826michigan is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students aged 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. 826 opened its doors in June of 2005. Since then, we have been blessed with students, tutors, and volunteers overflowing with enthusiasm.

We believe that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. To make that a reality, we provide drop-in tutoring, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications.

We also believe that the more fun a student has, and the more directly we speak to a student’s interests, the more we can help students find the fun in learning. That’s why our programs are more than just extra homework. Students can come to 826 for help and inspiration for all kinds of things, from poetry to storytelling, writing songs to writing college entrance essays, finishing novels to starting haikus. And of course, homework of all kinds too.

All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice. And best of all, all 826michigan events and activities are offered completely free of charge.

Our three most frequently asked questions: “No, really? Free? Everything?” Absolutely. 826 was founded on the principle that everyone deserves the opportunity to become a better writer and build a better future. So, yes. Free.

 
The Particulars

Drop-in Tutoring: We offer one-on-one tutoring Monday through Thursday from 3:30-5:30pm. Tutors are available at the lab and ready to help students with writing assignments, homework (any subject), English language learning, creative writing, and publishing projects. We don’t take reservations for tutors—students just drop in and one of our trained volunteer tutors will help the student with anything he or she needs! (Please come with your student on the first day to fill out some paperwork.)

Workshops: We offer all kinds of free after-school and weekend workshops designed to foster creativity, strengthen writing skills, and provide students with a forum for executing projects they might not otherwise have the support to undertake. Workshops range from the playful to the practical, and all are taught by volunteer writers, artists, educators, and publishing professionals.

Publishing: We are committed to making sure that our students have an outlet for the wonderful material they produce. To this end, we help them publish and distribute their work, be it in their own zine, in a specially produced book, or in our quarterly. To this end, we publish two professionally bound books each year - the 826michigan OMNIBUS, our annual student journal and an in-school publication tied to one of our In-school Residencies - and a number of smaller chapbooks, zines, catalogs, and more. Most of our publications are available for sale in our store, the Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair.

Field Trips: 826 is a great destination for school field trips. For younger classes, our Storytelling and Bookmaking trips take a fun and creative approach to writing, both independently and in groups. And at the end, each student gets a professionally bound copy of the book he or she created.

In-school programs: Every single day of the week, our volunteers are working in area classrooms, helping teachers where they need it most, with our In-school Residency Program. We have residencies in five schools in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti this year, serving almost twenty teachers. In-school volunteers work with students who are struggling, facilitate small groups, grade assignments, type up student work, and anything else the teacher requires. We also occasionally offer workshops and in-school editing sessions on an as-requested basis.

Other Programs: As an additional way of fundraising, we also offer nighttime and weekend workshops and seminars for adults. All proceeds from the fees assessed by these programs go directly to student programming at 826michigan. Please keep an eye out for How to Write Like I Do, a series of workshops for adults created for the express purpose of honing craft. Furthermore, we'd love to see you at our free monthly Great Lakes, Great Times Reading Series, in which we invite authors to read from their work.

Our Store: Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair is a factory showroom and one-stop shop for robots, cyborgs, and clockwork mechanisms of all shapes and sizes. We carry a full line of Better Bot’s Repair Co. products, including Positronic Brains, (Replacement) Robot Larynxes, Grasping Appendages (two varieties!), and Clean Slate. We also carry Sushi Buddies, Bot Bells, Robodentures, and the famed Robot Toupee/Party Hat. Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair has everything a bot owner could need, from upgrades to replacements, accessories to items designed specifically to help your robot relate to you! You can find our incredibly popular t-shirts in our online store as well. All proceeds go directly toward supporting the mission and programs of 826michigan. The LSRS&R is generally open Monday through Friday from 10am to 8pm and Saturdays from 12pm to 8pm.

 
Where We Came From

826 Valencia was started in San Francisco by famed writer and editor Dave Eggers. Have you heard of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius or McSweeney’s? Well, he’s behind both. Anyway, a few years back he decided to start a non-profit organization that focused on mentoring kids in creative writing. Founded by Ann Arbor writer Steven Gillis, 826michigan is a chapter of that national non-profit organization. In case you don’t believe us you will notice the official 826National seal on the bottom of our homepage. Through afterschool, drop-in tutoring, field trips, workshops, writing rooms, and various other means, 826’s main goal is to inspire young people and foster their creativity. We take kids very seriously in an often not-so-serious way. Programs are free of charge. We are not responsible for how overwhelmingly creative or thoughtfully energized any young person may be upon leaving 826. We should note that we are housed within the world-renowned Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair.

 
The Brotherhood

826 National is essentially 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. Each 826 will provide the same caliber of volunteer-based, free services for students that 826 Valencia in San Francisco has successfully developed. We couldn’t be more excited.

For more information about 826 National’s progress, please visit the following website: www.826national.org.

 
826michigan Is, Among Other Things:

826 National Founders Dave Eggers & Nínive Clements Calegari Executive Director Amanda Uhle amanda@826michigan.org Program Director Amy Sumerton amy@826michigan.org Superinterns Catherine Calabro Eric Canosa Phoebe Goldberg Interns Kate Balzer Blairbrettschneider April Maas Lauren Pizer Becca Pickus Bethany Rickwald Robert Schuster

Still in Our Hearts, Past Superinterns Becca Bald Kate Balzer Mark Chou Jen Halas Ryan Howard Diana "DK" Kimball Rachel Lieberman April Maas Luke Meinzen Emily Meloche Nicole Premo Hollis "Holla" Bentley Richardson Josh Tetenbaum Connor Timmons Director of Alliteration, Superintern Division Valerie Valentino Director of Homonym Research Luke Meinzen Founder Steve Gillis

Board of Directors Angela Kujava, President Christopher Taylor, Vice President Julia Sheill, Treasurer Jennifer Traig, Secretary Vicky Henry Keith Hood Lauren London Jeff Meyers Jacqui Robbins Laura Wagner Richard Weise Jeffrey Williams Don Woods And an army of dedicated and inspiring volunteers and students, without whom life would certainly be but a vacuous shell of what it has become. Contact Information Address 115 E. Liberty Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734.761.3463 info@826michigan.org Click here for directions.