PhilWP Celebrates 25 Years

August 17, 2011 - The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) celebrates 25 years of teachers teaching teachers on Saturday, October 22, 2011, with daytime workshops, discussions, and performances followed by an evening gala dinner. Representative Chaka Fattah will be honored for his support of the region’s most prominent teacher network. Judy Buchanan and Susan Lytle, founding directors, will be the guests of honor. Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, Director of National Programs and Site Development for the National Writing Project, will deliver the keynote address. The festivities will include a jazz ensemble, tributes, and readings by teachers who represent the 25-year history of the project. The gala will be held at the Inn At Penn, 3600 Sansom Street.

Tickets can be purchased online at the PhilWP website: www.gse.upenn.edu/philwp/about/25th-anniversary.  

The celebration will begin with a festival featuring writing of students, teachers, and authors from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The event is free with admission/donation to the Penn Museum. 

Featured presentations will include work by the winners of the 2011 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards; remarks on the craft of writing by best-selling author Karen E. Quinones Miller; commentary by Elizabeth Gilly, from the Moore College of Art Literacy through Photography Project, on the photographs and writing of Philadelphia students; and a workshop on literacy and photography; a tour of the Penn Museum’s new Imagine Africa exhibit; and a writing marathon. 

The celebration will continue in the evening with a gala dinner at 6:00 pm, wfith founding directors Buchanan and Lytle as guests of honor. Representative Fattah will be honored for his support of the Writing Project and other programs that impact students and families. Eidman-Aadahl will deliver the keynote address. 

More information is available at www.gse.upenn.edu/philwp/about/25th-anniversary.

The Philadelphia Writing Project, located at Penn GSE, is a site of the National Writing Project. It is a growing network of over 700 teacher consultants who work in a variety of ways to explore literacy, teaching, and learning in all schools, grades levels (pre-K to college), and subjects. A network built upon the contributions of its members, the Philadelphia Writing Project sponsors teacher-led professional development, inquiry communities for educators, and writing opportunities for students and families.