Everything you need to know about the Walloon Institute. Click on the question for each answer or simply scroll down the page to review all the questions.

Why did Walloon Institute change it's focus in 2005?
Why did Walloon Institute partner with Heinemann Professional Development?
What is the Walloon Institute's educational philosophy?
What topics are being offered?
Who are the faculty?
Who should attend?
How is the institute scheduled?
Can I get graduate credit?
What is the Walloon Book Club?
What are the accommodations?
What if I am attending the Walloon Institute on a grant through National-Louis University's Center for City Schools?
Do I need to stay at Lake Lawn Resort to attend the Institute?
Can I bring the family?
Are meals included?
Where is the Walloon Institute being held and what is it like?
How do I get to the Walloon Institute?
Who do I make my payment out to?
What methods of payment do you accept?
Does my registration need to be prepaid or can I hold spaces?

As you can see from our latest flyers and website pages, the Walloon Institute is refining its focus in upcoming programming. You'll see a stronger emphasis on reading and writing, up through the grades and across the curriculum. We'll offer a smaller number of course titles, but with more choices, speakers, and hands-on workshops within those vital topics. And we've developed a new Institute schedule built around key literacy structures (like writing workshop, literature circles, writing across the curriculum, and reading workshop) that devotes a full day to each of these "best practices."

Since we began in 1989, Walloon has always been about growing lifelong readers and writers. We've had strands on reading, writing and curriculum development in all 27 programs that we've run over 15 years. But more recently, we added courses on school reform, high school restructuring, school district leadership, and related topics. While we're proud to have served in those areas, and treasure the people we've met while doing that work, we are happily returning to our original mission. Our 4,500 alumni keep reminding us that Walloon provides a unique and powerful kind of professional development in K-12 literacy that no other program quite matches. And our veteran faculty is eager to do what they do best - helping you help your students to fall in love with books, writing, inquiry, and the power of words. I hope this sounds as good to you as it does to us.

See you soon at the new/old Walloon!

Smokey Daniels

For 17 years, the Walloon Institute has been offering summer institutes for educators in resort locations around the Midwest. With wonderful faculty like Donald Graves, Lucy Calkins, Regie Routman, Alfie Kohn, and Ralph Fletcher, we have also grown steadily. The last couple of years, we have realized that we need some help in the "back room" - where websites, hotel bookings, registration forms, graduate credit, and such vital logistics are handled. And we've found the most logical and friendly possible partner: Heinemann Professional Development.

This pairing is a natural one in many ways. Many Walloon speakers and core staff publish books with Heinemann, so we are already "family." Lots of us also work as speakers through Heinemann Speakers and Workshops, so we know firsthand how efficient and organized these folks are. In fact, many of us Wallooners and the staff in Portsmouth are already friends, and we just like working with each other. But most important, we are philosophically together; Walloon and Heinemann are allied in a quest for better literacy programs, more progressive school leadership, and improved instructional practices for all young people.

Walloon will work the same as it always has. Along with our core faculty, I'll be planning the courses, selecting speakers, putting the program together, and (for better or worse) hosting the Institute. You probably won't notice any changes, except for a little quicker return of your phone call, a better-looking website, and your name spelled correctly on your name-tag when you arrive in Lake Geneva next summer. But those aren't small things, are they? Please join us in July for our 15th annual Institute, where we'll be working side by side with our colleagues from Heinemann to make this the best professional development experience you've ever had.

Harvey "Smokey" Daniels
Director

The Walloon faculty are dedicated to showing the relevance, practicality, and high student challenge inherent in the progressive teaching methods recommended by national standards documents. We help schools to create classrooms that are highly experiential and active, with increased levels of student choice and responsibility, leading to high achievement as reflected on the customary measures of student performance. At each of our summer programs, we include all stakeholders in the educational process—teachers, parents, administrators, consultants, external partners, and students. Visit our Philosophy page for more information.

We are offering three topics options for Summer 2006!
• What's New with Literature Circles
• Reading Strategies and Comprehension Tools
• The Curriculum of Writing Workshop

Visit our Topics section for detailed descriptions of each course.

Our faculty is a dynamic team of authors, classroom teachers, national consultants, parent leaders, and student interns who practice what they preach. Visit our Faculty page for a list of this year's presenters and speakers.

