom Projects Bring Together Children Who Are Worlds Apart (October 29, 2008)

USC Upstate Headline News
The Global Classroom Project, with help from the Spartanburg Writing Project, connects schools in South Carolina, South Africa, and California by having students share their multimedia digital stories and interact via video conferences. More ›

Dear Mr. President: American Students Tell Their Concerns to Future President (October 23, 2008)

Examiner.com
Students from all over the country worked with their teachers to write persuasive letters to the future president about issues and concerns that they feel are central to their future. More ›

Google Helps Kids Get Messages to Next President (October 23, 2008)

WebProNews
Google gets involved with the presidential race by teaming up with the National Writing Project to publish students' letters to the next president on a highly-visible website. More ›

Indiana Students Addicted to Writing (October 21, 2008)

The News and Tribune
Social networking literacy assignments designed by Paul Hankins, Indiana University Southeast Writing Project teacher-consultant, have his students writing and reading like never before. More ›

Pennsylvania Teacher Says Summer Institute 'Widened Horizons' (October 20, 2008)

The Sentinel
Courtney Moore, a single mother who participated in the Capital Area Writing Project's summer institute, learned plenty of new ideas about how to teach writing from her fellow teachers. More ›

Video Features Mississippi Students Writing Letters to the Next President (October 10, 2008)

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
A Tupelo High School class taught by Ellen Shelton, a teacher-consultant with the University of Mississippi Writing Project, was one of three schools nationwide chosen to be videotaped for taking part in Letters to the Next President: Writing Our Future, a joint project sponsored by NWP and Google. More ›

Writing Project Teacher Named Washington Teacher of the Year (October 9, 2008)

The Daily Record
Susan Johnson, a teacher-consultant with the Central Washington Writing Project, has been named Washington State Teacher of the Year. The Central Washington Writing Project, she said, "has had much to do with defining who I am as an educator." More ›

Nebraska Students Voice Concerns at letters2president.org (October 7, 2008)

Aurora News-Register
Cathie English, a teacher-consultant with the Nebraska Writing Project, said letters2president.org will serve as a voice for hundreds of students across the United States, including her own. The project is sponsored jointly by NWP and Google. More ›

Arizona Kids Write Book About the Desert (October 5, 2008)

Arizona Daily Star
Students from Tucson, Arizona, wrote essays and drew illustrations for a book titled Desert Living Is Different! to help explain desert life for new residents. The book is a project sponsored by the Southern Arizona Writing Project. More ›

Illinois Students Write Letters to Presidential Candidates (October 3, 2008)

The News-Gazette
Students from Urbana High School in Illinois are participating in NWP's Writing Our Future: Letters to the Next President project. The letters will be brought to the attention of Congress, and possibly the candidates themselves. More ›

Textbook Guides Teachers on Alexie and Racial Issues (September 24, 2008)

The Missoulian
Teachers are using Sherman Alexie in the Classroom, coauthored by Montana Writing Project Director Heather Bruce, to introduce the works of Alexie to students and help start discussions about Native American and racial issues. More ›

Writing Project Fellow Named Oklahoma Teacher of the Year (September 19, 2008)

The Oklahoman
Heather Sparks, a math teacher at Taft Middle School and a 1995 writing project fellow, was named the 2009 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year for her unwavering commitment to students and her innovative and effective teaching methods. More ›

Idaho Teachers Find Novel Ways to Engage Students in Writing (September 16, 2008)

Idaho Statesman
Jeffrey Wilhelm, former director of the Maine Writing Project, and other writing project fellows have contributed to an award-winning educational series called "The 10," which promotes deep analysis and constructive argument rather than passive consumption. More ›

Two Ozarks Teachers Give Students Insight into the Holocaust (September 15, 2008)

Springfield News Leader
In an opportunity made possible through the Rural Sites Network, two southwestern Missouri teacher-consultants attended a seminar on teaching about the Holocaust. They've developed a curriculum to help students understand such horrendous events, and now they're teaching other teachers what they've learned. More ›

Calling Young English Learners: Send Us Your Advice for the Candidates (September 15, 2008)

Voice of America
Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, NWP director of national programs and site development, discusses the writing project and Letters to the Next President on Voice of America's Wordmaster, a program about language and learning English. More ›

Experts Broaden Approach to Pre-K Literacy (September 15, 2008)

Education Daily
Educators and parents should allow children to tap into their creative and exploratory skills, said early childhood literacy experts at the Sept. 15 unveiling of Our Book By Us!, a children's activity book codeveloped by NWP. More ›

