What is the Bay Area Writing Project?

BAWP is a collaborative program of the University of California at Berkeley and Bay Area schools, dedicated to improving writing and the teaching of writing at all grade levels and in all disciplines.The Project includes an expanding network of exemplary classroom teachers, kindergarten through university, who, throughout the summer and school year, conduct professional development programs for teachers and administrators.

As the flagship site of the National Writing Project; BAWP's program model and design are replicated at 160 colleges and universities throughout the country and five sites internationally.

The Bay Area Writing Project was established in 1974 in the Graduate School of Education on the Berkeley campus. Each year close to 4,000 teachers participate in BAWP summer and school-year programs. For many, BAWP remains a resource throughout their teaching careers. BAWP's commitment to the professional growth of teachers is key to the high-level of interest by classroom teachers and to
their enduring support.

Our Project's goals:

• To improve student writing abilities by improving the
  teaching and learning of writing in Bay Area schools.
• To provide professional development programs for
  classroom teachers.
• To expand the professional roles of teachers.
• To increase the academic achievement of the Bay
  Area's diverse student population.

What does BAWP do?

The Bay Area Writing Project operates on a teacher-teaching-teachers model. Successful teachers of writing attend Invitational Summer Institutes on the University of California, Berkeley campus. During
the school-year, these teachers provide professional development for other teachers in schools.

Why is BAWP needed?

Literacy is at the foundation of school and workplace success, of citizenship in a democracy, and of learning in all disciplines. In addition, modern technology has renewed the need for students to write and think clearly and coherently. BAWP focuses on the teaching of writing for practicing teachers while providing a model for ongoing professional development that builds independent local programs.

How does BAWP work?

A handful of simple but crucial principles informs our work:

• writing is fundamental to learning in all disciplines
• writing deserves constant attention from kindergarten through university
• teachers are the key to educational change
• the best teacher of teachers is another teacher
• effective literacy programs are inclusive, reaching all teachers in order to reach all students
• universities and schools accomplish more in partnership
• exemplary teachers of writing write and use writing themselves
• excellent professional development is an ongoing process

We invite you to contact the Bay Area Writing Project. We tailor our professional development programs to the needs and interests of individual schools and districts. Programs may be designed to include areas such as:

• Approaches to teaching writing as a process
• Developing confidence and fluency in writing
• Response and revision
• The conventions of writing: grammar, punctuation and usage
• Publishing student writing
• Emergent writers and readers, K-3
• Writing across the curriculum
• Teaching writing to English language learners
• Writing with computers
• Reading/writing connections
• Writing assessment
• Writing workshop
• New teacher support
• Coaching and demonstration teaching
• Site-based study groups and teacher research
• Administrative leadership in developing schoolwide writing programs

"As a new English teacher, just knowing that experienced teachers are willing to share is the strength I need to continue to improve." -Classroom teacher

"When I am screening candidates for a teaching position, I always look for teachers who have participated in the Bay Area Writing Project." -School principal

"Taking BAWP this summer is the best thing I could have done. I feel so much more confident about my writing program for next year." -Classroom teacher