History

The UNC Charlotte Writing Project model has been widely acclaimed as an effective professional development program since its inception at UNC Charlotte in 1979. Although it operates independently, the UNC Charlotte Writing Project is part of a network of more than 100 sites across the country and it is effectively changing the course of teaching writing.

The National Writing Project (NWP) is a nationwide professional development program for teachers, begun in 1974 at the University of California, Berkeley. The primary goal of the project is to improve student writing achievement by improving the teaching of writing in the nation’s schools.

The NWP receives federal funding which it currently grants to 167 local sites in 49 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Sites operate from university campuses and collaborate with surrounding schools and districts.

Collectively, these sites serve more than 100,000 teachers every year, grades kindergarten through university, in all disciplines. The NWP model is based on the belief that teachers are the key to education reform.

It’s all about teachers teaching teachers.