What is the Acadiana Writing Project?

    The Acadiana Writing Project is one of five Louisiana sites of the National Writing Project, a program that seeks to improve student writing in grades K-12. AWP is sponsored by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette; it is funded by an annual grant of more than $40,000 from the National Writing Project.
AWP offers eight south Louisiana parishes these opportunities:
    •A Summer Institute at UL Lafayette for teachers K-12 in all subject matter areas - For five weeks participants study contemporary composition theory and devise effective pedagogy. They also become better writers by writing a lot and sharing what they’ve written in class discussions. The Summer Institute awards six hours of graduate credit. Tuition is paid by AWP's annual continuation grant and by a UL Lafayette tuition scholarship.
•In-service workshops in teaching writing across the curriculum -   A motto of the National Writing Project is “teachers teaching teachers.” Graduates of the Summer Institute become teacher-consultants, and these TCs  have the expertise to do presentations on a variety of topics about writing.  School administrators who are interested in arranging an in-service workshop by Acadiana Writing Project TCs should contact Lisa Meaux, AWP inservice coordinator, by email at  lameaux101@msn.com.
•A network of colleagues who meet regularly to renew and update skills and knowledge -  TCs  annually hold a weekend writing retreat at Camp Hardtner, north of Alexandria, where they hone their writing skills, assisted by a professional writing coach. AWP also sends a delegation every summer to New Orleans for a writing marathon hosted by the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project.  Graduates of the Summer Institute also meet in the spring and fall for a social gathering.  There’s also an AWP listserv for exchange of information online.  AWP is governed by a TC Council, which makes decisions about upcoming events.
•Opportunities to grow professionally by participating in local, national, and international meetings - AWP’s federal grant covers teachers’ travel to the National Writing Project annual conference (held in conjunction with the National Council of Teachers of English). Every year AWP sends a TC to Washington in the spring to meet with the congressional delegation in the interests of promoting writing education. There’s also travel funds to cover highly motivated TCs’ travel to special national writing retreats.
•Youth Writing Programs - AWP sponsors an annual summer youth writing camp, Yeah, You Write!, which meets for two weeks in June. There are sessions for all levels of student writing. AWP also sponsors the Writes of Spring youth writing contest, which recognizes outstanding writing from K-12  school kids across Acadiana.
If you have questions about the work of the Acadiana Writing Project,
please  contact Dr. T. Michael Maher, director, at (337) 482-5782, or by email at tmm8088@louisiana.edu