About the Gateway Writing Project

UMSL campus, 1978 and Jane Zeni, Founding Director of GWP

Founded in 1978, the Gateway Writing Project (GWP) is sponsored by the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) and is the official St. Louis site of the National Writing Project (NWP). Connecting five state sites, GWP is also a member of the Missouri Writing Projects Network (MWPN). Through these institutional partnerships, GWP serves teachers and students in urban, suburban, and rural districts as a professional learning organization.

GWP is an organization of, by, and for teachers. We strive to impact student writing abilities by improving the teaching and learning of writing. We do this by providing professional learning experiences for classroom teachers, supporting teachers' own writing, providing youth writing programs, and promoting teacher leadership in the profession.  We believe all teachers are teachers of writing.

 Why Join the Network?

Build cross school connections, your classroom practice, your capacity as a leader in literacy, teacher autonomy, and your identity as a writer.

Experience camaraderie, empowerment, a space for teacher voice, affirmation, fun, motivation, shared purpose, accountability, inspiration, intellectual growth, collaborative learning, and a professional home.

Receive fresh ideas and strategies for immediate application, freebies, opportunities, a larger audience for student publication, and valuable professional learning from teachers teaching teachers.