The Northern Virginia Writing Project (NVWP) was originally founded in 1977 by George Mason University Professor Don Gallehr, who after attending and feeling inspired by the Bay Area Writing Project Summer Institute, decided to create the NVWP in order to foster a successful learning environment for his students, teachers in their own right. With the support of George Mason University and Fairfax County Public schools, the NVWP began in 1978. As of 2016, over 800,000 students have been taught in their Invitational Summer Institutes to great success. George Mason University remains the home of the NVWP.