No Retreat without Advancing: An Invitation

NWPM State Network Retreat
August 9-11, 2010
Central Michigan University
College of Education and Human Services

In 2004, the year before Write-Link was born and before it transformed into the wildly-successful “Inkstains” writing camp, the National Writing Projects of Michigan met at Gull Lake in western Michigan, including some sixty teachers from Writing Projects across the state. This summer we have a chance to duplicate that inspiring event, with up to ten EMWP teachers attending.


I mention “Inkstains,” because it originated that summer from meetings with camp coordinators from other NWPM sites. That summer there were only eight NWPM sites, plus a fledgling site called “Lake Michigan Writing Project.” Today there are eleven sites, plus a satellite in northwestern lower Michigan. The newest site, the Chippewa River Writing Project, will be our hosts in 2010.
Each Michigan writing project will send up to ten teachers to Central Michigan University from August 9 –11, where we will again share our resources and inquire about digital writing, a new web-based portfolio of student writing, and Holocaust education, to name but a few topics scheduled. You can see the growing list of topics at: http://nwpmichigan.wikispaces.com/NWPM_Retreat_2010
You’ll notice the facilities at the new College of Education and Human Services are fabulous! We will be housed and fed at CMU or at the Comfort Inn adjacent to the campus. The Eastern Michigan Writing Project is budgeted to pay up to $1,000 for transportation and lodging for this event, so we will underwrite your expenses within those limits. It’s not too soon to express interest in attending the Retreat, and I would welcome nine more teachers on this promising adventure. If you have an idea for a presentation at the Retreat, please let me know, since there are still open slots in the schedule.
We have an opportunity to advance as a community of writing teachers, as we retreat with colleagues from across the state. Anyone who remembers Gull Lake in 2004 can tell you this group is inspiring and supportive. Please join us for the next great NWPM adventure. Contact Bill Tucker (wtucker@emich.edu) to reserve your place.