Impact

"My time at 826CHI taught me to value thoughts and trust my voice. There is something so powerful about a community of young writers. I feel that that experience fueled my confidence in my writing but also in myself as a person worth sharing her story."

— Kara Kowalski, student, 826Chicago

At 826 we understand the power of a good story. We know what it is like to read or create a great story. Similarly, the mission of the 826 National Research Team is to help 826 tell its data story, showing the impact of our work on students first and foremost, and also on educators and the communities we work with. We research to measure the impact of our programs network-wide and locally at each chapter. Through our research process, we support the continual improvement of our evidence-based programs, identify best practices as well as lessons learned, and disseminate our findings to the larger field. We tell our data story not just to strengthen our work but also to help move the field of writing education forward.

470K

Students served

11K

Total Instructional hours

15K

Educators served via Digital

1.3K

Student publications

5K

Published students

720

Educator collaborators and teaching artists

2K

Active Volunteers

89%

Students of color

70%

Students from low-income families

We design our programs to provide meaningful student experiences that help them to grow in the following areas: voice, writing skills, and social-emotional learning. For more detail, take a look at our Theory of Change.

Voice Writing skills Social-emotional learning
Expression
Communication
Creativity
Structure
Mechanics
Platforms
Confidence
Self-fulfillment
Persistence
Community
Reflection
Empathy

“826, by design, is a creative space, and the ethos of 826 centers is to encourage creativity. Within 826, there is a ‘culture of creativity’ driven by a set of norms which infuse daily activity, from the tone set by staff to the way in which tutors work with students to the inventiveness of young people once given the okay to explore.

These norms include: experimentation and risk-taking for student writing; respect for diversity of learning styles; honoring diversity of opinion, race, ethnicity and culture; and experimentation for tutors in working with students on homework and writing.”

~Arbor Consulting Partners

The stories below illuminate narratives of a few inspirational, key players across the 826 network who contribute to our mission in different ways. Written by independent researcher/evaluator, Mindy Fried, PhD, of Arbor Consulting Partners, “826 Stories” share perspectives from teachers, students, volunteers, and staff.

 

Marisa Urrutia Gedney | EDUCATOR. LEADER. MENTOR.

Marisa Urrutia Gedney’s story highlights how she evolved in her role at 826 to eventually become a Director of Education at 826LA. Marisa reflects on the importance of making an impact on a community you feel deeply connected to, the … Continue reading

Jenn De Leon | TEACHER. AUTHOR. CHAMPION.

In the spring of 2015, seventh and eighth-grade teacher Jenn De Leon partnered with 826 Boston on their Young Authors’ Book Project (YABP). Her involvement with 826 during this project is explored in this story. As an author herself, Jenn … Continue reading

Rashawnda Williams | SLAM POET. ACTIVIST. YOUTH WRITING AMBASSADOR.

Rashawnda Williams is just one of the many students that came to 826 and blossomed into an empowered writer. She shares about discovering her passion for spoken word, becoming a Youth Writing Ambassador, and the role 826 played in her … Continue reading

Miles Portek | 826NYC Volunteer

826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can … Continue reading