A WritingFix Sponsor: SBC Grant...2005-2006
our first corporate sponsor helps fund the creation of a popular teacher resource

In Fall 2005, the Washoe Education Foundation and the SBC Corporation (now AT & T) became sponsors of the WritingFix website, and our website grew thanks to their generosity. Washoe County Superintendent, Paul Dugan (pictured below, on the far left) accepted the award from executives from SBC.

That November, the Northern Nevada Writing Project (sponsors of this WritingFix website) received a generous $25,000 grant to host five 16-hour workshops in Northern Nevada between January and October of 2006.  These workshops not only exposed 100 Northern Nevada teachers to the new 6-Trait Homepage and Resources at WritingFix, but the participants also helped build WritingFix's new 6-Trait resource: The Picture Book as Mentor Text Homepage.

Each of the 100 teachers enrolled in this workshop wrote an original proposal for a trait-based, interactive prompt inspired by a favorite picture book.  The NNWP Technology Team took the very best of these proposed prompts and posted them on-line for all teachers to use.

These SBC-sponsored workshops were hosted at five schools in Washoe County, where supportive principals helped the NNWP coordinate the class. Schools that agreed to host were given the first chance to enroll their own teachers. Left-over spots were offered to teachers from neighboring school.