These institutes are designed for educators and parent leaders working from the primary grades up through high school and into college. We welcome both individuals and teams of educators representing a given district or school. To us, the optimal team includes classroom teachers representing different grade levels and buildings, supporting principals and central office staff, and key active parents. Teams who are designing or running new small schools are especially encouraged to attend.

Our schedule features a Sunday mid-afternoon arrival, with classes running through Wednesday at 5:00pm. Monday through Wednesday, we have a three-part schedule. Visit our Schedule page for a more specific look at each day.

Yes! Visit our Credit page for details.

We offer five different book discussion opportunities during the course of the week. We will announce a list of titles on the website during the spring (be sure to email us your suggestions). Based on your suggestions, we will pick a mix of adult and young people's books, announce the titles, set up rooms and times. Then it is up to you—the participants will run the conversation, just like we have the kids do in our classroom literature circles. Visit our Book Clubs page for more information, sample listings, and a previous year's list.

The Walloon Institute will be held at Lake Lawn Resort. Special room rates have been negotiated for Wallooners!

Visit our Accommodations section for details and information on making reservations.

The CCS has a small number of private foundation grants awarded to assist specific CPS schools. If your school has such a grant, your principal will know about it. If you are eligible for such support, do not call the hotel's 800 number, instead, simply call Cherie Bartlett at Heinemann Workshops 800.541.2086, ext. 1148. Grants generally cover registration fees and shared double rooms; if you want a single, that would be an upgrade you must pay for.

Visit our Accommodations section for details and information on making reservations.

No, but please consider this: Walloon is designed to be a residential retreat for educators, where much valuable interaction happens at meals, during the evenings, on the lake and the tennis courts, on the fitness trail—even in the spa. You'll get a richer experience and feel more "plugged in" if you stay at headquarters. But yes, if you live close enough to commute to Lake Geneva daily, or if you wish stay in some other hotel or campground (or sleep in your car) you are welcome to attend Walloon. (Please note: we have room for only fifty of these commuter slots, so register very early.)

Visit our Accommodations section for details and information on making reservations.

Yes!

Parents are a critical ingredient in school improvement and are key members of each school's team. And we know how hard it can be for parents (and teachers) to attend retreats like this one. Make Walloon Institute a family experience! There is so much to do in the Lake Geneva area for your visiting family while you attend sessions and so much more to do as a family while you explore the area in the evening.

Call Lake Lawn Resort for suggestions, rental information, maps etc. at 800.338.5253 or visit their website www.lakelawnresort.com.

Visit our Accommodations section for details and information on making reservations.

An 7-meal plan is included with all registrations. We serve a buffet-style continental breakfast daily from 7:30 to 8:30 A.M., and lunch every day around 12:00. The hotel is sensitive to the healthy, vegetable-oriented dining preferences of many Wallooners, and knows how to offer plenty of choices for everyone.

Dinner Tuesday night is included in your meal plan and on Sunday and Monday evening, we prowl the area's many fine restaurants. This area is blessed with scores of enjoyable, resorty (and even a couple of first-rate upscale) restaurants. It would be a shame to come here and not try Kirchs's or the Tour du Bois. The Walloon Institute's resident restaurant critics will provide an annotated list of suggested dining options in your packet.

Walloon returns this year to the Geneva Lakes area, one of the Midwest's premier destinations. Lake Geneva, on the Illinois -Wisconsin border, is about 1 ˝ hours from Chicago and an hour from Milwaukee. This year we'll be at the Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, WI. Visit our Accommodations section for information.

The hotel headquarters for the Walloon Institute is at Lake Lawn Resort located in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It is easy to find, right between Chicago and Milwaukee, and just a bit west. For detailed directions, please click here.

Heinemann Workshops, 361 Hanover Street, Portsmouth NH 03801
Federal ID# 06-1154537

We accept checks, purchase orders, and credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express) via mail, credit cards and approved purchase orders via phone and fax.

Unfortunately because Walloon usually fills to maximum capacity, registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis, therefore we do require prepayment. We consider a purchase order from your school or district prepayment. We will invoice your school but the invoice will not be due until after Walloon is over.