Appalachian Writing Project to hold sixth annual retreat July 15-17

The Appalachian Writing Project will hold its sixth annual Writing Retreat at the Breaks Interstate Park in Breaks, Va. The three-day retreat, to be held July 15-17, is sponsored by the Appalachian Writing Project and The University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

Appalachian author Silas House will be the featured speaker during the Wednesday workshop and will be available to sign copies of his work.

Retreat participants will make their own homemade journals, which they will use throughout the journaling workshops. A workshop on “writing from photographs” will be presented on the last day of the retreat.

Other activities will include a walk under the stars and a campfire. Participants are encouraged to be prepared to tell a ghost story, share a local legend or sing a song.

The retreat is open to anyone interested in writing. The deadline for registration is Friday, June 27. The fee is $50. Participants will be responsible for their own accommodations and meals. Visit www.breakspark.com for lodging information.

For more information or to register, contact Rita Justice at 276-865-5126 or rjustice@dickenson.k12.va.us.

The Appalachian Writing Project, part of the Center for Teaching Excellence at The University of Virginia's College at Wise, is a local site of the National Writing Project (NWP). Since its inception in 1974, the NWP has spread to 185 regional learning communities, which are comprised of school-university partnerships. The National Commission on Writing has high praise for the National Writing Project because its model of teacher education is collaborative and its track record remains superb. NWP believes that quality teaching comes from sharing best practices and exploring together the problems of assessment.

Posted May 27, 2008