After-School Writing Lab (ASWL) takes place on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons (4pm - 6pm) at our Wicker Park Writing Lab, for students in 2nd through 8th grade.
In this special After School Writing Lab 7 week spring session, students will explore interdisciplinary forms of poetry, storytelling, collage and audio recording. The program will culminate with a gallery exhibition, listening party and live reading at 826CHI’s Spring Showcase on May 30th.
Spring session applications OPEN!
April 17th - May 30th
Wednesdays & Thursdays
4pm - 6pm
Sign up for ASWL at our Wicker Park Writing Lab here: In English / En Español
Field trips are hosted on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings at our Wicker Park location. Field Trips are tuition-free and offered to Chicago Public School classes in grades one through twelve. Each Field Trip opportunity focuses on a variety of writing skills and writing experiences.
Each of our eight different Field Trip experiences is designed to be project-based, collaborative, playful, empowering, imaginative, and to encourage students to share their ideas in their own unique voices.
We are no longer accepting applications for this school year. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when the new application is posted! Please email programs@826chi.org with any questions.
Field trips run Sep 19th through May 29th
Students will be taken on a poetry adventure and be tasked with writing a series of poems to after they become overwhelmed by all the work going on around the secret publishing house. Their mission will be to write emotion-centered poems - topics like What is Your Happy? Hard emotions? What Makes You Feel Calm When You're Overwhelmed? This Field Trip is great for building empathy and self-awareness into the classroom.
One of 826CHI’s favorite tools for combating writer's block and inspiring creativity, this lesson uses collage art and the promptings of volunteer writing coaches to guide students through the journey of writing an original story. This Field Trip is ideal for overcoming writer's block and for students tackling personal statements or scholarship essays. This Field Trip helps share effective, tangible, and memorable skills into the writing process and helps make writing feel more fun for students who may not be a fan of writing.
Students will learn about the history of spoken word poetry and its deep roots in Chicago. They will also apply poetic elements to their own original poems individually and as a group and get the chance to share out loud. This Field Trip is great for students who are expressive and enjoy spoken word poetry. This is a great addition for classrooms preparing for, culminating, or in the middle of a poetry unit.
Students will learn the basics of personal narrative in order to craft an essay that they can use for college, scholarships, and job applications etc. They will learn how to brainstorm, draft, and edit a piece that reflects their personal journey. This program challenges students to focus on sensory detail, plot and character development, and dialogue.
We are excited to announce the return of our Summer Programs! For 2024 we will be holding a total of three camps in our Wicker Park Writing Lab! From poetry to food criticism, we have something for every imaginative writer. During Summer Programs students will also spend plenty of time outside, exploring our neighborhood and city!
SIGN UP OPEN NOW!
Calling all food enthusiasts, writers, and those who relish the art of dining! If you have a passion for food and a talent for storytelling, this workshop is calling your name. Join a team of renowned chefs and fellow food lovers for an engaging series of workshops aimed at honing your writing skills while tantalizing your taste buds. Over the course of a week, you'll learn the craft of crafting compelling food reviews, sample the finest culinary offerings the city has to offer, and create written works that will be savored by foodies and chefs throughout Chicago. Come embark on this delicious journey where every word is as satisfying as every bite! The EYW Camp for elementary school runs from July 15th - 18th from 9am-3pm.
SIGN UP HERECalling all food enthusiasts, writers, and those who relish the art of dining! If you have a passion for food and a talent for storytelling, this workshop is calling your name. Join a team of renowned chefs and fellow food lovers for an engaging series of workshops aimed at honing your writing skills while tantalizing your taste buds. Over the course of a week, you'll learn the craft of crafting compelling food reviews, sample the finest culinary offerings the city has to offer, and create written works that will be savored by foodies and chefs throughout Chicago. Come embark on this delicious journey where every word is as satisfying as every bite! The EYW Camp for middle school runs from July 22nd - 25th from 9am-3pm.
Sign Up HereAre you passionate about the power of words? Ready to immerse yourself in a transformative two-week writing experience alongside fellow high schoolers from every corner of the city, under the mentorship of seasoned writers? Take command of your literary journey at 826CHI’s High School Writers Lab this August. Explore diverse writing styles, cultivate your unique voice, and reflect on your aspirations as a writer. End your journey by sharing your work with a live audience, and see your creative endeavors immortalized in a professionally-designed publication by 826CHI. We’ll take excursions around the city and find inspiration at every turn. Seize this opportunity to elevate your craft and leave your mark on the literary landscape! This program will run from August 5th-15th on Mondays through Thursdays from 10am-4pm.
SIGN UP HERE
826CHI works in collaboration with after-school programs and community-based organizations to offer creative writing workshops to students in neighborhoods across Chicago. These workshops, which explore writing and another area of study, include:
All of our workshops are Common Core Standards-aligned.
Do you work with students who would benefit from two or three session writing workshops in your space or ours? Have an idea for a workshop? email us at programs@826chi.org
Teen Writers Studio (TWS) is a year-long creative writing workshop that connects high school students to fellow writers, including peers and older professionals in the field. It’s open to anyone in 7th-12th grade and welcomes youth from all over the city. TWS members meet frequently each month to write together, talk about writing, and produce a literary chapbook each year. If you’re into any of the above, this space is for you.
Sessions start September 19th, 2023 and run until May 23rd, 2024, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:00PM at the 826CHI's Wicker Park Teen Space and Writing Lab.
Each spring, TWS students produce a chapbook, which they share and celebrate at a release party with friends, family, and 826CHI’s community. Purchase 2022-2023's publication, All the Beauty It Brings, at the Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.
Built to meet the needs of educators, our In-School Partnerships program brings the 826CHI education team into classrooms and community centers across the city to work with students. 826CHI staff, volunteers, and Teaching Artists support teachers' existing curricula and/or collaborate on new ideas. If you are a classroom teacher or community-based educator looking to partner with 826CHI, please share your project idea with us by applying today.
If you have any questions, email us at programs@826chi.org.
At 826CHI, our project-based approach to teaching writing affirms all student voices as valuable and brilliant. Through our programs, we turn our students into published authors. Each year, we publish more than 100 unique projects, from professionally edited, printed, and designed books to books and zines printed and bound in-house by our staff.
Students’ work is featured in Chicago Public Library branches across the city, shelved in CPS school libraries, prominently displayed in our writing lab to inspire future student-authors, and sold in and independent bookstores throughout the city and our storefront, the Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.
Published dozens of times each year as the culmination of smaller, multi-week projects.
Each year 826CHI partners with CPS classrooms on an extended writing project which culminates in a specially designed and beautifully bound book.
Published once every two years. Each volume of this anthology features republished favorites from students of all ages, from across our programs.
Published at the end of each two-hour creative writing session, students take home copies of the original story they wrote together as a class.
Purchase copies at The Secret Agent Supply or check out of your local Chicago library branch.
Wherever you are, you can bring the 826 spirit and methodology to your community with 826 Digital. 826 Digital is an online platform that hosts a collection of engaging, adaptable, standards-based resources designed to captivate young writers and empower their educators.
826 Digital was created by teachers for teachers; it hosts an ever-expanding collection of lessons, projects, writing prompts, and student writing that brings an unconventional and engaging approach to teaching writing.
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