826 Michigan
Encyclopedia
826michigan is a nonprofit organization (located in Ann Arbor, Michigan
) dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
, a group of local writers came together to bring the 826 mission to Ann Arbor. 826 Valencia, which was founded by writer Dave Eggers
and teacher Nínive Calegari was the first of seven 826 chapters, which pioneered the organizations' dedication to student writing. Originally located on South State Street, near Briarwood Mall
, 826michigan relocated to its downtown Ann Arbor location on October 1, 2007.
826michigan currently runs with only three full time employees and relies heavily on its community of over 300 volunteers. This includes board members, interns, teachers, store staff, writers, and more.
826michigan currently serves over 2000 students, aged 6–18, in Southeast Michigan
. Programming includes drop-in tutoring, after school workshops, in-school residencies, and student publications. Workshops and tutoring cover all manners of writing, from poetry to college admissions essays. In accordance with the 826 mission statement, programs are dedicated to offering one-on-one attention to students and engaging them in a fun and challenging way. All programs are offered free of charge.
s themselves, and serves as a storefront for 826michigan. In addition to selling items like positronic brain
s, robot arms, and a variety of mechanical toy
s, the store also stocks publications written by 826 students, as well as back issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern and other McSweeney's
publications.
2007 titled, "I am not a Philosopher, I am just a Green Monster." 826michigan's crotchety editor, Thaddeus Blotch, refused to negotiate, and the monsters thus remained at the former State Street location apart from the store. In their absence, the Monster Union's Liberty Street location was left unprotected, and in the spring of 2008 robots staged a full takeover, opening the LSRS&R in its place on May 17, 2008.
The Robot Store is part of the 826 tradition of operating a novelty store front along with the writing centers. The concept for such stores originated largely out of necessity. The flagship chapter
, located at 826 Valencia Street, in San Francisco's Mission District
was, and still is, housed in a commercially zoned
building. Their pirate store was opened to satisfy both the zoning laws and the founders'
sense of humor. With the success of the pirate store, each 826 chapter has subsequently opened its own novelty store. The storefronts help to draw community attention and provide additional income for the non-profit writing centers.
-inspired film criticism and epistolary poem writing workshops), and all are taught by volunteer writers, artists, educators, and publishing professionals. Workshops are offered year round and totally free of charge. 826michigan occasionally offers adult writing workshops as well.
In 2009, 826michigan teamed up with Michigan Works! program Youth Works to develop a blogging project for Youth Works interns.
s. Some programs also allow for less traditional publishing opportunities; In both 2008 and 2009, student poetry was displayed on the walls of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
bus fleet.
Students from 826michigan have also contributed to the Best American Nonrequired Reading series and the 826 National
publication Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country, a collection of student letters to Barack Obama
.
is an umbrella organization that works toward duplicating the successful 826 Valencia
program in youth writing centers across the country. 826NYC
(in Park Slope, Brooklyn
) opened in September 2004, 826LA
(in Venice, CA), 826 Seattle
, and 826 Chicago opened in 2005, and 826 Boston
opened in 2007. 826 National's current CEO is educator Nínive Calegari
.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
History
826michigan opened its doors on June 1, 2005. Modeled after the already successful 826 Valencia826 Valencia
826 Valencia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.-Overview:...
, a group of local writers came together to bring the 826 mission to Ann Arbor. 826 Valencia, which was founded by writer Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
and teacher Nínive Calegari was the first of seven 826 chapters, which pioneered the organizations' dedication to student writing. Originally located on South State Street, near Briarwood Mall
Briarwood Mall
Briarwood Mall is a shopping mall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. The mall's four anchor stores are Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, and Von Maur. Surrounded by office and other development, the mall anchors the southern Ann Arbor commercial area around Eisenhower Boulevard and I-94. It serves as...
, 826michigan relocated to its downtown Ann Arbor location on October 1, 2007.
826michigan currently runs with only three full time employees and relies heavily on its community of over 300 volunteers. This includes board members, interns, teachers, store staff, writers, and more.
826michigan currently serves over 2000 students, aged 6–18, in Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan
Southeast Michigan, also called Southeastern Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that is home to a majority of the state's businesses and industries as well as slightly over half of the state's population, most of whom are concentrated in Metro...
. Programming includes drop-in tutoring, after school workshops, in-school residencies, and student publications. Workshops and tutoring cover all manners of writing, from poetry to college admissions essays. In accordance with the 826 mission statement, programs are dedicated to offering one-on-one attention to students and engaging them in a fun and challenging way. All programs are offered free of charge.
Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair
Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair supplies Ann Arbor with supplies for both robot enthusiasts and robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s themselves, and serves as a storefront for 826michigan. In addition to selling items like positronic brain
Positronic brain
A positronic brain is a fictional technological device, originally conceived by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Its role is to serve as a central computer for a robot, and, in some unspecified way, to provide it with a form of consciousness recognizable to humans...
s, robot arms, and a variety of mechanical toy
Mechanical toy
Mechanical toys are powered by mechanical energy, for example using rubber bands, springs, and flywheels. Mechanical toys use four types of different movements, these are called Rotary , Linear , Reciprocating and...
s, the store also stocks publications written by 826 students, as well as back issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern and other McSweeney's
McSweeney's
McSweeney's is an American publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers.Apart from its book list, McSweeney's is responsible for four regular publications: the quarterly literary journal,...
publications.
