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Show Teachers learning to write better V ' j l4ige5.J JJ 1 Nineteen southern Utah high school teachers, most of them in the English discipline, are participating in the third annual Utah Writing Project being conducted at Southern Utah State College. Project participants receive $450 and nine credit hours for their involvement, in the course, which is designed to better qualify teachers to instruct writing. "The returns are tremendous," stated Doug Bonzo, assistant site coordinator and English teacher at Cedar High School. "There are great dividends from the project. This is a viable workshop that goes from here into the classroom." Bonzo is assisting Dick Harmston from Brighton High School in directing the local project. Harmston Harm-ston was also enthused about " what can be accomplished through the workshop. He remarked: "Teachers who write are better teachers of writing. There are some really fine writers in this part of the State." Teachers are given four strenuous weeks of writing involvement, which includes making a writing associated presentation to their fellow classmates. The Utah Writing Project originated from the California "Bay Area Writing Project," started in 1974. Officials felt a big decrease in the quality of writing among teachers and students in the public education system and the Project was designed to help the situation. The idea caught on, and currently there are over 90 sites throughout the United States where the Project is conducted. It is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and teachers must apply to be accepted to the workshop. Mike Walker, a teacher at Kanab High School, makes a dramatic . presentation to fellow teachers attending at-tending the third annual Utah Writing Project. The four-week workshop. designed to improve w riting skills and teaching abilities of area high school teachers, is being conducted at Southern Utah State College. |