This paper contains a summary of the impact of writing projects that are modeled after and partially funded by the Bay Area Writing Project and emphasizes the growth and development of the Greater New Orleans Writing Project (GNOWP). The assumptions behind the National Writing Project that link these projects together, the research that supports them, and a number of ideas that they have led to are reported. The summer writing institutes sponsored under the project are described, as well as the selection of the participants and the utilization of the participants' knowledge to further inservice training. In addition to GNOWP, the project sites described include Northern Virginia, Montana, Nebraska, and San Jose, California. The effects of writing institute attendance on teachers' and students' perceptions of writing and ability to write, a sample of the most recent project developments, and funding requirements to continue the projects are also presented. (AEA)