Augusta University Writing Project will host the National Writing Project in the South regional conference this year.
The National Writing Project, or NWP, is a network of educators devoted to fostering professional development to improve the teaching of writing. Each year, this nationwide partnership holds regional symposiums, gathering teachers and other professionals to discuss literacy education and other relevant issues.
This year, the southern conference’s keynote speaker will be award-winning novelist Jason Reynolds, who gave a virtual presentation last year for the Writing Project Author Series, an initiative of AU’s branch of NWP.
“Augusta University Writing Project already had plans to have Jason Reynolds come and do an event for our site,” said Rebecca Harper, associate professor of language and literacy, and director of the AU Writing Project. “And so we decided we would host the conference this year.”
This will be Augusta University’s first time hosting the southern conference. The all-day event, coordinated with the help of the Multicultural Student Engagement Department and the Graduate School, will consist of several sessions and seminars led by educators from across the country, most of them from the Southeast, giving various presentations related to teaching, literature to use in the classroom, and mainly writing instruction.
After a lunch catered by Juniper restaurant, participants will be able to see Reynolds’ presentation, during which the Washington, D.C.-based author will speak on his own work and on writing in general.
“I’ve been a fan of Jason Reynolds for a long time. And I use a lot of his young adult and middle grades literature in the teaching that I do,” said Harper. “He has a way with creating a story and writes about things that really are relatable and interesting to kids.”
The National Writing Project in the South Conference will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, at the University Hall of the AU Summerville Campus, at 2500 Walton Way. Registration for students is $20, and $75 for the general public. For more information visit https://secure.touchnet.com/C26625_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=48.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
