Adult Class Proposals (All Formats)

Thank you for your interest in teaching with the Loft! This proposal form is accepting applications on a rolling basis while this project is live.

On our website, we have resources and FAQs to assist you in submitting proposals. Before contacting Program Manager of Education Marianne Manzler <mmanzler@loft.org> with questions, please review the following:

We offer optional office hours for proposal-related questions or application feedback to answer any questions. RSVP here for an upcoming teaching artist information session. Book a 15-minute feedback session with one of our education associates.

Loft’s Mission & Vision

The Loft advances the power of writers and readers to craft and share stories, to create and celebrate connections, and to build just, life-sustaining communities.

We envision a world where the power of the word liberates minds, deepens relationships, and inspires movements for people and planet. As an antiracist organization, the Loft develops literary experiences for writers, readers, and storytellers because racism dehumanizes people, and poetry and stories deepen our connection to our shared humanity. Recognizing the relationship between race, power, and resources, we prioritize the engagement of BIPOC/marginalized communities and work for the equitable distribution of our power and resources.The Loft is dedicated to offering classes that are imaginative, multicultural, and responsive. We seek reading lists, class content, and approaches to discussions on craft that are inclusive and diverse, as well as timely, contemporary and accessible (readily available online, not out of print).

Teaching Statement

You must include a strong, considered statement on how your class plan and teaching strategies will align with the Loft’s goal to be equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist in its classrooms and with its programming. Here are some suggested resources—especially if you need help leading and navigating classroom discussions of student work as they relate to these topics:

How to Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
A Good Time for the Truth, edited by Sun Yung Shin
Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses
Anti-Racism Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez
Appropriate: A Provocation by Paisley Rekdal

Online Learning Resources:

For an idea of how the Loft continues to build knowledge and capacity on this, please visit Team Dynamics.com and IDIInventory.com National SEED Project (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) ASDICircle.org. These are just a few of the many resources available on creating an inclusive learning environment in your classroom; if you are unsure of how to do this, or don't understand how to articulate how your lesson plan and teaching strategies will create this kind of environment in your classroom, feel free to connect with the Loft's Education Manager before you propose your class - Marianne Manzler <mmanzler@loft.org>.

The Loft will deliver classes in two formats for the winter/spring term 2025 and summer term 2025:

In-Person Classes take place at Open Book, in downtown Minneapolis, in a Loft classroom space.
Online/Zoom Classes via Zoom. Multi-week Online/Zoom classes also come with the optional Google Classroom supplement to make materials available to students.
Asynchronous Classes via Thinkific (TBD on when this will be ready for implementation with teaching artists)

What We're Looking For

Short stories, speculative nonfiction, children's literature and young adult, poetry, digital storytelling; youth classes

Classes that address the Loft Theme: TBD

Strong and flexible lesson plans. Loft classes give writers opportunities to engage with their teaching artist and one another, while also providing instruction on craft, engaging discussion, and in-class writing activities, as well as writing prompts students can work on between class meetings. Teaching artists are encouraged to give their students a syllabus or overview of the class on day one, as that gives them a sense of what to expect.

6-Week Asynchronous Class. What kinds of class topics would be a good fit for an asynchronous learning environment? Check out Lit!Commons to get a sense for the platform and style.

Single Session Classes. If this is your first time teaching a class with the Loft (or if you haven't taught a class with the Loft in the last five years), please only propose a single, 3-hour or 4-hour class. From there, we will gauge audience interest and can work together to see if a multi-week format is right for your class. Thank you!

Please refer to the Loft’s Teacher Guide to see if your class might be a fit.

What we are not looking for

We have not had success with classes that feel academic in nature (e.g., assigning academic writing texts, theoretical texts, reading lists that are too long, reading workshops built around classics) or are too niche (e.g., somatic writing, writing in translation). Please get to know our catalog and current offerings to see what we do at loft.org.

Fall Class Proposal Timeline

Fall class proposals accepted until mid-May.

May 16, 2024 | Fall Proposals Due

May - June 2024 | Education team selects classes and selection notification begins

June 28, 2024 | Fall Registration Opens Online

September 17, 2024 - December 12, 2024 | Fall Session

Winter/Spring Proposal Timeline

Winter/spring class proposals accepted until early September.

September - November | Education team reviews classes and selection notification begins

November | Winter registration opens online

Winter/spring session: January 21 - April 19

FY 24-25 | Access Funds pool is open and accepts applications on a rolling basis

Summer Proposal Timeline

Summer class proposals accepted until early March.

March - April | Education team reviews classes and selection notification begins

April | Summer registration opens online

Winter/spring session: June 18 - August 20

FY 24-25 | Access Funds pool is open and accepts applications on a rolling basis

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.

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