Don’t Stay Up So Late

Our programs are divided, more or less, into six parts:

Writing Workshops

Every three months, 826michigan releases a brand new writing workshop schedule, consisting of a huge variety of workshops on everything from puppeteering and postcard writing to cartooning to poetry and fiction writing. Each workshop is planned and taught by volunteers, and is designed to promote students’ interest in a particular writing subject— often a subject that wouldn’t be covered by the school curriculum. The diverse professional backgrounds of our volunteers lends a unique slant to every single workshop that is offered. For the current workshop schedule, visit our website at www.826michigan.org.

We also offer a year-round Drop-In Writing workshop—an hour-long time period during which volunteers and students of all ages try a different approach to writing through engaging and unusual exercises.

in-school partnerships

Every year, 826michigan teams up with a school in nearby school districts—most often Ann Arbor, Detroit, or Ypsilanti—for a special long-term project. In the past these projects have focused on specific kinds of writing—memoir, tall tale, mystery—and have culminated in book publications such as Suddenly My Heart Stopped for Just a Small Portion of Time and Tall Tales & True Stories, as well as chapbooks like Strange Mysteries!

The extended nature of these partnerships allows us to go into greater detail and more completely explore the subject matter, affords our volunteers the opportunity to forge stronger relationships with the students, and provides the time necessary for us to help the students all the way through the editing and revision process.

826michigan also offers several In-school Residencies each school year. The purpose of these residencies is twofold. First, they allow us to come to students who may not be able to get to us; second, they allow us to assist teachers where they need it most: in their classrooms. Through our residency program, we send volunteers into the same classrooms every week for an entire school year to assist teachers with various tasks, such as working one-on-one with students, grading papers, facilitating small group work, lesson preparation, cleanup, and any other things the teacher may ask of them.

drop-in tutoring

During the school year, 826michigan offers free drop-in tutoring. Thanks to our huge volunteer tutor force, our writing lab transforms into a place for students to come after school to work on homework or other projects. Here, the students are able to meet individually with tutors and work together to finish their homework.

Drop-In Tutoring is offered every Monday through Thursday when school is in session, beginning at 3:30 pm and ending at 5:30 pm; and Monday through Thursday from 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm at West Middle School in Ypsilanti.

Field Trips

Just about every other Friday throughout the school year, 826michigan hosts classes from local schools for pretty much the most fun you can have on a weekday