About our Work
For over 30 years, the Red Cedar Writing Project (RCWP) has partnered with schools and districts across Michigan to support teachers in developing their writing and literacy instruction. Grounded in the National Writing Project’s “teachers teaching teachers” philosophy, our professional development opportunities draw upon the knowledge and experience of our network of Teacher-Consultants: practicing educators who bring classroom expertise, research-informed practices, and a commitment to collaborative professional learning. From individual workshops to sustained professional development programs, RCWP offers customizable opportunities designed to meet the specific needs, interests, and goals of your school or district.
Workshops & Professional Learning
We offer a variety of professional development experiences, including interactive workshops, book studies, writing groups, professional learning communities, and ongoing instructional support.
Flexible & Customized Programming
Our professional development opportunities can be tailored to the needs of individual schools, departments, grade levels, or entire districts. We work collaboratively with educators and school leaders to design meaningful learning experiences aligned with their goals.
Writing & Literacy Expertise
Our Teacher-Consultants facilitate professional learning across a broad range of topics, including writing instruction and assessment, curriculum development, disciplinary writing, and technology-supported teaching.
Connect with Us
Interested in bringing RCWP professional development to your school or district? Contact RCWP Director Trixie Smith (smit1254@msu.edu) or one of our Co-Directors to discuss available workshops, customized programming, and pricing.
About the Team
Trixie Smith
Trixie Smith is Director of the graduate program in Rhetoric and Writing, Director of the Red Cedar Writing Project, and Director of GALE (Global Alliances in Literacy and Engagement) all at Michigan State University. She is faculty in Writing, Rhetoric & Cultures and the Center for Gender in Global Context. Since joining the faculty at MSU in August 2007, she has taught a wide range of courses. Her teaching and research are infused with issues of gender, queerness, and activism even as they revolve around writing center theory and practice, WAC/WID, writing pedagogy, and teacher training. Likewise these areas often intersect with her interests in embodiment, community and global engagement, and the idea that we’re just humans learning with/from other humans (you know, with bodies, feelings, lives outside the academy). She has served on numerous boards and committees including the CCCC Executive Committee, ECWCA, IWCA, and MiWCA and spends much of her time helping develop research and writing centers globally. You can find her research published in journals such as College Composition and Communication, Praxis: A Writing Center Journal, Across the Disciplines, The Writing Center Journal, and numerous edited collections.
Jill Hoort
Jill Hoort has been an MCTE Elementary Teacher of the Year and coordinates professional development for elementary teacher consultants. She directs Spartan Writing Camp and is a Literacy Consultant for Eaton RESA.
Dawn Reed
Dawn Reed is a secondary English teacher at Okemos High School and has been an MCTE Ray Lawson Award winner. She facilitates professional development and writes about the teaching of writing, including purposeful use of technology, inquiry, and civic engagement.
Luke Sisung
Graduate Assistant
Luke Sisung is a third-year doctoral student in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education (CITE) program at Michigan State University. He received his undergraduate (BA) and Master of Education (M.Ed.) degrees from the University of Notre Dame. Before beginning his doctoral studies at MSU, Luke taught high school English in Fort Worth, Texas. He studies how educational spaces can be co-cultivated so that participants practice literacy in ways that enliven their experience of themselves, others, and the world; foster meaningful relational connections; and increase their capacity to affect and be affected.