Recently, the English Department has developed unique opportunities for students to work with Wittenberg alumi and explore their writing interersts in the form of writing institutes. 

The summer of 2009 hosted The Wittenberg Screenwriting Institute, in which students worked with Witt alum Lauren Schmidt Hissrich in developing a working television pilot.  The summer of 2010 the department opened their second institute, The Wittenberg Journalism Institute, in which selected students got the opportunity to travel to Chicago and work with Chicago Tribune sports columnist and Wittenberg graduate Fred Mitchell.  Over the summer of 2011 students participated in a summer Screenwriting Institute which focused on the production of documentary film.