Offered for the first time in Fall 2025, “Community Engaged Writing” (ENG 428) is a service-learning course that challenges students to work with regional organizations in a professional environment.
Assisting either The Wisconsin Writers Association or the Door County Historical Museum, student groups conducted original, client-driven writing projects while emphasizing community impact. The course frames “community” broadly, encompassing the client and the populations they serve, as well as the student teams themselves. To complete these projects, student groups first researched their respective clients’ values and audiences. They then designed and managed complex writing and editorial workflows, and produced original, publishable materials that responds to client needs. Students were responsible for establishing deadlines and viable timelines, manage shifting expectations (both from clients and among themselves), and collaborate with professionalism.
By situating students in this real-world writing and editorial environment, “Community Engaged Writing” prepared students to work with clients in an authentic manner while also developing those intra-personal communications skills that are vital to successfully meeting client expectations.
Below are the two news releases written for the class.
January 2, 2026
THE DOOR COUNTY MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES TEAM UP WITH UWGB STUDENTS
Service-learning course group takes charge of a new educational packet for use of Door County Museum
Instructor’s Note: This release was written at the end of the Spring 2025 semester by Liliah Van Winkle, a student in the course, and edited by the instructor, Kris Purzycki.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Door County Museum and Archives (DCMA) has joined forces with a group of students from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay to create numerous materials, most notably an education packet for local schools. The students were led by UW-Green Bay Professor Kristopher Purzycki in the course Community Engaged Writing which contained opportunities to professionally draft and compose materials for a local business in exchange for valuable skills in the workforce.
The new course English 428: Practicum in Community-Engaged Writing, taught by Purzycki, provided students with hands-on experience in responding to real-world professional inquiries. Through
partnerships with local Wisconsin businesses, students are introduced to authentic organizational challenges and are tasked with developing thoughtful, client-centered solutions. Working as a group, they analyzed the client’s needs, researched potential approaches, and produced deliverables that address the identified problem. These projects developed key professional competencies, including entrepreneurial thinking, effective team communication, leadership, and writing skills, preparing students for work in professional settings.
“Working with the Door County Museum and Archives has been an incredible learning experience,” said UW-Green Bay student in the course Abe Blumin. “Personally I’ve gotten to learn much more about Door County than I ever have before. Working on ways to improveoutreach has been very fulfilling as well, as a team have worked and made a teacher’s packet, a scavenger hunt, field trip drives and social media posts. We’ve gotten to explore different ideas to market the museum to schools around the state and it’s very rewarding knowing we’ve helped a museum fulfill some of its community outreach!” Showing the impact a partnership like this has on not only the partaking business but also the students.
The Door County Museum and Archives, founded in 1939, still today features a vast collection of Wisconsin’s history and continues to focus on community outreach to share its knowledge with the surrounding community. They are hoping to expand beyond the parameters of just Door County and entrust their history into all Wisconsinites.
January 2, 2026
THE WISCONSIN WRITERS ASSOCIATION PARTNERS WITH UWGB STUDENTS
Students in service-learning course create a new membership packet for statewide organization
Instructor’s Note: This release was written at the end of the Spring 2025 semester by Ashley Ermis, a student in the course, and edited by the instructor, Kris Purzycki.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA) has teamed up with students from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay to create a packet of materials for new members. The course, Community Engaged Writing, is a service-learning course where students create documents for an organization while gaining practical skills in client relations and incomposing and editing professional materials.
The practicum in Community-Engaged Writing, led by UW-Green Bay Professor Kristopher Purzycki, is an English course pitting students up against real-world challenges. Paired with a real client, students are challenged to help solve problems that this client is facing. These projects benefit students by improving their writing, leadership and communication abilities. Working with the WWA board of directors, a team of five members helped the organization with their newest endeavor: spreading the word of the WWA to attract new members.
“One of the objectives of the course,” described Purzycki, “is to introduce students to the experience of working with clients that have real needs. The WWA has been an exceptional partner in supporting this objective and, in turn, helping to further develop this new course.”
Project manager Ashley Ermis, a major in the bachelor of Fine Arts program, was an intern with WWA assisting with grant-writing and other tasks, when she realized there was a partnership opportunity. “It was clear,” Ermis describes, “that working together could offer students a connection to the WWA network of Wisconsin writers while also helping the organization.” In addition to serving the WWA, students like Ermis have also found it beneficial on a professional level. “For me,” she continues, “working with the WWA has helped me develop my leadership skills as well as knowledge of technical writing.” Others on the team have built marketing and publicity skills, and the capacity to work with clients in an efficient manner.
Founded in 1948, the Wisconsin Writers Association was established to promote community storytelling and state literature. The WWA has since grown into a vibrant statewide network through workshops, conferences, and its signature Jade Ring Contest. For over seventy-five years, the WWA has continued to support Wisconsin s literary culture through its programs, publications, and community of writers.
If you would like more information about the course, please contact Kristopher Purzycki at purzyckk@uwgb.edu.