Programs - 826DC

Young Authors' Book Project

While every aspect of our programming promotes student voices, no program does so quite like our flagship publishing program: the Young Authors’ Book Project, also known as YABP.

YABP includes students in every aspect of writing, editing, and publishing from the rough pages of drafting to the polished pages of a professionally published product. Past partners have included Capital City Public Charter School and DC’s 2016 Teacher of the Year Topher Kandik of the SEED School of Washington.

Student authors pose with "This Time They Hear You"

Our most recent YABP book, “This Time They Hear You,” is a fully illustrated collection of science-inspired fairytales, each written by a third-grade author from Bridges Public Charter School!

Interested in Bringing YABP to your School?

Let us know

After-School Writing Lab

Mondays through Thursdays can be rough thanks to all the homework that comes with the daily academic grind. From 3:30-6:00 PM, though…POOF! The work gets done during our two-hour Monday-Thursday volunteer-supported homework help sessions, complete with a half-hour of creative writing.

If you’re interested in having your student write with us, fill out the form below and we’ll email you when a spot opens up!

Email Me When a Spot Opens at AWL!

Your Name / Su Nombre*
Your Email / Su Correo Electrónico*
How many students are you interested in signing up? / ¿Cuántos estudiantes esta-usted interesado en inscribirse en AWL?*
Please enter a number from 1 to 10.
Student Grade Level(s) / Nivel(es) de Grado del Estudiante(s)*
How did you hear about 826DC? / ¿Cómo se enteró de 826DC?*
Would you like us to add you to the 826DC newsletter list, if you are not on it already? / ¿Le gustaría recibir el boletín electrónico de 826DC?*
- Yes
- No

Note: After-School Writing Lab is currently only accepting applications from DC-based families whose students receive free or reduced lunch or self-identify as English Language Learners.

Field Trips

DC students and their teachers join us in the 826DC writing center for an unforgettable morning or afternoon.

826DC field trip books

Available Field Trips

Storytelling & Bookmaking (Grades 1-4)

A dynamic group storytelling activity where students write collaboratively before they complete the narrative on their own.

Want to book a field trip?

Field Trip Interest Form

Writing Workshops

Know a young writer just bursting with ideas? Want to introduce a reluctant reader to new worlds? Join us for any one of our wonderful Saturday or Evening Writing Workshops where, in two hours, young writers will explore a new topic and leave with a piece of writing of which they can be proud.

Two volunteers, a boy, and a girl in an Elmo costume sit at a table and write.

Upcoming Workshops

LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW: A PLACE MEMOIR (grades 8-12)
May 7, 5:30 PM to 7 PM, 826DC
Emotions play a huge role in how we remember places important to us. Students explore this by writing memoirs, using plot, dialogue, and description to bring their stories to life.

TRUE CONNECTIONS: PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA (grades 8-12)
May 21, 5:30 PM to 7 PM, 826DC
In this workshop from 826NYC, students write about their personal experiences with social media and online platforms.

Attend a Workshop

Register here (English) Registrarse aquí (Español)

Reading All-stars

At Reading All-Stars, 826DC’s Saturday literacy program, students from Harriet Tubman Elementary School work one-on-one with volunteer mentors to strengthen their reading and writing skills.

A Reading All-Stars volunteer reads with a student.

Interested in Reading All-Stars?

Learn More and get involved

In-School Writing, Editing, and Publishing

826DC offers support to teachers in the K-12 classroom through this program, one of our most flexible and teacher-driven. Teachers can choose a curriculum delivery model or for 826DC small group/one-on-one support. In-Schools can range from one class period to multi-week sessions.

How much does it cost?

The program is 100% free to schools, teachers, and students.

What have you been up to recently?

Editing and Publishing 826DC joined five classrooms of 11th grade students to work in small groups on revisions for a personal memoir project around food writing over the course of two days. 826DC then worked remotely with the students via Google Docs to proofread and copyedit their work. Finally, 826DC designed and published a collection of the students’ writing and corresponding recipes. Poetry Writing Workshop During National Poetry Month in April, 826DC led a poetry writing workshop for a group of 9th-12th graders, focusing on a reading and discussing a poem and guiding the students through writing poetic responses to the work. Students’ poems were subsequently submitted for publication consideration on the Poetry Foundation’s website. Group Storytelling 826DC led a storytelling writing workshop with 1st-3rd graders. We introduced the students to the basics of any narrative (protagonist/hero, antagonist/villain, plot, setting, characters, and dialogue), and then guided the students through writing the story as a group. The students then wrote their own individual endings to the story and illustrated the pages themselves. Each student received a bound copy of the book to keep.

Realistic Fiction Over three days, 826DC led a lesson with 7th graders to build their “show, don’t tell” descriptive language skills.

LoNoMeMo (Local Novel Mentoring Month) 826DC volunteers served as mentors for high school students who (frantically) wrote 50,000 word novels within the span of a month.

How can I get involved?

If you’re interested in hosting 826DC in your classroom, the first step is to fill out the Teacher Interest Form. We ask for a minimum of four weeks advance notice for most In-School Writing, Editing, and Publishing partnerships.

Teacher Interest Form

Project Information
Are you requesting a project partnership for other teachers at your school?*
For example, all teachers in your grade level?
- Yes
- No
What month(s) would you like us to visit your classroom? Please check all that apply.*
We generally require a four week minimum to request visits and create an effective partnership.
- September
- October
- November
- December
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
What are you most interested in your partnership with 826DC to look like? Please check all that apply.*
- Curriculum delivery model (826DC brings a lesson plan to your school that fits within your existing unit)
- One-on-one or small group mentorship (826DC brings volunteers to your school to provide individualized attention for an assignment/project)
- Author Visit at School
- Author Visit at 826DC
- Publishing Project (826DC works with you to produce a chapbook publication of student writing)
- Other
Brief description of the project?*
i.e. general dates, themes/focus, ideal project duration, ideal number of volunteers, dream for a finished product?
Teacher Information
Teacher's First Name*
Teacher's Last Name*
Teacher's Email*
Teacher's Phone*
Do you prefer to be contacted by email or phone?*
- Email
- Phone
School Name*
Principal or Administrative Contact*
Classroom Information
Grade*
Class Size*
Which of the following are true about your class?*
Please provide us with a quick snapshot of your class by selecting all relevant responses.
- At least 60% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
- At least 60% of the students are ELLs.
- None of the above.
- I don't know about one or both of the above.
What are the demographics of your class?*
Please enter the percentage of your students who identify as:
Black Hispanic/Latinx White Asian Pacific/Hawaiian Native/Alaskan Multiple Races
Any special information we should know about your class and/or school?
(i.e. ELL, Integrated curriculum, students with IEPs, class reading/writing level etc.)
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.