Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day from 826!

This Valentine's Day, we here at 826 National hope you take some time to remember the people and things you love. For example, we love all of our student writing. Like this relationship advice written by 826NYC student Darious, who was 8 at the time:

Darious's Advice for Valentine's Day

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Join us and Sappi Fine Paper in San Francisco on Feb. 23

Our friends at Sappi Fine Paper have teamed with 826 for the 2012 edition of their annual design journal, The Standard. This year's edition, titled "Special Effects," is packed with gorgeous photos, illustrations, and typography, all inspired by the creative themes of the 826 storefronts.

To celebrate this collaboration, Sappi and AIGA San Francisco are holding a release party in San Francisco on Feb. 23. Join us a for conversation between designer Kit Hinrichs and 826 National CEO Gerald Richards. Drinks and snacks are at 6pm, presentations follow at 7pm, and best of all, everyone who attends gets an advance copy of The Standard. RSVP today, and if you're not in San Francisco, don't fret! This is just the first event of a 10-city tour, so watch for future dates.

UPDATE: If you're in Dallas, check out Sappi's The Standard event there on February 28!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Let's Celebrate Mara O'Brien!

It is with heavy hearts that we announce that co-founder Mara O'Brien will be stepping down from her role as Executive Director of 826CHI.

As most of you know, Mara O’Brien has been with 826CHI from the very beginning. With Leah Guenther, Mara opened the center on Milwaukee Avenue in 2005, and grew 826CHI from an empty storefront to its current state – a thriving learning center serving over 3,000 students last year. When 826CHI started, there were a few dozen volunteers, and now there are over 2,000 on our roster. During Mara’s tenure as ED, 826CHI has served over 10,000 students, produced hundreds of student publications, run over 500 field trips, and has worked with 355 schools. Read the entire announcement.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Raise (and re-raise) money for 826NYC at Poker With Jokers

If you're a poker player, you rely on stoic expressions to conceal your plays. But let's see how well you hold your gaze when pitted against someone who can make you laugh as much as comedian David Cross or reveal your deepest thoughts like This American Life host Ira Glass. That's exactly what could happen at 826NYC's Poker With Jokers event on February 11.

After you sign up, you raise funds to use for betting. The more you raise, the longer you'll last (unless you love going all-in). Register to play here, or support a player here. The winner not only receives a signed trophy from Ira and David, but also the good feeling of knowing that all the money raised benefits 826NYC's free student writing programs. And if that doesn't bring a smile to your face, we'd wager you're a favorite to win.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Sent through the Wormhole: Stories from 826LA

"Wasabi. I hate wasabi. I quiver at the sight of it," writes 826LA student Jamise Caesar in her new piece Wasabi Blues. "Its maliciously potent aroma makes me anxious, and its faded, tinge-of-vomit green hue makes me nauseous. I haven’t suffered very many traumas in my life, but the moment I had the misfortune of enduring the 'unique taste' of wasabi is definitely among the few of my physically and mentally scarring ordeals."

You can read the rest of Jamise's piece and other funny, touching, and creative stories by 826LA students in our Student Writing Gallery. The submissions highlight our students' endless imaginations, whether they're creating dogs with superpowers or chronicling the history of chocolate. Their work always impresses us because, as Ivan Tovar can tell you, writing isn't easy.

Monday, January 23, 2012

New year, new 826 logo, new mugs and totes

Did you make a New Year's resolution to give back to the world, become a coffee connoisseur, and start using sustainable bags at the supermarket? Fulfill all those resolutions and support our student writing programs in one shot by buying an 826 National mug or tote bag. Just read how the mug and tote have changed people's lives:

"Before my 826 tote, I was carrying all my books in my hands. Despite the diminished upper arm workouts, I'm so much more productive now. Thanks, 826!" - Craig, guy we witnessed on the street with way too many books in his hands

"I've noticed that coffee tastes approximately 826 times better when I drink it out of this mug!" - Amanda, 826 National Intern

Featuring our stylish, brand-new logo, mugs are only $8 and totes are only $12, plus shipping and handling. Or perhaps you also resolved to save money, in which case you can get both for the discounted price of $18 - just look for the offer at the bottom of each page. Resolutions, done! And it's not even February.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

826 National welcomes new board member Terry Wit

We are thrilled to announce that Terry Wit, a partner in the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, is the newest member of our Board of Directors. In 2011, Super Lawyers Magazine named Terry as a "Northern California Rising Star" in business litigation, and he has also consulted for a number of notable nonprofits. Over the past several months he's worked tirelessly to help improve 826 materials.

