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| 826michigan | |
|---|---|
| Name | 826michigan |
| Formation | 2005 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Area served | Michigan |
| Focus | Youth literacy, writing, tutoring |
826michigan
826michigan is a nonprofit youth literacy and writing organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, aligned with a national network of youth writing centers. It offers tutoring, workshops, and publishing opportunities for students, collaborating with schools, libraries, and cultural institutions to support narrative, expository, and creative writing skills. The organization connects local students with volunteers from universities, museums, theaters, and civic groups to produce publications, host events, and foster civic literacy.
826michigan was founded in 2005 in Ann Arbor amid a wave of youth literacy initiatives associated with the 826 National network. Early collaborators included the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Public Schools, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, and the Ann Arbor District Library. Founding efforts drew support from artists, writers, and educators connected to the National Writing Project, the Hopwood Awards, and regional literary festivals such as the Ann Arbor Book Festival. Over time, 826michigan engaged partners including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan State University, the University Musical Society, the Michigan Humanities Council, and the Knight Foundation. Influential supporters and visiting contributors have included authors, editors, and journalists linked to institutions like The New Yorker, HarperCollins, Random House, the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Pulitzer Prizes community.
Programs and services include one-on-one tutoring, after-school workshops, summer writing camps, and in-classroom residencies delivered alongside Ann Arbor Public Schools, Ypsilanti Community Schools, Washtenaw Community College, and Eastern Michigan University partnerships. The organization runs creative-writing modules inspired by authors and institutions such as Ernest Hemingway, Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, Sandra Cisneros, and Ray Bradbury, and collaborates on curriculum development with the National Writing Project, Teachers College, and the Michigan Department of Education. Volunteer training draws participants from the University of Michigan, Washtenaw County libraries, the Peace Corps alumni network, Teach For America, and AmeriCorps. Programs often culminate in student-produced books, performances, and exhibitions staged with venues like the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Kerrytown Concert House, Michigan Theater, and the Rackham Graduate School.
Student publications and projects have included anthologies, zines, podcasts, and short films produced in collaboration with local presses, radio stations, and media outlets such as WEMU, Michigan Radio, MLive, the Ann Arbor Observer, and the Detroit Free Press. Notable project partners and contributors have included the Creative Writing Program at the University of Michigan, the Institute for Social Research, the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, the Rackham Graduate School, and independent publishers connected to Graywolf Press, City Lights, Copper Canyon Press, and Tin House. Special projects have paired student writers with professionals associated with the National Book Award, the PEN America awards, the Academy of American Poets, the Poetry Foundation, and the Library of Congress to produce chapbooks, literary magazines, and collaborative murals incorporating input from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and regional arts councils.
826michigan's community impact is measured through school partnerships, literacy metrics, and public events engaging partners like the Washtenaw Literacy, Literacy Volunteers of America, the United Way of Washtenaw County, and local chambers of commerce. Cross-sector collaborations have involved the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, the Washtenaw County Health Department, and arts organizations including the Ann Arbor Art Center, the Michigan Film Office, and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Civic partners and funders have included the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, Mainstreet organizations, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and regional philanthropic entities such as the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The organization has hosted readings and fundraisers featuring writers linked to HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Oxford University Press, and university presses at venues such as Hill Auditorium and the Michigan Theater.
Funding sources include individual donors, foundations, corporate sponsors, and public grants from entities like the National Endowment for the Arts, the Knight Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and state arts councils. Governance is provided by a board of directors drawn from the University of Michigan faculty, Ann Arbor civic leaders, nonprofit executives, and representatives from regional institutions such as Washtenaw Community College, Eastern Michigan University, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and local law firms. Audit, compliance, and nonprofit reporting practices align with standards promoted by Independent Sector, GuideStar, Michigan Nonprofit Association, and the Council on Foundations. Corporate partners have included local businesses and national firms with Michigan operations, including technology companies and publishers.
The primary location is in Ann Arbor, with program sites in school buildings, libraries, and cultural venues across Washtenaw County, Ypsilanti, and occasional satellite events in Detroit and Lansing. Facilities and partner sites have included the Ann Arbor District Library branches, the Ypsilanti District Library, community centers in Dexter and Saline, and university-affiliated spaces at the University of Michigan's Taubman College, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, and Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Mobile programming has been staged at farmers' markets, the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, local bookstores such as Nicola's Books, Literati Bookstore, and independent galleries and theaters across southeast Michigan.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Michigan