NeWP Co-Director Sharon Bishop has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Kate and Paul Farmer Awards Competition for her article “The Power of Place” published in the July 2004 issue of English Journal. She will receive her award at the secondary level luncheon at the National Council of the Teachers of English convention in Indianapolis, held the same time as the National Writing Project convention.
Louann Reid, the Editor of the English Journal, writes that “‘The Power of Place’ was judged as one of the most outstanding articles published in volume 93 of English Journal and written by a secondary school teacher. Eligible articles were judged by the Farmer Awards Committee, chaired by Carolyn Phipps.”
Sharon Bishop’s article describes some of her work teaching place-conscious education. She writes: “As a longtime teacher of English in mid-central Nebraska, I am convinced that understanding how we connect to our place is a crucial element in our ability to live well as individuals and as communities. In my secondary classrooms, I have tried to teach this understanding of place through a study of regional literature, through community inquiry, and through a connection to nature. The curriculum has evolved over a number of years. Its growth has been supported by my work with the Nebraska Writing Project”.