"As the father of a five-year old who has recently started 'writing' books about superheroes, evil chefs, and robots, I want to do whatever I can to help out an organization that brings that same love of books and writing to kids everywhere," Terry said in a recent Q&A in our newsletter. You can read the full interview here. We are so excited to have him on our board!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Give back to your community on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

January 16 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. 826 National is honored to join this call-to-action by inviting you to volunteer time in your community this week. You can use the MLK Day website's "Find a Project" page to find opportunities.

Of course, if you live near an 826 chapter, this would be a perfect time to consider volunteering with 826. If you are already one of our valued volunteers, please drop in to help during after-school tutoring or sign up to volunteer with a field trip or in-schools project. We'd love to hear about your adventures in 826 volunteering, so share them with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Reporting on an amazing 2011

We at 826 National would like to extend an enormous thank you to the generous individuals who donated, picked up something from our store, volunteered, or told a friend about our work in 2011. You can read about our busy year in 826 National's 2010-2011 Annual Report. Beautifully designed by Oliver Munday, the report features a number of 826 milestones, including:

We're humbled, thankful, and excited for what the coming year will bring.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Still a few spots open for our upcoming 826 National 101 Seminar

Are you curious about what it takes to start a nonprofit? Interested in an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at 826's business model? Looking for insight into operations, fundraising ideas, and volunteer recruitment and retention? Registration is open for our expanded, two-day 826 National 101 nonprofit management and programming seminar on January 20th and 21st from 10am-5pm on Friday and 9am-3pm on Saturday. Join us at 826 Valencia in San Francisco, or if you've already attended a 101, tell a friend about it. Spots fill up fast, so sign up today!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Check out some Chicago-style writing in the gallery

One of our favorite parts about reading our students’ work is getting to share it. That's why we have a Student Writing Gallery, where we display the ingenious work of our young authors. For your reading pleasure, we've recently added five new pieces from the spies-to-be at 826CHI.

These submissions include a broom named Kid who wants to be a penguin, dreams of Mexico, and a flock of innocent people transforming into ducks (and no, they are not Animagi). You'll also find two poems, one inspired by the work of Edward Gorey and the other about a tragic car ride. These works do a great job of displaying the prowess and range of our young writers. Click here to enjoy their work, and remember: The Writing Gallery is open for submissions from students ages 6-18! Send yours to submissions [at] 826national.org for consideration.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Rockin' around the 826 centers this December

Across the country, 826 chapters are preparing for the holiday season with events galore, all of which benefit their free writing and tutoring programs. Here's a tour of upcoming 826 happenings across the land:

These events fill up fast, so don't delay if you're interested. Get involved with your local chapter to learn more about the fun times to be had at the 826 in your area!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

What are the top five ways to support 826 this holiday season?

#1. Donate
When you donate to 826 National, whether it's one dollar or a hundred, you’re helping to keep our innovative tutoring, writing, and publishing programs free. Last year more than 29,000 students, ages 6- 18, from under-resourced public schools in Washington state to Washington, D.C., participated in 826 programs. Our centers and programs provide young people with the freedom and space to explore their creativity and build their self-confidence. Please join our work and help inspire the next generation of readers and writers!

2. Buy your gifts from the 826 National store
Our chapter storefronts help raise money to underwrite our free student writing programs. Our 826 National store is no different - except that it's built out of ones and zeroes, not bricks and mortar. We've got all kinds of great holiday gifts: books, shirts, and our famous Emergency Novel-Finishing Kit. Support the next generation of writers (we've even got a shirt to help you spot them) today! As a special treat, we're giving away a free 826 button with every purchase, while supplies last!

3. Attend our next 826 101 Seminar
Are you curious about what it takes to start a nonprofit? Interested in an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at 826's business model? Looking for insight into operations, fundraising ideas, and volunteer recruitment and retention? Registration is open for our expanded, two-day 826 National 101 nonprofit management and programming seminar on January 20th and 21st from 10am-5pm on Friday and 9am-3pm on Saturday. Join us at 826 Valencia in San Francisco, or if you've already attended a 101, tell a friend about it. Spots fill up fast, so sign up today!

4. Join our work as an 826 intern or volunteer
Do you have a passion for the arts and education or a hunger to learn about nonprofit administration? If so, then an internship at 826 National is for you.

As an 826 National intern, you volunteer at least 20 hours a week for at least 16 weeks assisting with the day-to-day operations of 826 National in many of the following areas: fundraising, publishing, administration, design, web/tech projects, research and evaluation, or public relations. If you’re interested in starting your own nonprofit, want event planning and development experience, or are looking for a fruitful college internship, then this is the job for you. Apply today!

