826michigan has traversed many seasons over the past fifteen years. We’ve gone from a scrappy startup to a slightly-less-scrappy-and-still-spirited nonprofit, from serving one city to serving three cities, from one learning lab to two. We have experienced periods of growth and months of coalescence, times of joy and moments of…
Volunteers are the heart and soul of 826michigan, but there are some volunteers who are our heart, soul, and essential organs. They are so deeply a part of the work we do that we can’t imagine life without them. Jim Ottaviani is one of those volunteers. The entire staff was…
826michgan Programs will be completely virtual for the 2020-21 school year. We have launched Virtual Schoolwork Support (formerly called After-school Tutoring) and Writing with Wee-bots, with Write Now Writing Kits and partnership writing opportunities available for distance writing and learning. More programs are still to come, and all of…
We’re not sure where we’d be right now if it weren’t for Justin Schell and Travis Blake. When they answered our call for video support, we were in the middle of our transition to online programs. What we had: lots of questions, many ideas, plenty of worries. What Travis and…
Running programs on Zoom can be really different than meeting in person, and our students have handled our transition in various ways. Some students seem more hesitant to speak up, especially in larger Zoom rooms. But when Connie Powers enters the room, everyone lights up. Connie’s warmth, energy, and enthusiasm…
MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2020 Though Governor Whitmer has lifted Michigan’s stay-at-home order and partially permitted the reopening of non-essential business in our state, 826michigan’s writing centers do remain closed. For the safety and health of our students, volunteers, staff, and our extended 826michigan community, we will continue to implement our distance…
Dear Friends, Today, in the year 2020, we find ourselves in a horrific and overwhelming time of violence, anger and loss. Instead of flying cars and teleportation devices, we are facing civil unrest reminiscent of the 1960’s. Incidents of violence and murder, involving Breonna Taylor, David McAtee (Kentucky), Ahmaud Arbery (Georgia),…
Hello, Friends! Are you up for the challenge? Dr. Blotch’s Writing Challenge, 826michigan’s virtual writing challenge, launches next week on our website and social media pages. A regular interrupter of 826michigan’s writing field trips, Dr. Blotch is 826michigan’s nefarious, slimy, and unique editor. Dr. Blotch often calls in and demands…
Hello Friends, There are many, MANY reasons to be grateful for the human beings we’re connected to on this planet, even when we have to practice keeping a little space between us while we collectively work to flatten the COVID-19 infection curve. Please follow this link to connect to…
FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020 Dear 826michigan Friends, One day makes quite a difference. Since we first communicated yesterday, COVID-19 has escalated in our state and thus our need to take action for the health and safety of our entire 826michigan community. At our last check, there are 12…