Scribbling: 2B or not 2B dats da Q (September 14, 2008)

El Paso Times
April Warren-Stene, a teacher-consultant with the West Texas Writing Project, laments the decline of pen and paper writing by teens and their reliance on text messaging. More ›

It's Critical to Learn How to Be Critical Thinkers (September 13, 2008)

El Paso Times
Elsa Treviño, a West Texas Writing Project teacher-consultant, worries that the current education system has cultivated a breed of apathetic learners who are told what to think. More ›

American Professor Shares Teaching Ideas in Malta (September 12, 2008)

timesofmalta.com
Lil Brannon, director of NWP's UNC Charlotte Writing Project, traveled to Malta to train a group of teachers on how to help their students be better writers, and how to train other teachers to develop teaching strategies. More ›

Oregon Teachers Dive Into Writing (August 28, 2008)

The West Linn Tidings
Teachers with the Oregon Writing Project at Lewis and Clark College learned "new ways to make writing happen" at this year's summer institute. More ›

Indianapolis Students Engaged in “Letters to the Next President” Campaign (August 28, 2008)

TheIndyChannel.com
Teacher-consultant Nikia Garland signed her students up for NWP's Letters to the Next President: Writing Our Future project, seeing the contest between Barack Obama and John McCain as a way to use current events to inspire her class. More ›

Education Week Spotlights Writing Project Success (August 25, 2008)

Education Week
The National Writing Project showcases writing as a tool to unlock students' critical thinking and analytical skills as much as their creativity. More ›

New School Supplies Offer Teachers Fresh Start (August 22, 2008)

The Buffalo News
Jessica Wagner, a first-grade teacher with the Western New York Writing Project, pens an essay reflecting on the wonders of the school year starting anew. More ›

North Carolina's Tar River Writing Project on the Radio (August 20, 2008)

WUNC
East Carolina University English Professor Will Banks and two educators who took part in the Tar River Writing Project's summer institute discuss why teachers need to hone their writing skills to be better teachers. More ›

Writing Very Useful Method for Learning Math, Other Subjects (August 15, 2008)

El Paso Times
Evangelina Rogers, a West Texas Writing Project teacher-consultant, says writing assignments such as journals, learning logs, and poetry in mathematics courses often ask students to apply currently studied concepts to concrete "real life" situations. More ›

Creative Writing Gets High Marks in Summer (August 13, 2008)

The Solon Times
A two-week writers camp, organized by the National Writing Project at Kent State University, culminated in a coffeehouse sharing of participants' work with families and friends, as well as a published anthology with writing from every camper. More ›

Michigan Children Paint Pictures with Words (August 8, 2008)

The Daily News
A summer camp put on by the Lake Michigan Writing Project taught kids how to improve their writing, including fiction and nonfiction. More ›

Writing Craft Deserves More Attention (August 8, 2008)

The Citizen
A high school principal in New York argues that writing deserves more attention in schools. He notes that the local Seven Valleys Writing Project is providing such attention and having a successful impact on teachers. More ›

Rural Educators Work to Strengthen Teaching about the Holocaust (August 7, 2008)

Riverdale Press
Partnering with the Holocaust Educators Network, NWP supported teacher-consultants from the Rural Sites Network to attend the Memorial Library Summer Seminar on Holocaust Education. The seminar aims to help teachers develop a comprehensive curriculum for teaching and writing about the Holocaust and other difficult issues. More ›

Northern Virginia Writing Project Institute Offers Tips for Teachers (August 6, 2008)

The Winchester Star
The 30th annual Northern Virginia Writing Project summer institute provided peer-to-peer professional development that teachers say will improve their teaching. More ›

UCLA Writing Project Strengthens Writing Skills for Korean Students (August 6, 2008)

UCLA International Institute
A group of 86 Korean students are enhancing their English reading and writing skills for four weeks through the UCLA Writing Project. More ›

Tar River Writing Project Inspires Teachers (August 4, 2008)

The Daily Reflector
With its array of warm-hued floor lamps, the home for the Tar River Writing Project feels more like a cozy writers' lair than a classroom. And that's by design. More ›

Eastern Illinois Institute Exposes Teachers to New Forms of Writing (August 1, 2008)

Journal Gazette
At the first summer institute of the Eastern Illinois Writing Project, teachers reported that they learned how to teach different styles of writing, and they built the kind of professional bonds that last a lifetime. More ›

