BC Writing Center earns CARE certification for tutoring services

The Brazosport College Writing Center recently earned Center Acknowledgement and Recognition of Excellence (CARE) certification by the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA).

With this prestigious certification, the BC Writing Center will receive Center Innovation Funds to be used toward tutor professional development, and representatives from SWCA-certified centers will be invited to contribute to future SWCA Research & Development efforts.

The BC Writing Center will also be recognized during the awards and recognition ceremony at the 2022 SWCA conference next year. CARE certification is valid for five years. Brazosport College is one of only 13 writing centers across the country and the only one in Texas to achieve this honor.

BC Writing Center Director Dr. April Sikorski is a passionate proponent of the educational support provided by writing centers and is pleased of her staff’s ability to earn this prestigious certification.

“As a first-generation college student who because an undergraduate writing tutor, I sought out work at a community college writing center so that I could provide the same support to other first-generation students,” Sikorski said. “The writing center was my academic home — a place where I could play with new ideas and think without penalty. I want to facilitate the same experience for other students, both the ones we serve and the ones we staff.

“A lot of work went into this and I can’t express enough how proud I am of my staff for earning CARE certification,” she added.

To earn CARE certification, the BC Writing Center went through a five-step process that included a letter of intent, an application, references and a consultation with the SWCA. These materials illustrated the BC Writing Center’s strong consultant-education program and services targeted to support the BC population.

The CARE program was developed by the SWCA Research & Development Committee as part of its focus on using institutional and organizational research to provide enhanced resources and opportunities for members of the writing center community.

To learn more about the BC Writing Center or to learn more about writing and reading support available for BC students, e-mail april.sikorski@brazosport.edu.