Red Clay Writing Project

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The Red Clay Writing Project, housed at the UGA College of Education, opened doors in 2003 as one of nearly 200 sites of the National Writing Project. As a professional learning community for teacher educators, it has been supporting teachers for around 50 years. Red Clay and the National Writing Project believe that in order for our K-12 students to develop their identity as writers, as teachers we get to first develop our identity as writers!

All Red Clay Writing Project activities are open to P-16 teachers interested in learning more about writing as teachers, writing pedagogy, writing communities, social justice, classroom-based inquiry, and teacher leadership.

Many of these iterations of Red Clay Writing Workshop events can receive UGA credit. All Red Clay Writing Project offerings are designed and implemented through the lenses of teacher leadership, teaching for social justice, and teaching in inquiry-based ways.

For more information about Red Clay Writing Project and our events, please contact one of our co-directors, Stephanie Jones or Hilary Hughes.

Upcoming Dates

Red Clay Summer Institute

This annual event is a 6-credit-hour graduate experience that includes two weeks in the summer and additional meeting times throughout the fall semester. After applying and being invited to join Red Clay, local educators come to the Athens campus for two weeks of intensive, daylong seminars and workshops that blend social justice and classroom techniques with writing exercises and different forms of storytelling. Participants write daily, working toward published pieces of their own, and design teaching and learning inquiries to use with their students in the classroom.

To register

Teachers must apply to be a part of the Red Clay Summer Institute. Once accepted as a Red Clay Fellow, teachers can enter a College of Education graduate program, if not already in one, or enter as a non-degree student for either 3 or 6 credit hours. All tuition and university fees are the responsibility of the student unless otherwise noted at the time of application, and Red Clay will provide course books and institute "extras" as special benefits of being accepted as a Red Clay Fellow.

What Attendees Say

I can honestly say it was one of the most intense, impactful, emotional learning experiences I've been involved in as a teacher. And I've been teaching 24 years, so that's no small statement.

— Heather, Red Clay Summer Institute attendee

Red Clay Writing Workshops: Saturday Morning Series

Spend your Saturdays with Red Clay! These workshops take place on Saturday mornings throughout the year at UGA's beautiful Gwinnett campus. Each workshop focuses on a specific, current topic in teaching, and is led by a Red Clay teacher consultant or co-director.

To register

You may register for one or multiple Saturday workshops. Sign up via the UGA Marketplace website. Workshops are $45 each.

What Attendees Say

Because of Red Clay I don't worry about needing a teacher's manual because my summer in Red Clay taught me how to think and explore and create.

— Stephanie, Red Clay workshop attendee

Camp Red Clay for Kids

Children and teenagers who are into writing can hone their skills at Camp Red Clay, a weeklong camp offered through the Red Clay Writing Project during the summer. Rising third- through 12th-graders can take part in sessions led by local teachers and professors who believe in the power of writing as a life skill.

Read a story about Red Clay.

To register

Camp Red Clay requires registration and a fee for each child enrolled. Partial and full scholarships are available for parents seeking financial support.

What Parents Say

My daughter's writing skills have truly been enriched by your program. She received A's and B's in writing this year. Her teacher empathized how descriptive and imaginative her writing was in my parent/teacher conference class last night and I gave credit to Camp Red Clay.

— Jaclyn, parent of Red Clay camper

L4 Initiative with GA Department of Education

Beginning two summers ago, the Georgia Department of Education asked the Athens Red Clay Writing Project to lead an initiative coordinating the four National Writing Project sites (Cherokee Rose at University of West Georgia, Georgia Southern at Georgia Southern, Kennesaw Mountain at Kennesaw State and Red Clay at the University of Georgia) to work with literacy teachers across the state of Georgia. This initiative is part of the L4 grant, one of 38 districts and community partners that have been awarded this grant to support literacy for students and teachers from birth through grade 12. These grants were made possible by the federal Striving Readers program, which gave $61,579,800 to the state. So now, in working with the Georgia Department of Education, the Red Clay Writing Project has led and coordinated the live-streaming of five conference sessions from the Georgia Council of Teachers of English focused on writing instruction for educators across the state to view. We also developed web-based content to accompany the recorded video for statewide professional development.

Looking for Professional Development?

Want to develop Red Clay teacher-leaders in your school or district? Download more information about one-time professional learning contracts and cultivate powerful learning spaces in your schools!