Dear Friend, 

As we move further into 2025, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the challenges that this year has already presented—especially for our communities of learners and educators. The shifting landscape of education under the Trump administration is creating uncertainty at every level, and now more than ever, it is crucial that we lean into community.

I want to extend an open invitation to you. If you have a small idea, a large idea, a developing idea—or even just a need to connect—please reach out. Let’s mobilize our community in a meaningful way. It doesn’t have to be fully formed or planned out. There don’t need to be clear outcomes or a detailed framework just yet. What matters most is that we continue to show up for each other.

The Western Pennsylvania Writing Project has always been built on the power of community, and that remains true in this moment. Together, we will navigate the changing realities of our classrooms, institutions, and personal lives. The Writing Project is here, and we want to be here in ways that support and sustain you. Let’s open the space.

With care,


Dr. Khirsten L. Scott


Director, Western Pennsylvania Writing Project

As always, thank you for taking the time to receive and review this newsletter. We are grateful to be in community with you. Feel free to share this information with others.

If you have any updates, ideas, and/or concerns, we’d like to hear from you. Email us at wpwp@pitt.edu.

Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Black History event—Writing for Liberation: Choice, Voice, and Power in the Classroom! A special thanks to WPWP fellow Hannah Lewis for her thoughtful leadership in organizing the gathering. We are grateful for the conversations, reflections, and shared resources that emerged from this event.

If you’d like to revisit or explore further, here are some resources from the event:


We hope you'll join us for our next community gathering.

Join us for our next WPWP event—Surviving the Ides of March!

Gather to help one another “survive the Ides of March.” Mid-March can be a challenging time of year for educators, waiting eagerly for the rest that Spring Break promises. Instead of waiting, let’s come together to prioritize rest, self- and community care. We’ll think, write, and talk about how to navigate our own and one another’s needs in hard times, as well as how we might use writing to support our students in their trying seasons as well.

Join us in-person at 10:00 AM at the Center for Urban Education for continental breakfast and writing. Or, join via Zoom, so you can bring the coziness of your own coffee, tea, bed, couch, or blankets along with you.

Mark your calendars—we look forward to another opportunity to connect, write, and engage with one another.

If you were part of the Summer 2024 Summer Institute Cohort, we invite you to reconnect at a spring meetup in mid-March! This is an opportunity to check in, share updates, and continue the conversations started during the Summer Institute.

Would you like to plan a meetup for your Summer Institute cohort? The WPWP director and administrator are here to support you. Let us know how we can help facilitate a gathering that keeps your community strong.

Save the date! WPWP fellows Lucy Ware and Hannah Lewis will lead a special workshop on April 5. More details to come, but we encourage you to set aside time for what promises to be an engaging and meaningful session.

We are always looking for ways to share opportunities for learning, professional development, and collaboration. Here are a few upcoming events and calls for participation:

Co-creating a vision for shared measurement to drive educator diversity in Southwest PA

📅 Date: March 8th | 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM

📍 Location: Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, 6th Street


🎤Special Guest: Junious Williams


💰 Cost: Free (includes breakfast & lunch!) This is a great opportunity to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the conversation on equity and diversity in education.

Can we count you in?

🔗 Register for the Event

WPCTE Spring Conference: Recharge and Ignite: Prepping for the Future in the ELA Classroom

📅 Date: March 19, 2024


📍 Location: Slippery Rock University 


💰 Cost: $75

🔗 Registration

The Unite to Read Project

The Unite to Read Project (URP) is a two-year initiative at The Ohio State University, directed by Dr. Ashley Hope Pérez and funded with a grant from the Mellon Foundation. URP seeks to combat book bans, engage the public in defending and reading banned books, and unite diverse stakeholders in amplifying access to literature and ideas. 

🔗 Interest form

If you have an event or opportunity to share with the WPWP community, let us know! We’d love to feature it in our next newsletter.

We are continually enhancing our communication methods by addressing any gaps in contact information.

Please complete this contact form if you haven’t already. We encourage you to share it with others who might be interested in re/connecting with the WPWP network.