Rhode Island Writing Project

Join us for our January Book Club Meeting over Zoom on Wednesday, January 22, from 3:30-5 pm. We will be discussing our favorite reads from 2024 and frame the conversation with Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller (no need to read the book!). In addition to discussing what it means to be a reader and part of a community of readers as adults, we will talk about how to help our students identify as readers and create a “reading in the wild” atmosphere in the midst of this High Quality Curriculum era.
Sign up for the Book Club here:

RIWP Reading in the Wild January 2025 Book Club: A Relaxed Discussion About What We've Been Reading Join us for our January Book Club Meeting to talk about the idea of reading in the wild…and what YOU’VE been reading in the wild this year!! Discuss the concepts in Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller blog (or book if you're motivated!!) and your best reads of 2024--and hopefully pick up some ...

Hello everyone! Check out our January piece on our blog: “How Do I Want to Show Up Today?: Sticky Note Wisdom.”

How Do I Want to Show Up Today?: Sticky Note Wisdom by Janet D. Johnson

Enjoy this month's teacher feature about one of the newest members of the RI Writing Project Executive Board!

Over half of students today feel disconnected from their education. They tell us they can't bridge the gap between what they learn and what they live. This 'relevance gap' has only widened as students grapple with unprecedented challenges, from navigating a post-pandemic world to confronting the reality of climate change.

Our students are asking a profound question: 'How will this help me in my life?'

The National Writing Project empowers teachers to answer this call. By developing climate literacy learning opportunities steeped in critical thinking and writing, we're helping educators transform abstract concepts into tangible learning experiences that resonate with students' lives and futures. When students write to understand how their education connects to real-world challenges like climate change, they become more than just learners—they become engaged citizens ready to shape the world.

Support the National Writing Project and help us create classrooms where writing unlocks understanding and every student sees the power of their education in action. https://bit.ly/give-nwp-Dec24

Happy holidays everyone! Don’t forget to sign up for our first event of 2025!

https://forms.gle/jG7C3H6RX5cy4SMv6

Congratulations to our December teacher featured Ryan Burns!

These are our spring events!
You can sign up for the January Book Club here: https://forms.gle/3jdj7i3Qz6VFdwGv9

Congratulations to our November Teacher Feature Andrea DiCicco!

Many of the RIWP Executive Board members attended NCTE in Boston this past weekend. It was a nourishing, renewing, and delightful experience!

Janet Johnson, RIWP Site Director, co-edited this volume on critical contemplative pedagogy, something many of you are interested in. These articles are by K-16 educators, so there's something for everyone interested in holistic, loving, and critical education.

Volume 47, Issue 2 Fall 2024 Critical Contemplative Pedagogy: Embracing Compassionate & Inclusive Education Invited Guest Editors: Andrea Hyde & Janet D. Johnson Complete Issue Individual Manuscripts: Critical Contempl…

Homecoming was a wonderful event! New & returning RIWP members were able to come together to reconnect & celebrate the NWP's Write Out: Poetry for the Planet through outdoor writing & sharing on the RIC campus.

Please join us for our Homecoming event this coming Saturday, Oct. 19 from 9-12 in Alger Hall on the RIC campus! Register here or on the QR code below: https://forms.gle/D2E2Neyw6Ry2wyYe8

Woohoo Jeff!

Congratulations to our Warwick Nominees for Outstanding Teachers of the Year:
Meredith Shanley, Brendan Friel, Catherine Maguire, Erin Wilson, Erin Gardner, Jodi O’Rourke, Jamie Fratus, Lynn Tatewosian, Carol Stearns, Anna Conti, and our District Teacher of the Year… Jeffrey Lawton from Pilgrim High!
Thank you for all that you do for your students. You help

Congratulations to Jeff Lawton, RIWP Co-Director, Summer Camp Director, and Open Air Institute facilitator, who is the Warwick District Teacher of the Year for 2024-25! Go Jeff! Way to represent the RIWP!

Hope you will join us for this year's edition of the Open Air Institute (OAI), our place-based PD. This year, our theme is "cultural events" and we will be visiting Burrillville, Cranston, and Bristol over August 6, 7, and 8 from 8:30-3. This is the most fun and inspiring PD! Register here by July 30: https://www.ric.edu/department-directory/department-educational-studies/rhode-island-writing-project

It's been a joyful and fulfilling summer with the RIWP! The Summer Institute, New Teacher Camp, and Kids' Camp were brimming with fun and writing in the last two weeks. Thanks to all who participated and supported this work!

Be sure to register for one or more of our summer events for teachers! https://www.ric.edu/department-directory/department-educational-studies/rhode-island-writing-project
W.A.M.
Join us Tuesday-Thursday July 23-25 from 9 am - 2 pm at RIC for 3 days of writing, art, and light movement designed for your own personal practice and renewal with the theme of “Past, Present, Future”. We’ll channel our younger selves, reflect on our current identities, and imagine what lies ahead. Cost: $100. Register by July 1.

Humanizing Your High Quality Curriculum
Join us Tuesday-Thursday July 30-31, Aug. 1 from 9 am - 2 pm at RIC to think about how to make your scripted curriculum feel more like your own. We will be using protocols to examine dilemmas we face in implementation, both logistical and philosophical. Through creative problem solving, teachers will walk away feeling empowered to unpack and deliver curriculum while still staying true to themselves and engaging students in essential reading, writing, and thinking. Cost: $100. Register by July 1.

Open Air Institute: Summer Edition
A 3-day place-based learning and writing adventure across the state. This year’s theme is Cultural Events Locations TBA. Cost $100. Register by July 30 here.

Rhode Island Writing Project The Rhode Island Writing Project (RIWP) strengthens teacher well-being and professional practice by supporting their agency and empowermentFeatured Events2024 Summer Writing CampFor more information, see the “Summer Writing Camp” tab near the bottom of this page, or contact Camp Director Jeff La...