Carroll receives teacher leadership development grant

The National Writing Project at Carroll University received $20,000 from a U.S. Department of Education's Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) grant. The two-year SEED Teacher Leadership Development Grant will expand and develop teacher leadership to improve the teaching of writing and learning for a minimum of 20 teacher leaders. The federal funds will provide support from May 1, 2014 through August 31, 2016.

This is Carroll's second SEED Teacher Leadership Grant. In 2012-13, the university's National Writing Project became a self-sustainable site, an example to others and an asset to Carroll University. A custom-designed professional development program trained 24 new teacher leaders.

The 2014-2016 SEED Teacher Leadership Development Grant will provide supplemental funding for the Summer Institute, the Zen of Collegial Studies workshop, and technology and digital literacy. A technology liaison keeps participants current on innovations that enhance instruction, maintains the Writing Project's digital presence, and offers online support through wikis, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Edmodo.

Carroll's Graduate Programs in Education is developing a Writing Certificate Program of 15 course credits focused on K-12 writing across the curriculum, based on the successful initiatives of the National Writing Project.

With the 2014-16 SEED Leadership Grant, Carroll University will award $1,000 scholarships awarded to six participants who enroll in the Summer Institute for graduate credit.

Carroll's Writing Project also is supported by its partnership with Milwaukee Art Museum, as well as workshop registration fees, in-service contracts and audit registrations from collegial studies.