Background
LSRS&R replaced 826michigan's previous operation, the Monster Union. The change largely coincided with 826michigan's move to 115 E. Liberty Street. The monsters strongly preferring the original basement location to the more high profile, downtown store, went on strike and released an album of protest songs on HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
2007 titled, "I am not a Philosopher, I am just a Green Monster." 826michigan's crotchety editor, Thaddeus Blotch, refused to negotiate, and the monsters thus remained at the former State Street location apart from the store. In their absence, the Monster Union's Liberty Street location was left unprotected, and in the spring of 2008 robots staged a full takeover, opening the LSRS&R in its place on May 17, 2008.
The Robot Store is part of the 826 tradition of operating a novelty store front along with the writing centers. The concept for such stores originated largely out of necessity. The flagship chapter
826 Valencia
826 Valencia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.-Overview:...
, located at 826 Valencia Street, in San Francisco's Mission District
Mission District, San Francisco, California
The Mission District, also commonly called "The Mission", is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA, originally known as "the Mission lands" meaning the lands belonging to the sixth Alta California mission, Mission San Francisco de Asis...
was, and still is, housed in a commercially zoned
Commercial district
A commercial district or commercial zone is any part of a city or town in which the primary land use is commercial activities , as opposed to a residential neighbourhood, an industrial zone, or other types of neighbourhoods...
building. Their pirate store was opened to satisfy both the zoning laws and the founders'
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
sense of humor. With the success of the pirate store, each 826 chapter has subsequently opened its own novelty store. The storefronts help to draw community attention and provide additional income for the non-profit writing centers.
Other Storefronts
- 826 Valencia826 Valencia826 Valencia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.-Overview:...
: Pirate Supply Store - 826NYC826nyc826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write...
: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. - 826LA826LA826LA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills and helping teachers inspire their students to write. Programs are structured around the beliefs that great leaps in learning can happen with...
: Echo Park Time Travel Mart - 826CHI: The Boring Store (Spy Store)
- 826 Seattle826 Seattle826 Seattle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. It is a regional chapter of the 826 National organization, founded by authors Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida...
: Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. - 826 Boston826 Boston826 Boston is a nonprofit writing and tutoring center located in Egleston Square, a community situated between the Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston...
: The Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute
Tutoring
During the academic school year 826michigan hosts drop-in tutoring for students aged 6–18. Volunteer tutors work one-on-one with students on homework, projects, and studying in all school subjects.Workshops
826michigan's extracurricular workshops are designed to foster creativity and strengthen writing skills in students. Workshops range from the playful to the practical (including, in 2009, Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
-inspired film criticism and epistolary poem writing workshops), and all are taught by volunteer writers, artists, educators, and publishing professionals. Workshops are offered year round and totally free of charge. 826michigan occasionally offers adult writing workshops as well.
Summer Programming
During the summer months, 826michigan works with Community Action Network and several Ann Arbor community centers (including Hikone, Green Baxter Court and Bryant) to do writing workshops with low-income communities.In 2009, 826michigan teamed up with Michigan Works! program Youth Works to develop a blogging project for Youth Works interns.
Publications
Many 826michigan programs culminate in the publishing of student work. In-school residencies and partnerships with various organizations, such as Ozone House and the Neutral Zone produce books, literary journals, and zineZine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
s. Some programs also allow for less traditional publishing opportunities; In both 2008 and 2009, student poetry was displayed on the walls of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority
The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority , which brands itself as "The Ride," is the public transit system serving the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan, area....
bus fleet.
List of Publications
- Vacansopapurosophobia: Fear of a Blank Page (2006)
- Suddenly My Heart Stopped for Just a Small Portion of Time (2006)
- Unsquared: Ann Arbor Writers Unleash Their Edgiest Stories and Poems (2006)
- Vacansopapurosophobia 2 (2007)
- If I Ever Saw Mr. JK, I Would Ask Him These Things (2007)
- Strange Mysteries! (2008)
- Tall Tales & True Stories (2008)
- Fairy Tale Poems (2008)
- I Am Thankful for the Moon So I Can See in the Dark (2008)
- The 826michigan OMNIBUS (2008)
- Ekphrastic is Fantastic (2009)
- How To Rise or I Put My Heart Into the Close (2009)
Students from 826michigan have also contributed to the Best American Nonrequired Reading series and the 826 National
826 National
826 National is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6–18, with expository and creative writing at eight locations across the USA...
publication Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country, a collection of student letters to Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
826 National
826 National826 National
826 National is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6–18, with expository and creative writing at eight locations across the USA...
is an umbrella organization that works toward duplicating the successful 826 Valencia
826 Valencia
826 Valencia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.-Overview:...
program in youth writing centers across the country. 826NYC
826nyc
826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write...
(in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
) opened in September 2004, 826LA
826LA
826LA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills and helping teachers inspire their students to write. Programs are structured around the beliefs that great leaps in learning can happen with...
(in Venice, CA), 826 Seattle
826 Seattle
826 Seattle is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. It is a regional chapter of the 826 National organization, founded by authors Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida...
, and 826 Chicago opened in 2005, and 826 Boston
826 Boston
826 Boston is a nonprofit writing and tutoring center located in Egleston Square, a community situated between the Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston...
opened in 2007. 826 National's current CEO is educator Nínive Calegari
Nínive Clements Calegari
Nínive Clements Calegari is an educator in the United States. Following ten years of classroom experience in public schools, she became an author and founded a national literacy program.-Biography:...
.
External links
- 826michigan
- Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair
- 826 National
- Photo Tour of 826 Michigan's Monster Union - The Methods Reporter 5/4/07