Since 2013, the IYWP has offered students at the University of Iowa a unique learning opportunity: Writing and Community Outreach (WRIT:2100).  

This experiential learning course allows students to supplement their volunteer hours with an in-depth study of Iowa’s educational landscape and an exploration of the confluences between self-expression and social justice. Led by graduates of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the course also offers creative classroom management tips and the opportunity to compile and distribute an anthology of young writers’ work.

______ 

Interested in getting credit for volunteering with the IYWP? Consider enrolling in WRIT:2100! 

 
WRITING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH (WRIT:2100) 

We know that self-expression matters, but how does this concept play out in a contemporary public K-12 setting? How have recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide education bills affected students’ learning experience and outcomes? How can we as curious, creative, and community-minded people provide a supportive environment for youth to gather and write? Through reading, writing, discussion, and classroom simulation, students in this section will make rigorous inquiry into what it means to be a writing mentor to young people, in this specific place and time. Beginning in Week 3, you and a small group of classmates will volunteer for one hour per week to lead a writing club at a local school or community center. At the end of the semester, you will help to compile an anthology of your young students’ work. 

______ 

Does WRIT:2100 fulfill any CLAS requirements? 

Yes! Writing and Community Outreach (WRIT:2100) 

  • Fulfills a CLAS Core Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Requirement 

  • Counts as a Community Engaged Course (CEC) 

  • Counts as an elective for the Nonprofit Management Certificate 

  • Counts toward the Writing Certificate 

______ 

 

Who Teaches WRIT:2100? 

Every year, the IYWP selects a recent graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop to teach Writing and Community Outreach. WRIT:2100 instructors must have significant experience teaching English or writing at the K-12 level, in addition to direct volunteer experience with the IYWP.  

______ 

 

Interested in applying to teach? 

The WRIT:2100 teaching position is awarded to one recent graduate of the Writers’ Workshop each academic year. Jointly funded by the Magid Center for Writing and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the position qualifies as a third-year fellowship.  

To apply, interested Workshop students should select the IYWP fellowship when submitting third-year fellowship preferences. A Workshop or IYWP representative will then request a CV and cover letter from all interested applicants. If many qualify, an interview may also be required. Fellowship announcements are made in late April; the position runs from August-May. 

 

You can find a more detailed description of the position requirements below. 

The Iowa Writers’ Workshop, the Iowa Youth Writing Project (IYWP), and the Magid Center for Writing offer a 3rd-year teaching fellowship for a recent IWW graduate. The fellow will teach one section of Writing and Community Outreach (WRIT: 2100) each semester during the next academic year. 

Writing and Community Outreach is a 3 s.h. experiential learning course offered in coordination with the IYWP. In this class, students discuss creative writing pedagogy, create lesson plans, and volunteer to lead weekly creative writing workshops in area schools and after-school programs. 

Throughout the course, students put language into action to build communities, inspire young thinkers, and ultimately act as mentors and advocates for K-12 youth in Iowa City. In addition to volunteering, students are required to reflect on their outreach experience through group discussions, critical and creative writing exercises, and engagement with pedagogical and literary texts. Because the course fulfills a CLAS Core requirement for Diversity & Inclusion, special emphasis is placed on real-world engagement; collaborative learning and leading; and sharpening social awareness, particularly toward systemic disparities that affect educational outcomes for K-12 youth. All students will be asked to consider what it means to be a community builder and how they can most effectively and thoughtfully connect with youth of diverse backgrounds. 

To ensure that the fellow receives comprehensive support in teaching Writing and Community Outreach, the fellow will participate in a brief training/shadowing session in the spring prior to their term of service and will meet with the IYWP Director on a biweekly basis throughout the term of the fellowship. 

This fellowship is ideally suited to an IWW grad with an interest in writing for social change. Experience working with K-12 youth is required, and a working familiarity with the IYWP is strongly preferred.