You can also give your time by volunteering at your local 826 chapter. Last year, nearly 6,000 dedicated volunteers helped 826 centers with tutoring, workshops, and in-school projects. Find out more here.

5. Share our work
If your New Year's resolution is to keep up with all latest from 826 (and whose isn't?), may we suggest signing up for our newsletter? It's the best way to learn about our brilliant students, find out what our chapters are up to, and meet the outstanding members of the 826 community. If e-mails aren't your thing, we'd love for you to follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

If you already do one or all of those things, thank you! Consider telling your friends, social networks, or favorite barista/librarian/haberdasher about us. By the simple act of sharing our work, you're growing our community. That will help us widen our impact as we move into 2012.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Support 826 programs this season with a purchase from our store

What’s better than giving a gift? Giving a gift that gives. This holiday season, a purchase from the 826 National store makes a great gift, and you'll be helping to support our eight nonprofit writing centers nationwide, which served 29,000 students last year! (And, what’s even better than giving a gift that gives? Getting a gift with it: A free 826 button is included with each purchase, while supplies last.)

Our store is packed with goodies like signed books, shirts, and rockin’ tunes. Our handy gift guide will help you sort through the wares.

For a Person Who Likes To Cuddle: Cozy up this winter with good books (may we suggest one with our students writing to First Lady Michelle Obama or a signed book by Michael Chabon or Judd Apatow?) and our ultra warm (and stylish) 826 Snuggie. Quantities are limited, so place your order soon! Reading light included, warm tea is not.

For Someone Who Loves to Write: We know, writing is tough stuff. Treat your favorite scribe to our one and only “Are You Ready to Publish Your Novel" poster, our spirit-boosting Motivational Postcard for Writers Who Need a Little Motivation, or both in our Emergency Novel-Finishing Kit.

For the Creative Kiddo: Awesomely fun writing and drawing ideas await kids (or anyone) with a creative spirit in our 826 Pocket Activity Book with 32 pages of pocket-sized prompts!

For Your Favorite Teacher: Two books. 100 fantastic writing activities. Countless hours of time saved on lesson plans. Grab Don’t Forget to Write for the elementary and secondary grades, our new two-volume set of writing curriculum books features. They feature lessons from 826 volunteers, staff members, and notable names like essayist Sarah Vowell and author Jon Scieszka.

For Anyone Who Hates to Do Laundry: Get ‘em an 826 t-shirt! We’ve got our classic seal logo tees for guys and gals, as well as the adorable 826 Jungle Tee and 826 Flower Tee for little ones. Less laundry is a gift that keeps on giving.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Giving thanks from 826 National

Before we head out of the office to gorge ourselves on turkey (or tofurkey!) and mashed potatoes, we wanted to reflect on the many things we're thankful for. The dedicated staff at the 826 centers, the creative students, the thousands of volunteers who give countless hours to a variety of projects, and the donors who support everything. We could not do any of our work without you.

Here's some personal notes from all of us at 826 National:

Gerald Richards, CEO: "I am thankful to work with such an interesting, creative and talented group of people. Its not everyday that you can come to work excited to spend the day working next to, or across the country from, such awesomeness!"

Jen Benka, Development Director: "I am thankful for the many generous individuals, foundations, and corporations that support 826. It's only with the help of a giving community that 826 can provide close to 30,000 young people from under-resourced schools with free, skill-building and creativity-inducing programs each year."

Erin Archuleta, Director of Field Operations and Strategy: "I'm thankful for the 826 teams who helped our students produce 850 amazing publications last year."

Ryan Lewis, Director of Research and Evaluation: "I'm thankful for our wildly creative and hard-working 826 teams across the country, who make it fun for our students to learn important and challenging skills each day by invoking the powers of whimsy, wonder, spontaneity, variety, and, of course, robot emotions."

Mariama Lockington, Operations Manager: "I am thankful and continually awed by the enthusiasm and creativity 826 National interns share with our office each day."

Kent Green, Social Media Manager "I'm thankful for having way too much exciting 826 chapter news - from apps to awards, from events to essays - to share every day."

McKenna Stayer, Intern: "I'm thankful for an office environment where I can spend a morning volunteering each week at 826 Valencia's Storytelling and Bookwriting field trips, and my supervisors not only support me, but can't wait to hear how it went when I get back!"

Kyli Sessions, Intern: "I'm thankful for 826 Snuggies to climb into after devouring double portions of pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes."

Rooney, Director of Tennis Ball Retrieval and Senior Vice President, Morale-Boosting: "Woof woof woof, woof. Pant, woof. Snore."