Invitational Summer Institute

THE INDIANA WRITING PROJECT offers an Invitational Summer Institute (ISI) each summer for teachers interested in learning from other teachers about writing and writing instruction.

Join the IWP Summer Institute

Join us this summer to become part of a supportive and transformative community of teachers and writers! This summer we are able to offer participants who complete the Institute a stipend of $2,000.

Applications for 2024 are closed. If you are interested in applying, please keep us in mind for next year.

Summer Institute 2024

This summer the Indiana Writing Project is offering a three-week summer institute on the teaching of writing at all levels and in all disciplines. This program not only empowers educators to deepen their understanding of writing pedagogy but also cultivates their leadership skills, equipping them with the tools to facilitate positive change in their schools and communities.

The Indiana Writing Project is a local professional development organization based on the philosophy of teachers teaching teachers. It is part of a national network of universities linked with practitioners to improve the instruction and practice of writing in the classroom for students and teachers alike.

Your participation in the Invitational Summer Institute will open doors and opportunities for you to connect with local and national teachers who share your same passion for teaching and writing.

As a Invitational Summer Institute Fellow, you will connect with teachers who seek to learn, work, and lead together to improve students' writing experience in all content areas and levels K through college. During the institute, participants will present inquiry-based teaching demonstrations, participate in writing groups to share and respond to one another's writing, discuss applications of current research and curricular movements in writing, and enjoy presentations by special guests.

The Details

WHO: Teachers in any content area and all levels, pre-K to post-secondary

WHEN: June 10-27, 2024 (Mondays-Thursdays) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: Ball State University's campus

COST: $0
(In past years, registration was $650, but all costs are being covered this year by grant funding! Stipends for attendance are also available. Talk to us for details!)

STIPEND: $2,000 upon completing the workshop

PGPs: Earn up to 90 PGPs (Professional Growth Points)

GRADUATE CREDIT: Available if enough applicants are interested (There will be no additional costs this year for taking the Summer Institute for credit. Tuition and fees will be covered by the grant. If interested, contact IWP Director Susanna Benko at slbenko@bsu.edu.)

Read testimonials from past participants.

Application timeline:
All applications are due: March 31, 2024
Interviews scheduled in early April 2024
Pre-institute interviews on April 13 or 20, 2024

Acceptance notification by May 1, 2024

Why get involved?

Our philosophy

The Invitational Leadership Institute operates under the belief that the best model for a workshop is teachers teaching teachers. Throughout the Institute, participants write, research, and reflect on their teaching, sharing the outcome of these experiences with other participants along the way.

The Indiana Writing Project advances the principles of the National Writing Project through its programs:

Writing is pivotal to learning, academic achievement, and job success.
Writing instruction begins in kindergarten and continues through university.
Universities and schools work best when they collaborate in the service of students.
Effective teachers of writing are writers themselves.
Exemplary teachers make the best teachers of other teachers.
Teachers are the key to reform in education.
Professional development begins when teachers enter teaching and continues throughout their careers.

Who should apply?

Participant profile

We invite teachers from all grade levels and content areas to participate in the Invitational Leadership Institute. We are looking for applicants who:

are active classroom teachers or administrators at any grade level, kindergarten through university, and in any discipline.
have the potential to influence other educators and become leaders in their schools.
are interested in writing and have some writing ability.
can reflect on their own teaching practice.
would enjoy learning from other teachers.

Next steps

Apply

Application is available! Apply here.

More information

For more information, contact us at iwp@bsu.edu.