Rhode Island Writing Project

The Open Air Institute is a place-based form of professional development that integrates state and local history, geography, and culture with writing and educational practices. This unique, largely outdoor opportunity exposes participants to a wide variety of locations and experiences as we explore the features that make Rhode Island special. Each year’s event centers around a common theme. Past years’ themes have included topics ranging from rivers and coastlines to libraries and farms.

New Teacher Camp is a week-long professional development experience for early career teachers. You’ll join a supportive and fun community of “campers” who will work together to understand the RIWP philosophy, develop strategies for successful teaching practices, efficient daily routines, self-care and lifelines for your first few years. You’ll take away increased confidence in your identity as a teacher and writer, insights into the daily life of strong teachers and a knapsack full of strategies to make next year less hectic, more adventurous and truly magical.

A diverse mix of experienced and soon-to-be educators will listen to and learn from an equally diverse mix of speakers and presenters. In a typical RIWP fashion, all will enjoy a professional development experience that is both informative and enriching. 

Join us for a wonderful day that follows our typical pattern: we listen, learn, collaborate, write, and share. And at the end of the day, we often feel invigorated by the content and enriched by the camaraderie – as always.

Summer Institute (SI) is at the core of the National Writing Project's teachers-teaching-teachers model of professional development. Our institute is open to all current teachers who serve in K-12 classrooms. All content areas, including speciality areas such as special education and multilingual learning, are welcome to join us. Yep, you read that right: You do not need to be an English teacher in order to participate in this experience!

Ideal applicants are:

• ready to learn new skills and practices for teaching writing
• committed to incorporating writing into their instruction
• within the first 10 years of their teaching career (though if you are past this number, we still encourage you to join us!)
• looking to join a professional community of supportive, like-minded educators
• becoming a RIWP Teacher Consultant and offer PD to colleagues at your school and around the state
• (optional): interested in earning three graduate credits (EDC 540: Teaching of Writing: Practice and Inquiry, from ������Ƶ)

Past Participant Takeaways

“As an educator and human being, I find myself more enabled to act on behalf of myself, my colleagues, and my students learning what I have during these past two weeks.”

“I was very thankful to focus on re-vision and advocacy after the stressful year I had had; I was able to look back at the advocacy from the previous year and analyze it to move forward and figure out how to better go about it in the future. It made me ready to start fresh.”

Led by experts, our three day mini camps will help you make a plan for what you will bring back to your classroom in the fall. For new or veteran teachers, you can learn how to supplement your scripted materials with RIWP enhancements. Teachers are encouraged to inquire for financial coverage from their districts. 

Write Time is a monthly opportunity to work on your own writing in community with other educator-writers. Prompts will be provided by the facilitator in case you want to play with something new.

WAM stands for Writing, Art, and Movement. These are the hallmarks of our time together. In the past, we've had themes like "Tend Your Garden" where we stamped with veggies and wrote about food memories as well as "The Artist in You" where we created mixed media self-portraits and wrote artist statements with light stretching, yoga, and breathing practices sprinkled throughout. WAM is a refreshing and renewing personal and professional development experience!

Overview

Writers from grades 1 to 12 will spend two weeks in early July experimenting with writing in a variety of genres and sharing their work with peers. Whether writing personal narratives or new works of fiction, creating poetry or exploring the ������Ƶ campus in search of topics, or simply interacting with each other, students will enthusiastically engage in the process of writing. The writing camp is open to all students (K-12) who enjoy writing. For more information or questions, contact Camp Director Jeff Lawton.

Past Participant Takeaways

“I love just everything we did and I’m also excited to perform our play!” -Grade 3 Student

“I think that this camp is amazing! It is fun and I meet so many great people that I look forward to seeing each summer!” -Grade 7 Student

Parent Takeaways

“I am so happy that this program exists. I would rate the program a 10, as it’s a very positive and beneficial experience for the students. I’m thankful and happy that my child attended Writing Camp this summer.”