WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR SUMMER INSTITUTE!

The CWP-Storrs offers opportunities for professional growth to teachers in all disciplines who recognize the worth of using writing as a means of learning. We hold an annual Summer Institute for teachers, host writing contests for both teachers and students, and publish teacher and student work. One of the oldest sites of the National Writing Project, the CWP was established at the University of Connecticut in 1982. Since 1986, the site has benefited from funding from the Aetna Endowed Chair of Writing. 

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

2025 Edition of Teacher-Writer Out Now

2026 Student Recognition Night

On May 14, 2026, from 5:00–7:00 PM EST, the Connecticut Writing Project-Storrs will celebrate our student writers with our Connecticut Student Writers Magazine Recognition Night, an annual event that invites students and teachers recognized by our yearly student writing contest to a celebratory reading of student work at UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. Selected student speakers from grades K-12 will read their winning writing pieces from the stage. 

This year, we are proud to welcome keynote speaker Jennifer De Leon—acclaimed author, Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Framingham State University, and faculty member of the Newport MFA Program directed by Ann Hood. Jenn is known for the YA novels, Borderless, featured on the TODAY show, and Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From. She is also the author of White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing, which won the Juniper Prize from the University of Massachusetts Press. She is currently at work on two children’s picture books—Sammy and Samuel, and a biography of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchú. Jenn is the editor of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education, an International Latino Book Award-winning anthology. You can view her discussion of the essay collection, White Space, here.

Spring Writing Retreat

Visit our Retreats and Workshops page to find out more about our May 29th-31st Writing Retreat at Trinity Retreat Center.

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Connecticut’s 2026 Letters About Literature Contest Winners Named

UConn’s Neag School of Education, Department of English, and Connecticut Writing Project (CWP), co-sponsors of the 33rd annual Letters About Literature contest, are proud to announce Connecticut’s winners for the 2025-26 academic year.

Click here to view information on judges and this year’s list of winners!

Scholastic Writing Awards 2026 Winners and Honorable Mentions

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. The awards identify and celebrate talented young writers and artists, offering them opportunities for recognition, scholarships, and publication.

For students in grades 7–12, winning a Scholastic Award is a significant honor that can help them stand out in college applications and build a foundation for their creative pursuits. Notable alumni include Sylvia Plath, Andy Warhol, Stephen King, and Amanda Gorman. We are excited to announce this year’s winners from our regional schools.

Click here for list of winners and honorable mentions!

New CWP Director

Welcome to Dr. Danielle Pieratti, the New Connecticut Writing Project Director!

We are pleased to announce that poet, translator, and educator Danielle Pieratti will take on the directorship of the Connecticut Writing Project-Storrs for the 2025-26 academic year.  Danielle taught at South Windsor High School from 2012-2022 and worked with Jason Courtmanche and other CWP leaders to run Writing Retreats and Saturday Writing Workshops for the CWP from 2014 to 2025.  Danielle has an MFA in Poetry from Columbia University and an MS in Secondary Education from SUNY at Albany. She completed her English PhD at UConn in May of 2025. Additionally,

In Memoriam

Dr. Jason Courtmanche  –  April 15, 1969  –  November 27, 2024

Hawthorne is quoted as saying, “I have not lived, but only dreamed about living.”  That can never be said about Jason. He lived his life to the fullest, savoring every moment, every person, and every word.  Life is not fair.  Jason had so many more students left to inspire and far too many more books to read and words to write.  No matter how long Jason had lived, it would never have been long enough, but he did live, and he lived well.  We, all the people upon whom he had an impact, will remember him—with deep love and respect—always.  Click here for a full Jason Courtmanche – In Memoriam piece. Click here to visit Jason's widely-read blog, "The Write Space," to which he contributed for more than fifteen years until shortly before his passing in 2024.