Program Design

A Year of Action Research: An Adaptable Model

Summary: This advanced institute program overview from the Lake Michigan Writing Project could be a valuable resource for any sites looking to add an action research/teacher research component to their programming. The overview outlines program goals, objectives, key components, and expectations for participants, as well as a detailed and helpful...

Northern California Writing Project’s Hybrid Summer Institute

Summary: Created as part of the Building New Pathways to Leadership initiative, this Piktochart presentation documents the Northern California Writing Project’s creation of a Hybrid Summer Institute, as an alternative to the traditional multi-week, face-to-face institute. Site leaders interested in increasing the accessibility and flexibility of their professional development offerings...

Youth Voices Summer Program: Website and Resources

Summary: This Youth Voices website gives a detailed look into a multi-week summer youth writing program including examples of student work (writing, video, and audio) as well as a detailed weekly and daily agenda. Included in the agendas are links to many of the activities and resources used throughout the...

Short and Meaningful Programming: Expanding the Work and Reach of the Site

Author: Meg Petersen and Valerie Combie Summary: You’re a teacher, not a small business owner? Yes, that is true, but running a Writing Project site and/or developing writing project programming requires an entreprenureial spirit and approach. With that in mind, this collection offers a glimpse into several ways sites have...

Creating a Culture of Inquiry Through the Use of Model Lessons

Author: Suzanne Linebarger Summary: Suzanne Linebarger, associate director of the Northern California Writing Project, describes how her site conducts an inservice program of model lessons that supports collective teacher inquiry into key concepts in teaching reading and writing. Useful for teacher leaders developing or leading school-based or outside professional development,...

Youth Camp Agendas, Outlines, and Schedules

Summary: Starting a new youth writing camp at your site? Looking to infuse new ideas, writing activities, or approaches in your existing youth programs? Looking for creative and innovative ways in which other sites are using “out-of-school” spaces to engage young writers? If so, then this collection of youth camp...

Blending Place-Based Education and C3WP in Rural Nebraska: A Focus on Civil Discourse

Author: Robert Brooke, Melissa Legate Summary: This episode in the 4-part series on place-conscious education by the Nebraska Writing Project illustrates how a place-conscious focus can blend with the C3WP emphasis on civic engagement and understanding issues from multiple perspectives.

Evaluating the Impact of Professional Development Programs

Author: Sheridan D. Blau, Rosemary H. Cabe, and Anne Whitney Summary: While there is significant research behind the NWP model, there is also a need for sites to evaluate their local professional development programming. This research study of the South Coast Writing Project’s IIMPaC (Inquiry, Inservice workshops, Models, Practice, and...

Scaffolding Program Planning Through a Proposal Form

Summary: HVWP invites teacher leaders to propose workshops and other programs through a simple form that helps them draft their preliminary thoughts about a workshop that they would like to design and implement. The form scaffolds predictable planning work, asking new leaders to consider, for example, “What is the need? Who...

Exploring “Systems Thinking” with Grinding New Lenses (NWP Radio)

Summary: Eight teachers from three National Writing Project sites spent a month in Chicago exploring the power of systems thinking to support students in the way they learn, make, and write. Of particular interest to teachers planning and leading young writers programs that focus on digital literacy, this project, called...