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THE PHILADELPHIA WRITING PROJECT

Our Impact

    The Philadelphia Writing Project (PhilWP) became a National Writing Project site at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education in Philadelphia in 1986. With a network of over 800 educators in the Greater Philadelphia region, the Philadelphia Writing Project affects the lives of thousands of young people.

    PhilWP has only one primary service area--the city and county of Philadelphia. Our professional development efforts are focused on the public, private, religious, and charter school communities that make up this large, urban, and highly diverse city. 

    About the School District of Philadelphia

    The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth-largest school district in the nation by enrollment (according to figures updated in April, 2018). It currently has 202,538 students. The School District of Philadelphia serves a population that includes 53% African American students, 6% Asian students, 19% Hispanic students, 14% white students, 7% listed as multiracial or "other," and less than 1% of students listed as American Indian/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander in more than 330 schools. The district includes 151 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 57 high schools, 84 charter schools, and 27 schools that provide alternative education. The school district also serves over 22,000 ELL students, who speak more than 70 languages. 

    PhilWP and Philadelphia Schools

    The School District of Philadelphia is the largest district in Pennsylvania and one of the  largest school districts in the nation by enrollment. More than 100 Philadelphia area schools have participated in PhilWP programming. During the 2022–2023 school year, PhilWP had over 1500 contact hours with 900 educators and over 1000 youth across the greater Philadelphia region. Participating educators have taken what they have learned back into their classrooms and schools.

    Today there are more than 850 teachers who have become members of the PhilWP network and thousands who have benefitted from our professional development workshops and courses. Caring, thoughtful, and dedicated teachers who become more knowledgeable about language, literacy, and social justice improve students’ learning and life chances.

    Making our Practice Public 

    The Philadelphia Writing Project has a long tradition of making our work public. Through a variety of media, we seek to share our inquiries, perspectives, and stories with a larger community. We believe the teacher’s voice must be included in decisions concerning the direction of our schools, and we invite you to read, listen, watch, and learn with us as we take our practice public. Read more about PhilWP Teacher-Created Resources and PhilWP research and publications.