What
is the Third Coast Writing Project?
The Third Coast Writing Project (TCWP) at
Western Michigan University is a university-based organization of, by,
and for teachers of writing at all grade levels and in all disciplines,
dedicated to improving the teaching and uses of writing through a variety
of programs. These programs include an annual Invitational Summer Institute
for teachers and administrators (kindergarten through university) as well
as a range of additional programs: school-based Professional Development
Programs, Advanced and Open Institutes, Continuity Programs, and a Camp
for Young Writers.
Founded on the belief that teachers are
the key to lasting school reform, this National Writing Project (Berkeley,
California) site bases its program on the assumption that the best teachers
of teachers are other teachers and that meaningful change occurs over time.
TCWP promotes no single approach to the
teaching of writing, no set formulas, no packaged plans. Instead,
in its summer and school-year professional development programs, it introduces
teachers to informed and effective practices in writing instruction that
have emerged over the past twenty-five years.
How is the Third Coast Writing Project
funded?
In addition to support from Western Michigan
University, the Third Coast Writing Project receives support from the National
Writing Project Corporation (Berkeley, California) and the U.S. Department
of Education. Additional funding for special programs has been provided
by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and by the Annenberg
Rural Challenge (now the Rural School and Community Trust) through the
National Writing Project. The Camp for Young Writers has been supported
by the Kalamazoo Foundation, the Guido and Elizabeth Binda Foundation,
and an Upjohn Community Arts grant through the Arts Council of Greater
Kalamazoo.
What is the mission of the Third Coast
Writing Project and the National Writing Project?
The Third Coast Writing Project adheres
to the mission of the National Writing Project, which is to improve writing
and learning in the nationís schools. Through its professional development
model, the National Writing Project recognizes the primary importance of
teacher knowledge, expertise, and leadership.
The National Writing Project believes that
access to high-quality educational experiences is a basic right of all
learners and a cornerstone of equity. Through its extensive network of
teachers, the National Writing Project seeks to promote exemplary instruction
of writing in every classroom in America.
The National Writing Project values diversityóour
own as well as that of our students, their families, and their communities.
We recognize that our lives and practices are enriched when those with
whom we interact represent diversities of race, gender, class, ethnicity,
and language.
The goals of the National Writing Project
are
-
To improve student writing and learning in
kindergarten through university classrooms;
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To extend the uses of writing in all disciplines;
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To provide schools, colleges, and universities
with an effective professional development model; and
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To identify, celebrate, and enhance the professional
role of successful classroom teachers.
