Summer Teacher Institute
Summer Institute
Shepherd University’s National Writing Project site launched its inaugural Summer Institute on June 16, 2023 with an event titled “Creating Writing Projects, Building Writing Sites.” This workshop brought together local teachers and Shepherd’s writing faculty to collaborate on innovative ways to improve writing instruction and promote a culture of writing across the curriculum in our region. Teachers from Berkeley and Jefferson counties participated in workshops and interactive sessions, focusing on project-based learning and effective writing practices. The workshop displayed the Department of English and Modern Languages’ commitment to supporting local educators and enhancing regional writing instruction. Dr. Brian Santana, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, and Dr. Heidi Hanrahan, Professor of English, organized the event with the generous financial support of the President’s Fund. Dr. Valerie Stevens, Lecturer of English; Mr. Christopher Wilson, Lecturer of English; and Ms. Sadie Shorr-Parks, Lecturer of English, taught sessions at the workshop. Shepherd’s National Writing Project initiative recently received over $600,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending funds to support extensive in-state projects over the next two and a half years.
Save the Date!
We’re back at it again with 2026’s Summer Institute! Our theme this year is “Move, Breathe, Write,” featuring guest speakers Sadie Shorr-Parks and Chrissy Lewin.
- Chrissy Lewin is a West Virginia native, a certified kid’s yoga instructor, trauma-informed yoga educator, and trauma-certified educator with Berkeley County Schools. She teaches science at Martinsburg South Middle school.
- Sadie Shorr-Parks is a lecturer in the English, History, and Modern Languages at Shepherd University. She is author of the poetry collection Honey Month (Main Street Rag) and the editor of Becoming International: Studying Abroad in America (Parlor Press).
Once again we’ll have free EDPD credits available with plenty of fun and plenty of learning! Join us online from June 9-12 and in-person on June 13!
