Jensen-Hutton Grant for Emerging Centers

Amber Jensen and Kate Hutton have made an indelible impact on secondary writing centers, exemplifying leadership and passion for our growing community. As presidents of CAPTA/SSWCA, they advocated for, built up, published scholarship on, and helped sustain writing centers across the nation. To express our gratitude and recognition of the support Kate and Amber have given to countless centers over the years, SSWCA honors them with a named grant: The Jensen-Hutton Grant for Emerging Secondary School Writing Centers.

The Secondary School Writing Centers Association is committed to providing professional development opportunities to directors and peer tutors. Knowing that emerging centers are often in need of extra support, this grant seeks to provide financial support so that those who might not otherwise have been able to join the SSWCA community can do so to the benefit of their center.  The Jensen-Hutton Grant for Emerging Centers will award $500 to one secondary writing or peer tutoring center with fewer than three full academic years of experience so that the directors and peer tutors can participate in the national conference. 

AWARD AMOUNT: $500

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: To  apply, you must be a secondary school writing center director/advisor/administrator or a prospective secondary school writing center director/advisor/administrator. This grant is open to centers with fewer than three full academic years of experience.

CRITERIA:

  • Recipient hasn’t received the grant within the last three years
  • Center has been in operation for fewer than three full academic years
  • A  written statement of 250 words articulating how receiving the grant would benefit you, your writing center, your tutors, your institution, your region, and/or the field. If you and/or your tutors are planning to submit a proposal for the conference, be sure to mention that. Please include the month/term and year your center opened for clients or if your center is still being conceptualized.
  • Demonstrate Financial Need (submit basic budget and any current  funding  you may have from another grant, institution, or source. Do not include personal money.)
  • Quality of application 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: November 5, 11:59 p.m. EST

IF AWARDED: Recipients will be featured in Journal of Peer Tutoring in Secondary Schools (JPTSS).

Recipients will be notified by December 2.

Note: The Jensen-Hutton Grant for Emerging Centers is designed to financially support emerging writing and peer tutoring centers. With that goal in mind, the exact financial assistance available from year to year may vary and will be published each year. Questions should be directed to conference@sswca.org.


2023-24 Recipient

Hero High School Writing Center
Bronx, NY Director: Judith Nysenholc

2022-23 Recipient

Bishop Conaty Our Lady of Loretto High School
Los Angeles, CA
Director: Michelle Fanara

2021-22 Recipients

Birch Wathen Lenox School
New York, NY
Director: Lucas Judson

Quincy High School
Quincy, WA
Director: Austin J. Foglesong

2020-21 Recipients

Cherokee High School
Canton, GA
Director: Laura Peterson

Meridian High School
Meridian, ID
Director: Stacey Hahn

St. Anne’s-Belfield 
Charlottesville, VA
Director: Charlie Gleek