IWT was founded in 1982 by Bard College president Leon Botstein. Since its inception, it has helped teachers develop writing practices that enliven classroom learning through writing. IWT’s philosophy and practice center on the principle that writing is not merely a record of completed thought, but also an exploratory process that deepens learning across disciplines.
Through workshops that emphasize hands-on instruction in a collaborative learning environment, teachers hone skills that help students discover and interpret meaning, engage in productive dialogue, and learn critical thinking skills that support academic writing and learning. Our experienced faculty draw from diverse fields of expertise—including composition, poetry, literature, philosophy, art, and science—to develop and refine IWT’s writing practices.
“The prompts and practices employed were truly generative, and this is what brings me to Bard again and again. Losing myself in writing for a day sustains me in a way that nothing else does.”
--College professor, Writer as Reader participant, November 2016