IAWP Conference 2026
Writing is more than craft. It is connection. It is resistance. It is remembrance.
As Grace Lee Boggs and Scott Kurashige remind us, “We urgently need to bring to our communities the limitless capacity to love, serve, and create for and with each other.” Our capacity to care for others is what makes us human, but it is our voice — expressed through writing — that becomes our superpower. It is our job as teachers to create brave spaces where students can find their identities, tap into community power, and imagine a better future for us all.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
- 8:30 - 9:00: Registration Opens
- 8:30 - 9:00: Complementary Coffee, & Pastries
- 9:00 - 9:10: Opening Remarks
- 9:10 - 9:30: Interactive Writing Session
- 9:40 - 10:40: Session 1 Workshops
- 10:45 - 11:45: Session 2 Workshops
- 11:45 - 11:55: Author’s Chair
- 11:55 - 12:00: Raffle
Registration Closes April 10th
REGISTRATION LINK
Workshops
SESSION 1: 9:40 - 10:40
FROM IMITATION TO INNOVATION:GROWING CONFIDENT WRITERS
In this session, discover how powerful mentor texts can turn hesitant writers into confident authors. Through purposeful modeling and guided texts, students learn to see the structure and craft behind strong writing before trying it themselves. Participants will leave with practical strategies to guide primary writers toward independence and authentic voice.
Presented by: Brianna Tolibas & Lois Homma
Appropriate for Grades TK-3
CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT: UNIQUE WAYS TO IMPROVE WRITING ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM
Tired of fighting with your students to get written work out of them? This presentation will show proven techniques that will improve engagement in student writing in the classroom.
Presented by: Nicole Bolton
Appropriate for Grades 6-12
FINDING VOICE IN ARGUMENT: MINING PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT CLAIMS
Students often underestimate the power of their own experience and observation, delegating these sources only to autobiographical narratives. As a result, when they engage in argumentation, their evidence often remains limited to generalizations while leaving the wealth of their own experiences and observations unexplored. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn strategies to help students mine their personal experience for meaning and convey this meaning with clarity and in their own voice.
Presented by: Ninetta Papadomichelaki
Appropriate for Grades 7-College
SESSION 2: 10:45 - 11:45
CRAFTING CREATIVE SENTENCES WITH DRAFT
Teach your students to creatively craft better sentences through the use of the acronym DRAFT. This session is based on the book, Revision Decisions by Jeff Anderson and Deborah Dean and will help teachers teach reading and vocabulary, writing and grammar, revising and editing skills all in one power-packed session.
Presented by: Betsy Newmeyer
Appropriate for Grades 3-College
WRITING AS PLAY!
Play has been at the heart of my classroom since my student teaching days. Come learn how I infuse play using high interest themes, bilingual literacies, and culturally responsive practices to engage students at every level! Designed to engage students alongside SEL and ELA standards, build up your classroom culture as you
Presented by: Jacob Green
Appropriate for All Grades
RESEARCH TO REFUTE: COMPARING HISTORICAL (COUNTER)NARRATIVES
While history should be rooted in facts, we must help students understand that it is often presented to manipulate perception and response. This workshop will equip you to empower students as they explore current and historical narratives with a critical eye - especially in the context of research.
Presented by: Ashley Rodriguez
Appropriate for Grades 7-College