Month: January 2019

The 826DC team is growing! We’re delighted to be hiring for not one, but TWO exciting positions: 826DC Education Director and 826DC Public Programs Coordinator.

Continue reading “We’re Hiring for Two Positions!”

Students from the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School recently gathered in the 826DC writing and homework help center for an “Offsetting your Carbon Footprint” workshop!

The workshop, blending hands-on science with reflection and writing skills, was designed to accomplish three goals: the students were going to calculate their ecological footprints, to consider their day-to-day habits and personal choices impacting the environment, and to draft a short piece of writing about how to address climate change. The students were all excited and up for the challenge!

The afternoon started off with snack time, which earned many cheers from the students. As they snacked, they settled into the 826DC space and got to know the staff and interns who would be working with them during the workshop.

We then switched gears and began sharing our writing processes.

“There are a couple of mess-ups in the process,” one student explained.

“It’s not about being right,” D’Real Graham, 826DC’s Community Programs Manager, replied with a smile. “It’s about making things right.”

We then began a brainstorming activity where the students each reflected on what they did each day, from waking up to going to bed, and the impact that those habits have on the planet.

With those habits in mind, the students went on to identify the environmental concerns that mattered most to them—from car exhaust and electricity overuse to deforestation and more—and developed step-by-step action plans for tackling those concerns!

We wrapped up the workshop session by coming together to share those action plans as a group.

“The students at the workshop were so knowledgeable about the environment and really inspired me to take environmental action in my own life,” said 826DC intern Jewel Smith.

The Inspired Teaching Demonstration School students will be back to continue all the progress they made in this first session.

“We are writing together over the next five to six weeks,” D’Real explained, “to help the students decide for themselves how they want to affect change.”

All of us at 826DC would like to thank the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School students for all of their hard work! We can’t wait to keep writing and learning with you.

Curious about other recent 826DC workshops and projects? 

• Editorial Writing with Retired National Geographic Magazine Production Specialist Greg Luce
• Reflective Writing with Generation Hope

¿Hablas español? ¿Te interesa el voluntariado con 826DC? Tenemos dos oportunidades de voluntariado:

PROYECTO UNO

Fechas del proyecto: lunes: 28 de enero, 11 de febrero, fiesta de lanzamiento, 25 de enero
Horario de clases: 9:10am-10:25am, 10:30am-11:45am, 11:50am-1:05pm

826DC se está asociando con estudiantes de quinto gradeo en la Escuela Primaria Bruce-Monroe en Park View durante su unidad de defensa, argumentos, y problemas. El objetivo final del proyecto son los podcasts creados por los estudiantes sobre el tema de su elección. 826DC proporcionará lecciones de escritura en clase y producción final de podcasts para estudiantes. Se necesitan voluntarios para ayudar a los estudiantes a redactar, ensayar, y grabar los guiones de sus podcasts.

PROYECTO DOS

Fechas del proyecto: 11 de marzo, 18 y 25 de marzo, 1 de abril, 8 de abril, 22 de abril, 29 de abril, 6 y 13 de mayo, fiesta de lanzamiento el 3 de junio
Horario de clases: 12:52pm-1:47pm

Paul Public Charter School (“The School”) y 826DC se unirán para apoyar a 10 estudiantes del idoma inglés mientras escriben narrativas personales, que incluyen: memorias, cartas a las personas que extrañan, poemas de “Yo Soy De” y ensayos de opinión que reflejan la individualidad de cada estudiante. 826DC proporcionará lecciones de escritura en clase y una publicación tutoría por escrito a los estudiantes, que son todos hablentes nativos de español.

¿INTERESADO?

Contacto con Cris (cris@826dc.org) si está interesado en alguno de los proyectos.

Earlier this school year, 826DC After-School Writing Lab students worked alongside retired National Geographic Magazine Production Specialist Greg Luce on a five-week editorial writing project, inspired by the iconic magazine! Continue reading “Exploring Editorial Writing at 826DC”

Join our growing team! 826DC seeks a thoughtful, visionary youth development professional to serve as our Special Projects Associate (SPA) to help support our grant-funded programming initiatives in 2019.

This individual will be tasked with leading the expansion of 826DC’s visiting authors program, working with the Executive Director and Programs staff to purchase and distribute relevant literature across programs, supporting the design and execution of 826DC’s two-week summer writing workshop, working with the In-School Programs Manager to develop relevant in-school writing workshops, and completing other duties as assigned within the scope of special projects.

This is a temporary, part-time contract position for 30 hours per week, beginning in early February 2019 and concluding on September 30th, 2019.

See full position details here.

Interested in this position?

Please send a cover letter and resume to hr@826dc.org with the subject line “826DC Special Projects Associate” by January 25th, 2019. We will reach out to selected candidates in late January to coordinate interviews. No phone calls, please.

Individuals of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 826DC is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer, and strongly encourages persons of color, women-identifying persons, LGBTQIA persons, and persons with disabilities to apply for this contract position.

On January 3rd, 2019, 826DC Executive Director Zachary Clark was a guest on The Kojo Nnamdi Show!

Zachary joined show host Kojo Nnamdi, Washington City Paper Fiction Contest judge Tayla Burney, winner Danielle Stonehirsch, and Studio Pause Director Sushmita Mazumdar for a segment about writing fiction here in Washington, DC.

He spoke, among other things, about the value of creative writing and how empowering publishing opportunities can be for young people.

“Creative writing,” Zachary told listeners, “is really as much about problem-solving as any other kind of writing is…[it’s] providing young people with the space to contend with problems and identify challenges.”

That process, he continued, can look different for each student with whom 826DC writes—and that’s more than okay.

“There are so many access points to the practice of writing,” he explained. He emphasized how important it is to understand that, to meet students where they are, and to invest in helping students feel heard.

Zachary’s advice for writers, no matter where they are in their writing journey: “Write every day. A sentence counts!”

Click here for more about the segment, and check out “5 Tips for Young and Emerging Writers” on The Kojo Nnamdi Show Blog for more writing advice for Zachary!