Dear Writing Project Teachers of the Upper Peninsula,
The Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project Site, hosted by Northern Michigan University, is looking forward to holding its third Summer Institute this summer. Co-facilitators will be Cara Anderson and Tyler Detloff. The Institute will take place in the second half of the summer and focus on teaching Indigenous literatures with Indigenous pedagogical approaches. Graduate credit is available. More details soon!
Longtime NWP teacher consultant Paula Dietrich is seeking middle and high school teachers to participate in writing assessment this summer. This is an excellent professional development opportunity that comes with a modest stipend and is held entirely online. The topics and dates are as follows:
Coach.Teach.Write Middle School Narrative Writing June 24-26, 2026
Facing History High School Narrative Writing July 15-17, 2026
If you are available and interested, please let me know (ksassi).
Thank you to everyone involved in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Our WP site serves as an affiliate for the Awards, promoting the participation of teens across the UP. Award-winning work will be on display from February 21-March 14th at the DeVos Art Museum on the NMU campus in Marquette, and the regional award ceremony takes place on March 14th.
The Chippewa River Writing Project site has reached out to us to invite participation in their one-week Document-Based Inquiry Institute. Applications are due March 1st. You can find more information here.
If you haven’t joined NWP’s Write Now Teacher Studio, please do so–there are many more online PD opportunities offered there these days, and you might find something that matches your interests. Here is the invitation link.
I know the current warm weather has us thinking about spring, but I want to put a bug in your ear about fall: the MCTE fall conference theme is "Writing/Righting our Place: Grounding Our Teaching Practices Where We Live" and the Call for Proposals will launch soon. I hope to see as many of you as possible at this conference (held in Lansing), since I designed it especially to appeal to writing project teachers. We have a lot to talk about!
Write on,
Kel
Dr. Kel Sassi, Professor of English
Director, Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project Site
3214 Jamrich Hall
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, MI 49855
Anishinaabe Ancestral Homelands Statement
ᑮᐧᐁᑎᓄᒃ ᒥᒋᑲᓐ ᑭᓄᒫᑫ’ᑲᒥᑯᒃ ᑮᐧᐁᑎᓄᒃ ᒥᒋᑲᓐ ᑭᓄᒫᑫ’ᑲᒥᑯᒃ ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯ ᐧᓯ ᔥᑯᑌ ᐊᑭᒃ᙮ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᐱᓂ ᓰᐱᒃ ᐁᔑᓂᑲᑌᒃ ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐧᐃᓂᒃ Marquette᙮
Giiwedinong Michigan Kinomaage’gamigong ayaa gete-anishinaabewaking Anishinaabe Swi Shkode Aking Gichi-namebini Ziibing ezhinikaadeg Anishinaabemowining Marquette.
Northern Michigan University is located on the ancestral homelands of the Anishinaabe Three Fires Confederacy. Gichi-namebini Ziibing is the traditional name of Marquette. Translation and permission to use it courtesy of the Center for Native American Studies at NMU.