About Us
Welcome to the Central Utah Writing Project! We’re glad you’re here.
The CUWP, one of over 200 sites of the National Writing Project, has been working with teachers from kindergarten to university across all disciplines on the teaching of writing since 2009.
We believe that writing is a powerful tool for communication, expression, inquiry, and social change. We collaborate to find the best strategies for helping students become strong, enthusiastic writers. We know classroom teachers have tremendous expertise. Because of the knowledge they gain by working with students every day, they are the best teachers of other teachers. By sharing our expertise, experiences, and resources, we can create a supportive community of writers and learners. Together we will cultivate a space for educators to become better teachers of writing and better writers themselves.
The cornerstone of the project is a three-week Summer Institute (SI). Teachers who apply and are invited to the SI will be immersed in the teaching of writing, learn from a wonderful group of colleagues, and develop their own writing.
We believe every teacher is a
Writer
We are writers. We use our writing professionally to advocate for education and our students, and also to express our personal experiences and stories. We believe participating in writing groups helps us connect with our writer identity and find space/accountability for maintaining our writing lives. Teachers of writing need time and space to practice writing for themselves and others.
Leader
We are leaders who use our writing, voices, and knowledge to empower our students and fellow educators. With confidence we lead out in our school, districts, and community to build better practices in writing instruction. We contribute to our profession and the wider community by sharing our learning and leading professional development at local, regional, and national levels.
Teacher Researcher
We are learners who constantly seek new knowledge and skills to improve our writing instruction and practice. We explore different topics, perspectives, and sources of information through reading, research, and inquiry We are also teacher-researchers who conduct systematic investigations on our own teaching practices and student learning. As professionals, we validate and challenge the authority of our experience by familiarizing ourselves with current and past research and by gathering evidence to support effective teaching practices. Teachers grow in their expertise when they share their practices with others through publication, presentation, and professional development. Teachers are continuous learners who need space and time to explore, ask questions, and reflect on best teaching practices.
Advocate
We are advocates who promote the importance and value of writing in education and society. We are experts who advocate for effective and authentic practices in the classroom. We cultivate spaces for educational dialogue centered on social justice and anti-racist teaching of writing. Teachers advocate for themselves, their students, and teaching/learning practices that reach every student.
Practitioner
We are practitioners who apply research-based strategies and best practices to our writing instruction and practice. We align our teaching goals with state standards and curriculum frameworks and use authentic assessments to measure student progress and growth. We also adapt our teaching methods to meet the diverse needs and interests of our students and ourselves as writers. Teachers who reflect on their practice feel empowered to become leaders and change-makers in their profession.
Collaborator
Our best learning happens when we learn from each other. As classroom teachers, we are best authorities on what works in classrooms, and the most effective professional development happens when we share our expertise and collaborate with colleagues. Our community of teachers continually shares its expertise beyond a few scheduled workshops or even beyond an extended summer institute. We also collaborate with other professionals, organizations, or stakeholders who share our vision and mission.
What We Do
We offer a variety of programs and services for teachers and students, including:
A three-week intensive workshop where teachers engage in community with each other to investigate and reflect on their instructional methods, prepare and deliver presentations, and work in writing groups toward personal and professional publication. Teachers who participate in the SI become CUWP Fellows who take a leadership role in their schools and have opportunities to continue learning and leading with our community.
Participants may earn 6 graduate credits from BYU (at a discounted rate) or up to 6 USOE professional development credits (at no cost); they must apply and be invited to participate in the SI. Applications are typically due at the end of January.
A one-week workshop where teachers work together to investigate and reflect on their instructional methods. Educators will also work in writing groups toward personal and professional publication. Each summer, the One Week Workshop focuses on a new professional text around which teachers discuss and apply their learning.
Participants may earn 3 university credits from SUU (at a discounted rate) or up to 3 USOE professional development credits (at a discounted rate); the workshop is open to all teachers and no application is required. Registration usually begins in spring for the summer.
Fun summer camps held on BYU campus for students of all ages who love to write or want to improve their writing skills. The camps cover different genres and topics such as novels, poetry, short stories, blogs, plays, etc. Students work with experienced CUWP teacher fellows to develop their craft and voice as writers.
Customized workshops and consultations for schools and districts that want to enhance their writing instruction and assessment. Members of the CUWP leadership team and teacher fellows provide research-based strategies and best practices for writing instruction that align with state standards and curriculum goals.
Ongoing activities for professional development and community connection. Reunion Day at the SI, book clubs, walk and writes, Scholastic student essay scoring, and other opportunities for investigating and sharing our teaching and leading practices.
CUWP Directors
Amber Jensen, Director
Jon Ostenson, Associate Director
Megan Russell, Professional Learning
Joseph Wiederhold, Leadership & Continuity
Leah Parks, Young Writers and Families
Zach Searle, Outreach & Partnerships
Payson High School
megan.russell@nebo.edu
Provo High School
josephw@provo.edu
Orem Junior High
leahparks@alpinedistrict.org
Olympus High School
zjsearle@gmail.com
Short History
Since its inception in 2009, the Central Utah Writing Project (CUWP) has been creating space for teachers to write and learn together. Dr. Debbie Dean started the Writing Project center in in the heart of central Utah. Hundreds of teachers and dozens of schools have been touched by the Writing project’s commitment to improving as both writers and teachers of writing. communities. During the Summer Institute teachers reshape their own identities as writers by demonstrating and interrogating best practices in approaches to writing and teaching writing. Participants engage in writing groups, identify questions they have related to their teaching practice, and emerge in reading that expands their understanding of their students, contexts, and pedagogies. We have a rich history of publication, professional development, and community, holding strong to the belief that teachers are the best teachers of teaching.