New and returning teachers – please join us Saturday, October 19 on the RIC campus to celebrate the National Writing Project’s Write Out Event. Come for brunch, outdoor writing, and to learn about all of our events for the upcoming school year!
The Rhode Island Writing Project (RIWP), founded in 1985, is a network of teachers dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning in all schools. RIWP teachers work in all content areas and at all grade levels, helping students become thoughtful readers and writers and connecting reading, writing, and content area learning. Find out more:
For Teachers - Overviews of Annual Events
For Schools - Overviews of Annual Events
Affiliated with the National Writing Project in Berkeley, California, and reflecting its model of “teachers teaching teachers,” RIWP teachers are leaders in their schools and communities who work to support students as they become avid and accomplished writers, readers, and inquirers. Leveraging the expertise of Rhode Island teachers, the RIWP provides sustained and supportive professional development opportunities. We offer the Summer Institute, the Open Air Institute, the Spring Conference, Embedded Institutes, and many other sources of learning. By supplementing teachers’ knowledge and skills surrounding diverse literacy practices, we work toward positive social change.
We invite new and returning teachers to celebrate the National Writing Project’s (NWP) Write Out Event. Join us for brunch, outdoor writing, and to learn about all of our events for the upcoming school year!
The Open Air Institute is a place-based form of professional development that integrates state and local history, geography, and culture with writing and educational practices. This unique, largely outdoor opportunity exposes participants to a wide variety of locations and experiences as we explore the features that make Rhode Island special. Each year’s event centers around a common theme. Past years’ themes have included topics ranging from rivers and coastlines to libraries and farms.
New Teacher Camp is a week-long professional development experience for early career teachers. You’ll join a supportive and fun community of “campers” who will work together to understand the RIWP philosophy, develop strategies for successful teaching practices, efficient daily routines, self-care and lifelines for your first few years. You’ll take away increased confidence in your identity as a teacher and writer, insights into the daily life of strong teachers and a knapsack full of strategies to make next year less hectic, more adventurous and truly magical.
A diverse mix of experienced and soon-to-be educators will listen to and learn from an equally diverse mix of speakers and presenters. In a typical RIWP fashion, all will enjoy a professional development experience that is both informative and enriching.
Join us for a wonderful day that follows our typical pattern: we listen, learn, collaborate, write, and share. And at the end of the day, we often feel invigorated by the content and enriched by the camaraderie – as always.
Summer Institute (SI) is at the core of the National Writing Project's teachers-teaching-teachers model of professional development. Our institute is open to all current teachers who serve in K-12 classrooms. All content areas, including speciality areas such as special education and multilingual learning, are welcome to join us. Yep, you read that right: You do not need to be an English teacher in order to participate in this experience!
Ideal applicants are:
“As an educator and human being, I find myself more enabled to act on behalf of myself, my colleagues, and my students learning what I have during these past two weeks.”
“I was very thankful to focus on re-vision and advocacy after the stressful year I had had; I was able to look back at the advocacy from the previous year and analyze it to move forward and figure out how to better go about it in the future. It made me ready to start fresh.”
Led by experts, our three day mini camps will help you make a plan for what you will bring back to your classroom in the fall. For new or veteran teachers, you can learn how to supplement your scripted materials with RIWP enhancements. Teachers are encouraged to inquire for financial coverage from their districts.
Write Time is a monthly opportunity to work on your own writing in community with other educator-writers. Prompts will be provided by the facilitator in case you want to play with something new.
Writers from grades 1 to 12 will spend two weeks in early July experimenting with writing in a variety of genres and sharing their work with peers. Whether writing personal narratives or new works of fiction, creating poetry or exploring the RIC campus in search of topics, or simply interacting with each other, students will enthusiastically engage in the process of writing. The writing camp is open to all students (K-12) who enjoy writing. For more information or questions, contact Camp Director Jeff Lawton.
“I love just everything we did and I’m also excited to perform our play!” Grade 3
“I think that this camp is amazing! It is fun and I meet so many great people that I look forward to seeing each summer!” Grade 7
“I am so happy that this program exists. I would rate the program a 10, as it’s a very positive and beneficial experience for the students. I’m thankful and happy that my child attended Writing Camp this summer.”
RIWP Site Director: Janet D. Johnson; Co-Directors: Brittany Ahnrud, Jeff Lawton, Alyssa Mason; Executive Board Members: Anne Barnhart, Erica DeVoe, Becky Limoges, Laura Maxwell, Nora Pace, Anne Pedro, Keith Sanzen
