About the Initiative

Why Writing?
People in every walk of life, in every kind of work, and at every age write more than ever before for personal, professional, and civic purposes.  (See Writing in the 21st Century.)

• They write through text messages and IMs, they use video cameras and cell phones, and, yes, even traditional pen and paper.
• The social nature of writing invites people in every walk of life, in every kind of work, and at every age to make meaning through composing.
• More and more people in all occupations deem writing as essential and influential in their work.

Newly developing technologies expand the possibilities for composing in multiple media and for speaking to wider audiences than ever before and at a faster pace than ever before in our history. 

This communication contributes to our academic achievement and rigor, to development of business and commerce, and to our global economy and community.

• Young people using forms of digital media are leading the way in new forms of composing. (See Writing Between the Lines—and Everywhere Else)
• Writers continue to learn how to write for different purposes, audiences, and occasions throughout their lifetimes.

Why a National Day on Writing?
In light of the significance of writing in our national life, to draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing we engage in, and to help writers from all walks of life recognize how important writing is to their lives, October 20, 2009, will be celebrated as The National Day on Writing.  The National Day on Writing will

• celebrate the foundational place of writing in Americans' personal, professional, and civic lives. 
• point to the importance of writing instruction and practice at every grade level, for every student and in every subject area from preschool through university. (See The Genteel Unteaching of America’s Poor.) 
• emphasize the lifelong process of learning to write and composing for different audiences, purposes, and occasions. 
• recognize the scope and range of writing done by the American people and others.
  honor the use of the full range of media for composing. 
• encourage Americans to write and enjoy and learn from the writing of others.

What is the National Gallery of Writing?
The National Gallery is a digital archive of compositions accessible to all through a free, searchable website—a living archive of thousands of examples of writing from across the United States.

• Each writer of any age or occupation will be able to submit one composition per gallery. 
• Writers will include with their composition information about themselves and the reasons they selected and submitted it to the Gallery.  
• All sorts of compositions will be accepted, including (but not limited to) electronic presentations, blog posts, documentary clips, poetry readings, “how to” directions, short stories, memos, audio and video clips.  
• On October 20, 2009, the National Day on Writing, the Gallery will be unveiled for readers.

The National Gallery features three types of display spaces all curated and collected in a variety of galleries:

• The Gallery of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
• The Galleries of National Partners curated by groups as diverse as Google, the Newseum, Sesame Street’s Electric Company, and the National Science Teachers Association. 
• The Galleries of Local Partners curated by groups as diverse as a local Girl Scout troop; a town such as Augusta, Arkansas; a community college course; a bridge club; a city such as Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; a writers group, and local business.

What role should NCTE members play?
At the center of this initiative are NCTE members—sharing their knowledge about writing, organizing participating groups in our schools and/or communities, transforming the public’s understanding of writing and the role it plays in society today. 

Learn how to get involved or get tips for starting a local gallery. 

NCTE members value writing as a tool for learning and live the importance of writing daily.

• They know the importance of writing for all students as noted in The Genteel Unteaching of America’s Poor
• They immerse their students in writing as described in The NCTE Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing 
• They know the importance of having their students write about literature as noted in Crash! The Currency Crisis in American Culture
• They realize the importance of educating their students for the 21st century and incorporate the elements of the The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies  into their classroom lessons.