Nine teachers from various schools across Eastern Kentucky spent three weeks of their summer in the Mountain Writing Project Summer Institute at Hazard Community and Technical College. This selective admissions summer program is celebrating its 13th summer as a collaborative effort of the National Writing Project, the Kentucky Department of Education, Eastern Kentucky University and Hazard Community and Technical College.
            The philosophy of the project, one of seven in the state of Kentucky, is “teachers helping teachers.” In other words, the combined knowledge and experience of a group of teachers is often more powerful than the sum of their individual knowledge and experience. Although some traditional instruction is included, the emphasis is on allowing the teachers involved to share their knowledge, which in turn challenges everyone to examine his or her own practices.  Director Lisa Maggard explains the unique program this way: “Area teachers are usually so busy teaching and taking care of the daily business of their classrooms and schools that they have very few opportunities to expand their knowledge and grow as leaders. The summer institute allows them to do both—and a whole lot more—in a stimulating environment of collaboration and total acceptance.” Teachers are awarded graduate credit and a small stipend for their work, but the benefits go way beyond the obvious.
Jennifer Farley, a 7th and 8th grade teacher from Cumberland Elementary in Harlan County, describes the summer institute in this way: “This has been the most beneficial and rewarding professional development I have ever attended. Hands down, the best experience of my career!” Rosetta Jones from Sebastian Middle School in Breathitt County, commented, “I have gained the confidence to be able to teach my students strategies and techniques to become better writers.” Two participants are hoping their experience leads to a teaching position. Milena Adams, due to school district reorganization, was laid off from her position at R.W. Combs in Perry County. She is currently job hunting and says, “I was a good teacher before the institute; now I will be a great teacher!” And Rita Withers-Chrisman, an Eastern Kentucky University May graduate from Lee County, is also job hunting this summer. She says of the summer institute, “I have come away with not only a wealth of valuable information but also a new sense of self-assurance in my own capabilities as a teacher.”
            The dates of the summer institute were June 15 through July 2. Additional summer institution participants included: Candace Combs from Cordia in Knott County, Donna Hudson from Dennis Wooten Elementary in Perry County, Serita McCoy from Sebastian Middle School in Breathitt County, Charles Scoville from Cumberland Elementary in Harlan County, and Judy Shepherd from Burning Springs Elementary in Clay County.
            The teaching staff included veteran Co-Director Debbie Bradley from Betsy Layne in Floyd County, Co-Director Tiffanie Hall from Chavies Elementary in Perry County, Technology Liaison and summer institute assistant Jennifer Sluss from Perry Central High School, and summer institute assistant Gerald Brashear from Dennis Wooten Elementary in Perry County.