What should the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project become in these times, for the sakes of educators and their young people? As our colleagues at Allied Media of Detroit asked, during a Chrysalis Year, “How do we want to grow? Is it more like an oak tree, like mushrooms, like moss?” What seems most fruitful, given current conditions?
It’s time for us to slow down, gather ourselves, and reflect: What should we become—as a community of learning, as a network of engaged educators, as believers in a vision of “Beloved Community”? Thus, we intend to form a Chrysalis team—a core group of WPWP teacher-consultants over the years—who will reflect and study our accomplishments, our context, conditions, and possibilities.
The Western Pennsylvania Writing Project will continue to offer a variety of events, workshops, gatherings, and youth programs during the Chrysalis Summer of 2022—some face-to-face, some online, some hybrid. These will be open to interested folks from previous years and newcomers who would like to get connected with our network. We will pause our Invitational Summer Institute for Teachers for 2022, but plan to resume that program in 2023.
Here is our Google Site for this summer:
https://sites.google.com/view/wpwpsummer2022/home
Among the upcoming activities:
Ain’t Burned All the Bright Book Discussion, July 5 and 7, 10-12 at Colloquium Room, 5th Floor, Posvar Hall, University of Pittsburgh. Register here: https://forms.gle/XnS6g2c1RA9H6Eca9
WPWP Summer Writing Marathon, Friday, July 8, 9:30-12:30, gathering outside Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5R2yo4168asm1Jpor_yUCgSMS64yN3KW-IWuzDWDjJA3Vng/viewform
Feelings on the Page: Exploring Feelings as Material Through Writing, Thursdays, July 7, 14, 21, 28, 1:30-3:00 pm via Zoom: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkDBOALEPTAh2gdefxJ4dgSeOQR7cSbM6_HJ4Dr7yX5jO9MA/viewform
And much more!
If you are interested in being part of the Chrysalis team, please contact Laura Roop at laurroop@pitt.edu
New Summer 2021 study group on The Mindful Writing Workshop: Teaching in the Age of Stress and Trauma, facilitated by Dr. Richard Koch, and sponsored by the National Writing Project.
Four hour-long sessions aimed at creating a community of educators focused on restoration and healing in the classroom. The sessions are scheduled on Wednesday afternoons in July: July 7, July 14, July 21, and July 21 at 3:00 ET.
Register here:
For more information see this page:
Congratulations to the 2022 National Medalists! These students are invited to a National Ceremony in New York City in June. Please check your student Scholastic account for important information.
Pittsburgh CAPA School
Shelley Demus, 12th grade: Gold Medal | American Voices Medal | Best-in-Grade Award for Poetry. Title: blk
Elena Eiss, 10th grade: Silver Medal for Dramatic Script. Title: This Story
Josephine Reiter, 12th grade: Silver Medal for Poetry. Title: A Girl’s Guide to Falling from Grace
Amelia Staresinic, 11th grade: Silver Medal for Poetry. Title: A Family Tree
Mathilda Turich, 9th grade: Silver Medal for Journalism. Title: New Pronouns, New Problems
Fox Chapel High School
Anna Ferris, 12th grade: Silver Medal for Short Story. Title: The Last Line of Defense
North Allegheny High School
Sophie Lu, 12th grade: Silver Medal for Critical Essay. Title: Why Texas’ Heartbeat Bill is a Step Backward for our Democracy
Silver Medal for Personal Essay / Memoir. Title: A Tale of Pride and Prejudice
Katherine Peng, 11th grade: Gold Medal for Critical Essay. Title: A Perfect Model: The Effects of Stereotypes on the Asian-American Population
Samantha Podnar, 12th grade: Gold Medal | Civic Expression Award for Critical Essay. Title: “What They Want is To Destroy Us”: The Rampant, Undercover Fear Driving Anti-Mask Protests
Maya Sivakumar, 11th grade: Gold Medal for Short Story. Title: The Corner Store
Penn Trafford High School
Delena Steimer, 11th grade: Silver Medal for Poetry. Title: Post-Apocalypse
Oakland Catholic High School
Janise Zenmon, 12th grade: Silver Medal for Poetry. Title: My Life Time
Shady Side Academy Senior High School
Hannah Song, 11th grade: Gold Medal for Personal Essay / Memoir. Title: Pink Ribbons
Anker Zhao, 12th grade: Gold Medal for Journalism. Title: National Security versus Individual
Winchester Thurston
Felix Gamper, 10th grade: Silver Medal for Personal Essay / Memoir. Title: Berg to Burg: The Local Impact of Climate Change
Go to our Pittsburgh Region Scholastic Google Site to see the winners–just scroll down and click on the link to the spreadsheet:
Age and Grade Requirements: Students ages 13 – 18 in grades 7 – 12 are eligible.
Writing Categories: For information on writing categories:
https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/categories/
How to enter:
Students choose pieces they’ve written that fit within Scholastic categories.
Students create accounts in ORS (Online Registration System), including updating their grade every year: https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter.
Students upload their entry (entries) through their student account. Please note: As soon as a student uploads their work, they are entered in the Awards. A confirmation number is not provided or required.
Work must be uploaded by midnight on the deadline: Monday, December 6th, 2021
Payment and submission forms with parent signatures can be mailed after the upload deadline. Please see Entry Fee and Mailing Payment section below.
Anonymous Entries
All student entries must be anonymous. If student name(s) or other identifiable information is found on an entry, the entry could be disqualified.
No Artwork
There are separate art categories; see the Scholastic Art and Writing Alliance website for these:
https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/categories/#ArtCategories
Pittsburgh area students may enter, but the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project does not administer the art awards.
Here are links to the anthologies created during the last four summers of Young Writers, Grades 7-12:
Young Writers Hybrid Institute – 2022
Young Writers Online Institute – 2021
Young Writers Online Institute – 2020
Young Writers Institute 2019 Anthology