#blog4nwp – Endless benefits

This #blog4nwp guest post comes from Amy Van Zanten.

I am writing to implore you to restore funding to the National Writing Project, a program that has been funded since 1991.

I have been part of the Hudson Valley Writing Project since 2009. It is an incredible program that consists of dedicated individuals. It is my belief the NWP can still achieve even more with your help.

There are endless benefits to what the NWP can attain in educational communities around the United States. My own teaching abilities have grown because of what I have taken with me from the Hudson Valley Writing Project at SUNY New Paltz. The people that I have met who are involved with the program are dedicated, inspiring educators that want to make a difference in students’ lives.

Also, the HVWP has a generative effect with teachers teaching teachers. Promoting NWP professional development has a huge impact on the quality of teaching writing.

As a fifth grade teacher, one of the first things I teach my students is that writing IS thinking. So, please, think. Take some time to write down the consequences of NOT continuing funding for this invaluable program. Trust me, you will find, it is not worth the risk.