Course Description

This seminar will provide an update on plain writing principles and the law. If you write for customers and the public—press releases, emails, articles, newsletters, etc.—this seminar will allow you to:

• Discuss plain writing principles
• Learn strategies and tactics for making content plain
• See before-and-after examples
• Hear how the Plain Writing Act of 2010 affects government agencies
• Find where to get additional plain language training and resources
• Learn about the federal plain language community

Learning Objectives

• Prepare your agency to comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010
• Know what plain language means
• Discuss the impact of the Plain Writing Act of 2010

Who Should Attend

Anyone who is new to plain language or needs a plain language refresher course. Anyone who writes, manages, or edits content for government websites and publications, including letters, emails, instructions, etc.

About the Instructor

Katherine Spivey is the General Services Administration’s Plain Language Launcher, coordinating GSA’s plain language program. She is an active member of and trainer for the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN), and teaches plain language courses and holds brownbags.

Before working as Plain Language Launcher, Katherine worked for GSA in the Federal Acquisitions Service in Integrated Technology Services, where she managed web content, coordinated social media, and edited Mary Davie’s blog, Great Government through Technology. Before joining GSA, Katherine was a web content manager at the Department of Homeland Security, web content editor at international law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and website manager at the International Association of Chiefs of Police. She has taught at local community colleges and at the Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico, Virginia. She has an M.A. in English from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in English from the University of Mary Washington.