University of Central Arkansas

Formerly the National Writing Project of Central Arkansas, the Great Bear Writing Project at the University of Central Arkansas, (renamed to celebrate our site’s ties to the natural state, URSA major, the Arkansas black bear, and our host university the UCA “Bears,”) is a university-community program that supports Arkansas teachers in the teaching of writing across subject areas and grade levels.

Founded in 1999, the Great Bear Writing Project is one of 193 federally-funded sites of the National Writing Project network housed at colleges and universities in all 50 states, plus the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong. The NWP has been recognized internationally for its highly effective, “teachers teaching teachers” model of professional development.  As a result, it has been included the “No Child Left Behind,” act as an officially authorized in-service provider.

In addition to providing teachers across Arkansas with strategies that help their students become better writers, an essential skill for success in the 21st Century, the Great Bear Project offers teachers a long-term professional development community. Research shows that the best teachers are often those who are connected to a network of professionals--such as the Writing Project provides--who address problems and find solutions together. Finally, numerous studies have indicated that students of teachers who participate in writing project professional development generally have higher literacy test scores than the rest of the student population (for further information on these studies, see the National Writing Project website.

From the enthusiastic fifth graders in Lori Sue Bell and Carol Jehlen’s Camp Writer’s Block in Western Yell County to Janie Edward’s day-long “Celebration of Writing” each spring at Simon Intermediate School in Conway (for more info, see this news article), the over one hundred outstanding teachers in the Great Bear Writing Project raise literacy levels and make a difference in the lives of students and teachers all over Central Arkansas.  Each year, moreover, a new “class” of teacher-consultants graduates from our invitational summer institute, adding to our swelling ranks of inservice providers who have brought best practices in teaching writing to teachers all over the state, from Sheridan to Branch, South Mississippi County to Greenbrier.

Many members of the Great Bear Writing Project have told us that participating in our summer institute and joining our professional network changed their lives.  Designed exclusively with “teachers at the center,” our site offers:

• A Summer Writing Institute for teachers K-12 in all subject matter areas worth six hours of graduate credit (grant funded). For five weeks teachers study contemporary theory and issues in the teaching of writing, experience the act of writing, and devise effective teaching strategies.

• Time, space and support in their own development as writers.  Research shows that the best teachers of writing are those who enjoy writing themselves.  Unfortunately, overburdened classroom teachers often have little time to devote to writing.  The writing project gives teachers time to spend engaging in the writing process themselves and receiving feedback and support, including regional and national professional writing retreats.  As a result, since 1999, numerous Great Bear Writing Project participants have gone on to publish personal essays, poetry and professional articles both locally and nationally.  Just one example: several of our participants have read stories on KUAR’s Tales of the South and have gone on to publish these essays in the book that accompanies the series.

• In-service workshops in teaching writing across the curriculum. Teacher Consultants develop a series of presentations that cover topics ranging from the writing process to portfolio assessment. Teachers who participate in these presentations bring what they learn to thousands of students.

• A vibrant support network of outstanding educators like themselves who meet regularly to renew and update skills and knowledge and talk about the challenges and successes they face as education professionals.  The Great Bear Writing Project sponsors several workshop/coalition meetings as well as voluntary writing, reading and research groups that meet throughout the year.  Our Ning and calendar of events also keeps teacher consultants connected.

• Opportunities to grow professionally by participating in local, national, and international meetings, such as financial support to attend the National Writing Project Annual Meeting during the National Council of Teachers of English conference, and to attend the NWP Rural Sites Network Conference on issues of literacy in Rural Education.  In fact, the Great Bear Writing Project is set to host the Rural Sites Network Conference in 2011, bringing hundreds of outstanding teachers from all over the country to UCA in Conway.