Teacher Reflects on Candidates’ Education Platforms (August 1, 2008)

Los Angeles Times
Kate Applebee, Inland Area Writing Project teacher-consultant, writes in the Los Angeles Times that neither presidential candidate's proposed education solution can address underlying issues with the K–12 system. More ›

U.S. Ambassador Visits Malta’s Writing Process Schools (August 1, 2008)

timesofmalta.com
U.S. Ambassador Molly Bordonaro paid a visit to Vittoriosa and Mqabba primary schools, where she witnessed the progress in language development by the children and their families. The writing process schools are doing a three-year program with the Malta Writing Programme (MWP), an Associated International Site of the NWP. More ›

Lack of Correct Grammar Needs Our Full Attention (July 27, 2008)

El Paso Times
Ana Diaz, a high school English language arts teacher and a teacher-consultant for the West Texas Writing Project, says bilingual Americans have added pressure to use correct grammar. More ›

Loss of Arts in School Is a Loss for Young Minds (July 25, 2008)

El Paso Times
Torsten Knauerhase, an elementary school teacher and a teacher-consultant for the West Texas Writing Project, argues for providing students with the tools and opportunities to be creative and imaginative. More ›

Teachers Become Students—and Writers—at Arkansas Writing Program (July 24, 2008)

Northwest Arkansas Times
Teachers at the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project's summer institute work on a variety of writing exercises and experiment with writing different types of material. More ›

Writing Skills Promoted at San Marcos Camp (July 24, 2008)

The Californian
At the conclusion of a summer writing camp run by the San Marcos Writing Project, dozens of students shared the stage to read their works aloud. More ›

Seven Valleys Writing Project Teachers Write On, and Read (July 20, 2008)

The Post-Standard
Teachers enrolled in a summer institute with the Seven Valleys Writing Project (New York) get put on the spot when reading their own work. More ›

Students Benefit From Teachers’ Writing Project Experience (July 19, 2008)

The Minot Daily News
Teachers from the Northern Plains Writing Project say that what they learn from their summer institute experience carries into the classroom and ultimately helps the students themselves. More ›

Write To Keep Yourself Sane (July 19, 2008)

El Paso Times
Eric Ramos, a West Texas Writing Project teacher-consultant, lists the many reasons all of us should write. Above all, he emphasizes that to write is to be a writer. More ›

Teachers Battle Image Problem, Mistrust, Empowerment Gap (July 13, 2008)

El Paso Times
Jonna Perrillo, director of the West Texas Writing Project, explores the historical reasons why some leaders who have no "experience or expertise in the classroom" are chosen to head the state's education board. More ›

Building Vocabulary Promotes Thinking, Enhances Communication (July 12, 2008)

El Paso Times
West Texas Writing Project Teacher-Consultant Chrissy Beltran argues that the well-being of our society depends in part on childrens' ability to increase their vocabulary and use new words in their writing. More ›

Writing Can Make Learning Math Personal (July 12, 2008)

El Paso Times
Melinda Cofield, a math teacher and teacher-consultant with the West Texas Writing Project, contends that writing should be an integral part of teaching math. More ›

High Schoolers Take Writing to Next Level (July 12, 2008)

The Citizen of Laconia
The Plymouth Writing Project (New Hampshire) organized a two-week summer writing camp for high school students and topped it off with a public reading. More ›

Summer Institute Enriches South African Voices (July 11, 2008)

San Antonio Express-News
Three South African educators attended the San Antonio Writing Project's annual five-week summer institute on the teaching of writing. Now they'll return to South Africa and create the Limpopo Writing Project. More ›

With FIRE In Their Pens, Young Writers Hone Skill (July 8, 2008)

The Tampa Tribune
Young writers' camps hosted by the Tampa Bay Area Writing Project prove to be so popular they have expanded into three cities. More ›

Writing Program Inspires Participants to Go Beyond Basics (July 5, 2008)

The Huntsville Item
A Sam Houston Writing Project creative writing program for third through eighth grade students has sent home 34 participants with the inspiration to go above and beyond the basics of Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) testing. More ›

Teacher-Consultant Helps Young Writers Find Their Voice (June 26, 2008)

Sacramento Bee
Cheri Olmstead of the Area 3 Writing Project (California) oversaw an eight-month writing project that allowed three girls to write, revise, edit, and eventually publish their own books. More ›

Writing Program Gives Kids a Creative Start (June 26, 2008)

