Invitational Leadership Institute

Formerly known as the Summer Institute, the Invitational Leadership Institute is a graduate course held at the University of Minnesota every other year. K-college teachers are invited to share best practices, engage in critical discussions, conduct research into current theories of literacy and pedagogy, and improve their own skills as writers. Invited Fellows receive graduate university credit paid for by the Minnesota Writing Project. The institute will be held in person on the UMN campus. Covid precautions will be communicated in the weeks leading up to the institute.

Key Dates

• Saturday April 15, 9am–5pm (Orientation)

• Monday–Friday, July 10–28, 9am–3pm (Institute)

*Institute dates are subject to change once the dates for the National Writing Project Midwest Conference are announced. Participation in the conference is optional. It will take place out of state. We will cover registration and lodging for all participants who wish to attend.

Purpose

The MWP Invitational Leadership Institute is the heart of the Minnesota Writing Project. Its purposes are:

1. To identify successful teachers of writing across all curriculum areas who will be effective teachers of other teachers
2. To identify approaches to the teaching of writing and the uses of writing-to-learn in all subject areas that have been successful in real classrooms and that add to the profession’s knowledge
3. To involve successful teachers in their own writing so that they can better help their students
4. To make current research in the teaching of writing available to teachers 

Goals

The Institute offers participants the opportunity to:

• Learn from other teachers about the teaching of writing
• Anticipate challenges for teaching in the future: authentic assessment, multicultural writing concerns, computer-assisted instruction, collaborative learning, whole language, writing across the curriculum, the needs of diverse populations
• Discover more about your own writing process
• Become part of a community of teacher-writers
• Explore current theory and practice in the teaching of writing
• Consider ways you can share your strengths with other teachers as a consultant
• Spend a significant portion of time at the Institute honing your skills as writers (an anthology of creative and action research pieces is published)
• Earn graduate credit through the University of Minnesota; CEUs also available