Upstate Writing Project to host Day of Writing event

Published: October 14, 2009

By Mark Sublette

CLEMSON — The Upstate Writing Project at Clemson University, in conjunction with the National Council of Teachers of English, will sponsor the National Day of Writing from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, with events at the University Center of Greenville at McAlister Square.

Supported by the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson and local school districts, the project is an official National Writing Project site whose primary goal is to improve student writing achievement by improving the teaching of writing in the nation's schools.

The celebration will involve teachers, students, authors, local businesses and other community members. Writing activities will be featured for students and families.

The event will feature activity booths for everyone to enjoy different forms of everyday writing, writing displays from area schools, an open microphone and a talk by author Melinda Long on the center stage. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., writing strategy workshops will begin in the Clemson Education suite. There also will be a mini-conference centered around writing strategies for the professional development of Upstate teachers.

Also featured will be the Out of the Box Film Festival, presenting creative and entertaining films written, filmed and produced at this year's Young Writers' Tech Camp, including "Alex and the Doughnuts," "Upside Down?" and "Drop Dead Ditzy."

The Upstate Writing Project aims to improve students’ writing abilities by improving the teaching and learning of writing in schools, provide professional development programs for classroom teachers and expand the professional roles of teachers. It is part of the South Carolina Writing Project. State initiatives include supporting the Writing Improvement Network’s Fall Writing Conference and the Staff Development for Educators Exemplary Writing Program. The Upstate Writing Project was founded in 2001 with a new grant from the National Writing Project, although its roots in the Clemson University School of Education date back two decades.

The Upstate Writing Project offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of local school districts. For more information about this event and the Upstate Writing Project, please contact the Upstate Writing Project office at 864-250-6712, or visit http://upstatewritingproject.org.

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