Oswego Writing Institute

The Oswego Writing Institute is a vibrant community of readers and writers who believe in the impact of teachers as writers and the power of words to create change; who continue to explore what writing is, the authentic purposes writing serves, the natural connections between reading and writing, and effective writing curriculum, instruction, and assessment at all levels for all learners. 

A Team Sheldon, Oswego City School District, CiTi BOCES Collaborative for all educators.

Due to COVID-19, OWI will be postponed until 2021.

2020 Programming

With more than 20 PD sessions to choose from participants will engage in and dialogue about the writing process with award-winning authors, other professional writers, college faculty, and teacher leaders who model and share best practices in teaching writing.  Participants will apply their growing knowledge of themselves as writers to their own teaching of writing, including writing curriculum, instruction, and assessment at all levels (p-16).

Featuring Award-Winning Authors

Padma Venkatraman

Padma is a writer, oceanographer and world traveler. She has won numerous awards for The Bridge HomeClimbing the Stairs and A Time to Dance.

Ralph Fletcher

Author of Twilight Comes TwiceFig Pudding, and the Marshfield Memories series, and teacher professional books: Joywrite, Guywrite, and The Writing T

I always leave with fresh ideas to use in the classroom. I feel it's almost like a retreat before taking on the challenges of a new school year.

The institute has reaffirmed many of the strategies I started reluctantly putting into practice last year. I feel I have a better sense of how to approach research strategies and writing and more of a drive to find time for my own writing.

I intend to bring the passion for writing that I saw shared here to my classroom. I also learned some practical, hands-on ideas that I will use - conferencing with my students, using mentor texts, using standard-based rubrics, etc.

Past Institute Keynotes and Award Winners

Keynote Authors
  • 2019-Todd Strasser and Tonya Bolden, Afternoon keynote - Linda Loomis
  • 2018-Javaka Steptoe and Deborah Heiligman, Afternoon keynote-Tim Conners
  • 2017-Meg Medina and Steve Sheinkin, Afternoon keynote-Sean Kirst
  • 2016-Gary Schmidt and Carole Boston Weatherford
  • 2015-Matt de la Pena and Linda Sue Park
  • 2014-Jerry Pinkney and Laura Vaccaro Seeger
  • 2013-Mordecai Gerstein and Susan C. Bartoletti
  • 2012-Barry Lyga and Suzanne Bloom
  • 2011-Ellen Yeomans
Oswego Writing Institute Award Recipients

Each year we recognize one or two individuals in the Oswego and/or surrounding Community who has demonstrated a strong commitment to literacy and authentic literacy teaching and learning.

2019 - Cheryl Beck, reading teacher, Fitzhugh Elementary School and Literacy Education adjunct professor, SUNY Oswego
2018 - Tim Conners, motivational speaker and founder of MounTimPossible, and Mary Harrell, professor emeritus, author
2017 - Gina Salerno, literacy coach, Fulton City School District
2016 - Liz Stoddard, administrator, Fulton City School District
2015 - Mike McCrobie, author and retired English teacher, Oswego High School
2014 - Dan Rose, 8th grade ELA teacher, Oswego Middle School
2013 - Sharon Kane, literacy professor, SUNY Oswego
2012 - Bill Reilly, owner, the river's end bookstore, Oswego
2011 - Joan Fitzgibbons, reading specialist, Oswego City School District