The Aiken Standard
The Young Writers Camp put on by the Aiken Writing Project (South Carolina) stretches the limits of students' creativity. More ›

Getting to Know Sharon Washington (June 26, 2008)

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education profiles NWP's executive director, Sharon Washington, and reviews her two-decade career and commitment to social justice. More ›

Aiken Writing Project Opens Doors for Teachers (June 25, 2008)

The Aiken Standard
Teachers at the Aiken Writing Project in South Carolina are finding that the summer institute is showing them how to be "more inclusive and authentic in the teaching of writing." More ›

Educators Test the Limits of Twitter Microblogging Tool (June 25, 2008)

Education Week's Digital Directions
The "microblogging" and social-networking website Twitter has begun to capture the attention of educators, including New York City Writing Project Technology Liaison Paul Allison, who built his own site, Youth Twitter. More ›

Nueva herramienta bilingüe para enseñar a escribir y leer a los niños (June 22, 2008)

La Raza
La Raza introduce el libro Nuestro Libro ¡Hecho Por Nosotros! El libro es particionado por el National Writing Project con la colaboración de otras dos organizaciones. El artículo explica como el libro promociona la literatura e ayuda a los padres hispano hablantes para que sus niños lean y escriban más temprano en la niñez. More ›

Tri-State Teachers Sharpen Writing Skills Over Summer (June 19, 2008)

The Herald-Dispatch
After only a week-and-a-half into the summer institute at the Marshall University Writing Project, teachers there say the program has improved their writing and teaching. More ›

Student Book Recalls North Dakota Tornado (June 19, 2008)

Grand Forks Herald
Students of Sarah Burger, a teacher-consultant with the Red River Valley Writing Project (ND), compiled a book of their personal writing about the tornado that devastated the town. More ›

Former Site Director Discusses Summer Reading and Teaching Writing (June 11, 2008)

Bloomberg
Bruce Penniman, former site director of the Western Massachusetts Writing Project and a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, talks with Bloomberg's Tom Keene about summer reading for students and teaching writing. More ›

Maine Writes a New Ed-Tech Success Story (June 2, 2008)

eSchoolNews
Maine's decision to provide every student with a laptop has created a number of positive outcomes: equity of access, increased attention to professional development, as well as improved standardized test scores. Sharon Bowman, a teacher-consultant with the Maine Writing Project, is featured in this article. More ›

Zero-Thumb Game: How to Tame Texting (May 28, 2008)

Edutopia
Writing project teachers weigh in on how to harness the popularity of text messaging among teens to generate interest in academic subjects and writing in general. More ›

Nebraska Students Find a Place in Poetry (May 2, 2008)

Grand Island Independent
Assigned to write poems as part of a class assignment sponsored by the Nebraska Writing Project, some student poets were selected to read their poetry at the state capitol. More ›

North Dakota Senator Praises the Writing Project (April 18, 2008)

KXMB
North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad emphasizes the importance of reading and writing—and the role the Northern Plains Writing Project plays in helping teachers teach writing more effectively. More ›

Site Director Responds to Gender Gap in Writing (April 7, 2008)

Education Daily
In this Ed Daily piece examining results that show NAEP scores for boys lagging behind those for girls in writing, Mary Buckelew of the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project offers suggestions for closing the gap. More ›

Illinois Teachers Emphasize Writing—and Get Results (April 7, 2008)

Illinois educators note that though writing isn't tested under No Child Left Behind, they have made sure it's a priority. That emphasis paid off: Illinois eighth-graders outperformed most of their peers around the country in NAEP's 2007 report. More ›

State Superintendent Credits Wyoming Writing Project for Boost (April 4, 2008)

Casper Star-Tribune
Wyoming students outscored the U.S. national average on the National Assessment of Educational Progress's 2007 writing test for the first time. The state superintendent said that professional development provided by Wyoming Writing Project teachers played a key role in improving student writing. More ›

ELL Network Leader Named Teacher of the Year (April 3, 2008)

Centre View North
Michelle Ohanian, a co-chair of the ELL Network Leadership Team and teacher-consultant with the Northern Virginia Writing Project, was named Fairfax County Public Schools 2008 Teacher of the Year. More ›

Writing Project Rewards Teachers for Local Efforts (March 31, 2008)

Pocono Record
Four teachers from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writing Project received awards for their innovative work in the classroom. More ›

NWP Head Links Writing to Community Development (March 3, 2008)

