Berkeley, CA, August 28, 2024—For five decades, the core mission of the National Writing Project (NWP) has been to improve learning in our schools by improving the teaching of writing. Through a teachers-teaching-teachers professional development model, NWP disseminates the exemplary classroom practices of successful teachers to teachers in all disciplines and at all grade levels. Along with NWP’s direct experience in working with teachers in every state, the past five decades have also yielded a rich vein of new research about writing—how it is learned, practiced, and assessed; its impact on how children learn to read; and the way that introductions of new technologies influence its development.
The National Writing Project believes there are more questions than ever regarding the state of public education in America, the teaching of writing, and the future our children will inhabit. Drawing on a deep history and a widely distributed network of teacher-leaders, NWP looks forward to continuing to improve learning by improving the teaching of writing well into the next fifty years.
In an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), writing matters more than ever. It is increasingly difficult to distinguish good information from bad and human thought from artificially-generated text. The National Writing Project holds that teaching still matters, and that it is imperative to hire and retain teachers who are committed to responsive growth throughout their careers. NWP also knows that the young people in our classrooms are an anxious generation with worries about the health of the planet and their place on it. Therefore, the National Writing Project seeks funding and program partners to support teacher professional development. This includes bolstering the retention of early-career teachers; supporting research by seasoned professionals; exploring the impact of AI in writing instruction; and developing knowledge about teaching climate literacy.
Learn more about the National Writing Project at nwp.org. Donations honoring NWP’s 50th anniversary can be made at https://bit.ly/1974-campaign, and anyone interested in talking about specific program or partnership ideas should contact nwp@nwp.org.
About the National Writing Project
Through its mission, the National Writing Project (NWP) focuses the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of our nation's educators on sustained efforts to help youth become successful writers and learners. NWP supports a network of local Writing Project sites, located on over 150 university and college campuses, to provide high-quality professional development in schools, universities, libraries, museums, and after-school programs. Through its many successful programs and partnerships, the organization reaches 6 million Pre-K through college-age students in over 2,000 school districts annually and prepares 2,500 new teacher-leaders each year. NWP envisions a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner, and active participant in a digital, interconnected world.