The Augusta University Writing Project is working to improve writing instruction for teachers and students, according to an April 6 announcement. The project provides resources, events, and professional development opportunities for educators in the Augusta area.
Writing skills are considered essential for academic and professional success. However, a national survey conducted by Michigan State University and Arizona State University found that only 31% of teachers had taken college courses focused solely on writing instruction. Recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress show that 75% of eighth- and twelfth-grade students in the United States are not proficient in writing.
Rebecca G. Harper, PhD, director of the Augusta University Writing Project (AUWP), said her own experience with a similar program shaped her career. “The main reason why I wanted to start a Writing Project site here is because in 2005, I took part in a summer institute at a Writing Project site as a middle school teacher, and it changed my career,” Harper said. She described the project as transformative both professionally and personally: “It completely changed the way that I looked at writing, the way that I taught writing, the way that I wrote.”
Since its first Summer Institute in 2018, AUWP has provided two-week annual workshops for local K-12 teachers to strengthen their teaching methods around writing. Graduates become teacher consultants who share strategies with colleagues across different locations. Nicole Cain said, “The strategies I gained through AUWP have been instrumental in my work with teachers… enabling all students to engage confidently in writing.”
In addition to workshops for educators, AUWP organizes community events such as author visits and storytelling evenings featuring well-known writers like Rick Bragg. The project also collaborates with local venues on literary gatherings designed to foster appreciation for reading and creative expression among residents.
Karen Head, associate provost at Augusta University and participant in several AUWP events, highlighted how these activities support creativity beyond health sciences: “I want people to recognize Augusta as the vibrant, diverse academic community it truly is.” Department chair Alicia Becton emphasized institutional support: “The AU Writing Project reflects the kind of ‘community-connected’ work that strengthens both our institution and educators.”
Looking ahead, Harper aims to establish larger literary festivals similar to those she attended earlier in her career while continuing regular programming open to both educators and members of the public. Applications for this year’s Summer Institute are now being accepted via the AUWP website.
