Leaf and Pen offers educators protected, sanctioned time and space to write and to reflect on the process. Our immersive writing experiences work to broaden the discussion on writing and writing instruction, and to enrich our writing and teaching practices. We see writing as a transformative, culturally responsive art and authentic skill.

Leaf and Pen believes that:

• experiential writing experiences, away from the distractions of everyday life, provide inspiration and results.
• ​writing takes myriad forms, for a vast range of purposes.
• writing is a tool for equity and writing is for everyone.
• writing creates mirrors and windows, building community, understanding and empathy.
• writing is an exploration (and can be a messy procedure).
• writing is highly individualized. (No two people write the same way.)
• writing requires inspiration.
• writing is a creative endeavor, no matter what the genre or function.
• teachers who teach writing need to be given time and space to write.
• students learn to write from teachers across discipline areas.
• authentic voice promotes counterstories and challenges the master narrative.
• we write to think, we write to reflect, we write to discover, we write to learn, we write to express, we write to imagine, we write to dream.

Leaf and Pen retreats and workshops:

• nurture the authentic writer.
• are inclusive.
• produce meaningful results.

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