Stay Connected

One of the best parts of becoming a CUWP Fellow is the chance to reconnect with a growing community of over 200 educators excited about their continuous growth as educators and writers. We invite all Fellows to engage with each other and with the Project by participating in any or all of the opportunities listed below. Be sure we have your updated contact information, as we will send invitations for each of the following from cuwp@byu.edu throughout the year. 

CUWP Reunion Day

A white pencil icon inside a solid blue circle, symbolizing writing, editing, or drawing.
White light bulb icon centered on a solid yellow-orange circular background. The design is simple and minimalist, representing an idea or creativity.
A white outline of two leaves on a green circular background, symbolizing nature or eco-friendliness.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

Return for a day to the CUWP Summer Institute to rejuvenate and reconnect with past Fellows and meet the incoming group of new Fellows. We will enjoy a nibble and a scribble, followed by a presentation by a guest speaker that will be sure to teach, inspire, and motivate you as you find space in the summer to writer yourself and also gear up for a new school year. Reunion Day typically takes place on the third Thursday in June from 8:30 am – noon. Look for an email invitation and be sure to RSVP so we know to count on you for lunch!

Guest speakers we’ve learned from in past years include:

  • 2026: Ann Dee Ellis, BYU English professor, YA author
  • 2025: Lauren Jensen, Harvard Graduate School of Education
    From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces: Cultivating Writing Communities That Take Risks
  • 2024: Dr. Sarah Clark, McKay School of Education
  • 2023: Dr. Debbie Dean, BYU English professor, CUWP founder
  • 2022: Lindsey Leavitt, YA author
  • 2021: Dr. David Gill, YA author and professor of creative writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts

Walk and Write

A white pencil icon inside a solid blue circle, symbolizing writing, editing, or drawing.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

Connect and reconnect with other CUWP Fellows as we carve out time for nourishing our own writing lives. You probably remember the Walk and Write as one of our favorite days together during Summer Institute; the good news is this tradition doesn’t stop after SI! Typically, we meet at a location in Utah County once in the fall and once in the spring, walking and writing together for about an hour. Often, folks will stay to enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant afterwards. Look for emails from cuwp@byu.edu to find out when the next event is!

CUWP Book Club

White light bulb icon centered on a solid yellow-orange circular background. The design is simple and minimalist, representing an idea or creativity.
A white outline of two leaves on a green circular background, symbolizing nature or eco-friendliness.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

Join with other Fellows in shared inquiry about a topic relevant to the writing, the teaching of writing, and/or the development of writing teachers. CUWP will subsidize the cost of your book as a contribution to your developing professional library. By signing up to be a part of the book club, you commit to read the book and then show up for the book discussion at the scheduled time and place. Participating in – or even volunteering to lead – a book club discussion is a great way to continue professionalizing your practice and connecting with other writing teachers. All CUWP Fellows are invited to participate! Look for email invitations to RSVP for upcoming book clubs. 

Books we’ve read and discussed together in the past include:

Scholastic Awards Scoring

A white outline of two leaves on a green circular background, symbolizing nature or eco-friendliness.

Every year toward the end of December into early January, CUWP recruits approximately 10-15 Fellows to score entries that young writers around the country have submitted to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The pieces you will read are exploding with creativity from passionate student writers. Earn some money while reconnecting with other Fellows! The work is lightweight and enjoyable. Look for our recruitment emails in November or December for more details and to let us know you’d like to join the team. 

Summer Institute Returning Fellows

A white pencil icon inside a solid blue circle, symbolizing writing, editing, or drawing.
A white mountain icon with a stylized peak and valley, centered on a solid red circular background.
White light bulb icon centered on a solid yellow-orange circular background. The design is simple and minimalist, representing an idea or creativity.
A white megaphone icon is centered on an orange-red circular background.
A white outline of two leaves on a green circular background, symbolizing nature or eco-friendliness.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

Each summer, we invite a past Fellow to participate in SI again. If you interested in reconnecting with CUWP, and continuing to interrogate your practice while making new connections with a whole new group of SI teachers, let us know you’d be interested in coming through the summer institute again. This second year of participation is by invitation only, but it is helpful to know who is available and excited about the opportunity. 

CUWP Advisory Board

A white mountain icon with a stylized peak and valley, centered on a solid red circular background.
A white megaphone icon is centered on an orange-red circular background.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

Each year, the CUWP leadership team invites up to 10 Fellows to participate on an annual advisory board whose mission it is to strengthen the community of CUWP by reviewing, imagining, and implementing projects related to the core mission of the site. Currently, the advisory board meets all together in person about two times a year and works in smaller project groups to accomplish the goals of the site. If you are a CUWP Fellow who is interested in participating on the advisory board, please reach out and let us know by emailing us at cuwp@byu.edu. 

Presenter at Workshops and Conferences

A white mountain icon with a stylized peak and valley, centered on a solid red circular background.
White light bulb icon centered on a solid yellow-orange circular background. The design is simple and minimalist, representing an idea or creativity.
A white megaphone icon is centered on an orange-red circular background.
A white outline of two leaves on a green circular background, symbolizing nature or eco-friendliness.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

After having conducted classroom inquiry and developed a lab lesson for your peers at the Summer Institute, all CUWP Fellows should be ready to go public with their practice by developing new presentations (or iterations of past presentations) to share at a range of workshops and conferences! CUWP regularly publicizes professional conference opportunities to Fellows and offers ways to support them in developing presentations. Our Fellows have been regular presenters at the Utah Council of Teachers of English annual conference, at CUWP-sponsored conferences and workshops, and at professional development workshops within their schools and districts. Keep your eyes peeled for conference presentation opportunities through regular updates from cuwp@byu.edu. 

CUWP Facilitator or Coach

A white mountain icon with a stylized peak and valley, centered on a solid red circular background.
A white outline of two leaves on a green circular background, symbolizing nature or eco-friendliness.
White icon of two simplified human figures, one in front and one behind, on a solid blue circular background. The design represents people or a group.

When CUWP provides workshops, institutes and symposium to K-16 teachers across Utah, we often look to hire Fellows to serve as facilitators of these workshops or as coaches to teachers as they implement their inquiry projects in their classrooms. Stay tuned for opportunities to serve as a teacher-leaders in this capacity (an to get paid for it).