Education Daily
In this interview published in Education Daily, NWP's Executive Director Sharon Washington discusses her professional background and connects the work of the writing project to her passion for helping all young people succeed. More ›

Oregon Students Get Busy Writing on Bird Day (March 3, 2008)

Argus Observer
The Oregon Writing Project teamed up with a local elementary school to put on Bird Day, a day devoted to learning about birds—with an emphasis on writing. More ›

Writing Project Teacher’s Podcast Club Featured on TV (February 26, 2008)

WIVB
Kristen Frawley, Western New York Writing Project teacher-consultant, was featured on a local TV station news story titled "Cool 4 School: West Seneca East Elementary Podcasts" for her work with elementary students on podcasting. More ›

Top Teacher Chronicles Pursuit of National Board Certification (February 17, 2008)

Washington Post Magazine
After a year of intensive study, Emmet Rosenfeld of the Northen Virginia Writing Project missed national certification by 10 points. Rosenfeld is undeterred, however. He aims to reach the highest level of the profession. More ›

Eleven New Sites Added to NWP Network (February 14, 2008)

Eleven new sites have joined NWP's network—helping the NWP move toward a goal of putting a writing project within reach of every teacher. More ›

Elementary School Students Become Published Authors (February 12, 2008)

The Daily News
Michigan elementary school children became published authors thanks to grants from the Belding Area Schools and the Lake Michigan Writing project. More ›

University Inspires Passion for Teaching Writing (February 11, 2008)

The News-Gazette
With a grant from the National Writing Project, the University of Illinois is launching its own writing project site, starting with a monthlong collaborative writing course for about 20 area teachers. More ›

Mississippi Students Take to the Airwaves (February 10, 2008)

Starkville Daily News
Twice a day, the voices of Mississippi's students and teachers hit the airwaves as part of the Mississippi Writing/Thinking Institute's Rural Voices Radio program. More ›

Getting It Just Write (January 20, 2008)

The Washington Times
In an age of high-tech communications and declining newspaper sales, it may seem as if good writing is a thing of the past. But Richard Sterling, executive director emeritus of the National Writing Project, says cutting-edge technology—contrary to what some might think—has only improved writing. More ›

Putting the “Quality” into Professional Development (January 8, 2008)

The NWP is hosting a forum on Capitol Hill to explore what kinds of professional support are successful in retaining teachers, benefiting students, and improving the larger educational landscape. More ›

Bridging Gaps, Telling Stories (December 5, 2007)

Ancestry Magazine
Motivated by a coworker's loss of her grandmother, Cathie English of the Nebraska Writing Project started the Aurora High School Oral History Project, teaching her students the valuable art of chronicling life stories. More ›

Writing Project Site Hosts Classroom Technology Conference (November 15, 2007)

The New Paltz Oracle
The Hudson Valley Writing Project hosted a conference called "Beyond the Web: Connecting to the World," focusing on the use of blogs, wikis, and digital storytelling in the classroom. More ›

Putting the “Author” in “Authority” (November 2, 2007)

Eureka Reporter
In this issue of his monthly column for the Eureka Reporter, Bob Sizoo of the Redwood Writing Project tells how he inspires students by revealing that they can gain authority over their lives through writing. More ›

New Thinking on Staff Development (October 25, 2007)

Teacher Magazine
The success of the National Writing Project model is noted in this article from Teacher Magazine that discusses how ideas about what makes high-quality professional development have changed over the years. More ›

Heartland Teacher Named 'Teacher of Excellence' (May 29, 2007)

York News-Times
Sharon Bishop, co-director of the Nebraska Writing Project, was named the 2006 NCTE NELAC Teacher of Excellence, adding another award to her distinguished career. More ›

Images Help Focus Young Writers (May 6, 2007)

Central Maine Morning Sentinel
Organized by teachers in the Maine Writing Project, the Digital Storytelling Festival allowed students to use multimedia presentations to tell their own stories. More ›

Cochran, Rockefeller Introduce National Writing Project Act (March 29, 2007)

American Chronicle
Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced legislation to reauthorize a program focused on improving writing education. More ›

Her Class Brings Out Tears, Laughter (February 14, 2007)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Nancy Addy, co-director of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project, is winning students over with a thought-provoking class that produces powerful writing. More ›

Students Freed to Dabble in Creative Waters (February 2, 2007)

St. Petersburg Times
A writing program at Weightman Middle gives them a fresh approach to the essay portion of Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). More ›

