Throughout history, social justice and antiracist leaders have use writing as a powerful tool in the pursuit of equality and freedom. Such writers have used their words to raise awareness, point out injustices, and compel fellow citizens to take action. Classrooms are where students can feel empowered — or disempowered — to see and use writing as a vehicle for social change, and teachers play a crucial role in supporting students in using their voices in service of causes they believe in. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the following queries:

• What does a culturally responsive writing workshop look, sound, and feel like? 

• How can we encourage kids to write about issues that matter to them?

• How do we meet the challenges and opportunities of technology and artificial intelligence in the writing classroom? How can we support all kids in bringing their authentic voices to life on the page?

• How can we invite students to write in multiple and diverse modalities and genres to better reach their audience?

• How do we help students develop a writing identity that is reflective of and responsive to their personal and social identities? 

• And how can we model all of the above as teachers of writing and teachers who write?

Join us as we (re)imagine writing instruction as identity-affirming pedagogy where students have the freedom to draw from their cultural and linguistic knowledge and lived experiences — their interests, realities, joys — as they write toward an equitable and just world.

Schedule

Each day will begin at 8:30AM and end around 4PM. Each day includes a boxed lunch. A more detailed schedule will be available soon.

Recommended Grade Levels

Grades 3 to 12