This is who we are and what we do
MISSION
The Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP), based at the University of California, Berkeley, is an organization of, by, and for teachers of writing at all grade levels and in all disciplines, dedicated to improving the teaching and uses of writing through a variety of programs–both on the university campus and in the schools of the Bay Area.
EQUITY FOCUSED
Now, more than ever, we are seeing the power of words, in speech and in writing, as an energy that can transform individual lives and break down oppressive systems. We are encouraged by this time of collective raised awareness, and by the growing number of people who have found the words that capture meaning for themselves and for others.
While a social justice stance has been the backdrop of our work for the near 50 years since our founding, we pledge to intensify our efforts.
We dedicate ourselves to nurturing a community that comes together through writing and teaching to address forms of racism in our society and our schools. We pledge to encourage students, teachers, and organizations to use the written word to elevate the voices of those repeatedly marginalized and threatened. The ability to respond to the world with the written word is one of the greatest tools we can offer. We pledge to use this tool to disrupt the status quo, to shed light on injustices and effect change.
Read the CWP Statement in Response to Police Brutality
ONLINE INSTRUCTION: RESPONDING TO THE CALL
Since its inception, BAWP has been a leader in teacher education in tune with the needs of our regional educators. During this unique time for our schools, we are poised to meet the challenge. “As educators it is more important than ever that we lean wholeheartedly into these challenging times and create effective virtual learning communities for every one of our students. Instead of simply reproducing assignments into some digital format, we must push ourselves to reimagine learning that incorporates digital tools and authentically builds upon our students' identity, agency and voice.” - Glenn Kenyon, BAWP TC and SFUSD Instructional Coach
