Thursday, April 17th— 826CHI presents: PROM! Join us on Saturday, May 17, 2008, 8 p.m.-midnight, for the (secondhand) formal event of the season! There will be free drinks (21+), a silent auction, and the musical stylings of The Power of Love and DJ Frier Tuck. No dates are required.
Buy your tickets for $38.26 (see the 8, the 2, the 6…) in advance (by following the link below or visiting The Boring Store) or $50 at the door (which, like the event, will be at Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, 1419 W. Blackhawk St., just a few blocks from 826CHI). Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, April 16th— It’s time to fill your virtual shopping cart with Boring Merchandise and push it down the information super highway. The Boring Store is now online!
Go HERE to get shirts, bags, and other goods, including 826CHI’s latest publication, Right In Front of Us.
Tuesday, April 15th— We here at 826CHI would like to extend a big ol’ THANK YOU! to everyone who attended the April 8th release of our latest student publication, Right in Front of Us. After all their hard work, the 47 student authors certainly enjoyed their time in the limelight, reading their pieces to a captivated audience, sipping sparkling lemonade, signing hundreds of autographs, and enjoying the sheer excitement of the occasion.
Missed the event? Don’t worry, you can still celebrate the students’ success by reading their book! Buy your copy online or in-person at The Boring Store.
Tuesday, April 1st— Mark your calendar: Next Tuesday, April 8th, come celebrate the release of our latest student publication, Right In Front of Us, a collection of powerful short stories written by forty-seven Chicago high school students. The festivities will begin with readings by the students, followed by a reception—complete with a book signing by our accomplished authors! Foreword contributor and author of There Are No Children Here Alex Kotlowitz will also speak. The event will be held at Aspira High School (currently located at the Haugan Middle School Campus, 3729 W. Leland). Doors open at 6:00 p.m., readings begin at 6:30. Books will be available at the event for $12, cash or check, as well as at The Boring Store. We hope to see you there!
Tuesday, March 25th— Calling all educators! 826CHI invites Chicago-area teachers to join our staff and other Chicago educators for our Educator Happy Hour this Friday, March 28th, 4-5:30 p.m. at 826CHI. If you are a Chicago educator, please join us for wine and appetizers, share a writing success story or project with other educators, and hear about the free services we provide: field trips, in-schools support, workshops, summer programs, and after-school tutoring. We invite you to bring a writing project, idea or success story with you to share with other educators. Please e-mail us here to let us know if you plan to attend. We hope to see you then!
Monday, March 24th— Who knows more about secrets than spies? In March, Agent David Blatt led students in “A Secret, An Explosion,” a workshop all about how to use secrets to make your writing pop! Rest assured, though, that no sensitive spy-related secrets were leaked, exchanged, or discussed. We’re all professionals here. Students were given writing prompts that included “Someone knocks on the door of your home with a secret to tell…” and “Two characters both have separate secret things to do. How do they leave one another without spilling the beans?” In the midst of getting stories about secrets onto the page, the group shared some of their own secrets. We were astonished to learn that our ranks included a singing sensation, a voice-over artist, and a girl with no name!
Tuesday, March 11th— Agent Mindy Bartholomae is such a top-notch multi-tasker, there was no question that she was most deserving of the honorable title Spy of the Month this March! How many spies do you know who can balance a schedule filled with gardening, yoga, tutoring, and dodging many near-firings at the hands of Admiral Moody, all while maintaining their undercover status? Well, we only know one. Read all about her on our blog memorializing Agent Bartholomae’s continued commitment!
Monday, March 10th— How did the kangaroo save his birthday celebration from the giant, gothic turtle? He turned to the 26 students of Mrs. Kaufman’s first grade class from Alcott School for their help, that’s how! Our Leap Day Storytelling and Bookmaking field trip had these students jumping at the chance to generate new, unique, exciting stories, a demand made by the ever-grumpy Admiral Moody. We’re all still employed, so clearly these kids were up to the challenge. Read about this and other field trips on the 826CHI blog.
Monday, March 3rd— We are excited to share the news that Dave Eggers, 826 Founder and celebrated author (oh, and some of you may also have heard of this McSweeney’s thing?), was one of this year’s three recipients of the TED Prize. According to TED—which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and comprises a group of more than a thousand people worldwide—this award was created “as a way of taking the inspiration, ideas and resources that are generated at TED and using them to make a difference.” Winners receive a prize of $100,000 each, but that’s the least of what they get. The real prize is that each TED Prize winner is granted a wish to change the world to share at the annual TED Conference. Dave’s wish: that everyone at and connected to this conference “finds a way to DIRECTLY ENGAGE with the public schools in their AREA.” To read more about Dave’s wish and the TED Prize, click here.
Thursday, February 21st—
THE MOUSTACHE-A-THON HAS BEGUN!
Go to The Moustache-A-Thon page to track progress and to donate!