Eight New Sites Added to NWP Network (January 29, 2007)

The National Writing Project welcomes eight new sites into its network this year, a network that now numbers 197 sites and spans 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More ›

Schools Emphasize Writing, Even in Math Class (November 1, 2006)

NPR
More high schools around the country are emphasizing the need for all students to be good writers. In Indianapolis, some math teachers are even integrating lessons about writing into their teaching. More ›

An Interview with Ralph Fletcher: On Boys Writing (October 23, 2006)

EdNews.org
An interview with Ralph Fletcher, who discusses his latest book, Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices. More ›

Report Presents Effective Strategies to Improve Writing (October 1, 2006)

The Writing Next report analyzes eleven specific teaching techniques that research suggests will help improve the writing abilities of students, grades 4-12. More ›

Teachers Fired Up After Attending Summer Writing Institute (August 15, 2006)

Benton County Daily Record
"The true beneficiaries of my work here this summer will be my students," said Jennifer Jennings Davis, a junior English teacher at Van Buren High School in Arkansas." More ›

Teachers Postpone Fun in the Sun to Improve Student Writing (August 2, 2006)

Winston County Journal
Local teachers are spending four weeks studying teaching strategies that improve the way students of all ages write and learn. More ›

Workshop Helps Make Writing More Fun (March 6, 2006)

The Record
In this summer program, students learn that creating videos and slide shows can help them express the things they want to say, making writing more enjoyable in the process. More ›

Six New Sites Added to NWP Network (March 1, 2006)

The National Writing Project welcomes six new sites into its network this year, a network that now numbers 195 sites and spans 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. More ›

Wyoming Writing Project Teacher Speaks to U.S. Senate Committee (February 16, 2006)

Carrie Langston, teacher-leader with the Wyoming Writing Project and a teacher at Chugwater High School in Chugwater, Wyoming, spoke before a U.S. Senate committee on motivating and educating students. More ›

Teacher Quality: Teachers Teaching Teachers (December 22, 2005)

Rethinking Schools
When high school language arts teachers in Portland were asked which professional development programs had the greatest impact on their students' learning, they overwhelmingly named the Portland Writing Project, the Summer Literacy Curriculum Camp, and the Professional Development Days — which were all led by classroom teachers. More ›

House Committee Recommends Continued Funding of NWP (June 9, 2005)

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education approved $56.7 billion in education spending recommendations for the next fiscal year, including $20.34 million for the National Writing Project. More ›

Expanding the Reach of Education Reforms: Scaling Up and Scaling Down (October 15, 2004)

NWP contributed a chapter to Expanding the Reach of Education Reforms, a new book from the RAND Corporation featuring education reform programs that have supported successful scale-up efforts. More ›

Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out (September 1, 2004)

In its second landmark report, the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges, calls writing a "threshold skill" for salaried employment and promotion. More ›

Quarterly Article Wins SNAP Award (June 18, 2004)

"Tolerating Intolerance: Resisting the Urge to Silence Student Opinion in the Writing Classroom," published in the Winter 2003 issue of The Quarterly, was honored at the Society of National Association Publications (SNAP) EXCEL Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. More ›

Testimony to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (March 23, 2004)

NWP Executive Director Richard Sterling and Barbara Simons Smith, a teacher-consultant with the National Writing Project at Kent State University, testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education on the importance of a continued federal investment in the National Writing Project. More ›

National Commission on Writing Honors Senators Byrd and Cochran (February 1, 2004)

Senators Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Thad Cochran (R-MS), both long-time supporters of the National Writing Project, were honored by a national commission in January 2004 for their extraordinary support of the teaching of writing. More ›

National Writing Project Statement on the 2002 NAEP Writing Report (September 1, 2003)

Results from the 2002 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Writing give cause for guarded optimism. Average writing scores for fourth- and eighth-graders increased between 1998 and 2002, while scores for twelfth-graders remained about the same. In addition, student exposure to many of the teaching and learning strategies fostered by NWP sites correlated with higher average scores on the NAEP. More ›

Students Make Their Case in Colorado ()

Edutopia
While their fellow students in schools around the country hunkered down over traditional final exams, ninth-graders at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado, took part in a spirited year-end conversation about literature, technology, and civil liberties. More ›

National Writing Project and Google Team Up for Students’ Writing ()

College Board Connection
NWP Executive Director Sharon J. Washington discusses students' concerns for the world as demonstrated by their participation in the Letters to the Next President project. More ›