Our workshops are free for students, ages 6-18. Unless
otherwise noted, each workshop occurs once a week on
the same day, at the same time, for the duration of
the number of sessions indicated. Because each workshop
will build upon the ideas learned in the previous session,
students are asked to attend all sessions of a workshop.
Registration
is required. To register for a
workshop, click its “Sign
Up Online” link. All
workshops will be held at 826CHI,
1331 North Milwaukee Avenue. Send
us an
email if you have any questions.
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Five Sessions: Wednesdays, June 18, 25 (skip 7/2), July 9, 16 and 23rd
Photos must be delivered each week by Monday at noon to 826CHI.
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Mike Hettwer, National Geographic Contract Photographer
Limited to 10 students entering grades 6–13
Students join photographer Mike Hettwer to dive into the world of photography and writing. Digital cameras will be lent to students to use at home during the course. The final product will be a photo book and a photo release event at a later date. Students must attend all sessions and photo memory cards will have to be delivered each week by Monday at noon to 826CHI. Preference will be given to high school students in CPS. Please fill out the form linked below, and in the "comments" section include a short 500-word essay detailing your interest in photography and writing. Once accepted, in order to reserve a place, students must leave a $100 deposit for the camera, which will be fully refunded once the workshop is over and the camera is returned.
Sign Up Online »
Five Sessions: Monday, June 23rd through Friday, June 27th
Time: 10 AM to 5PM
Taught by local Chicago authors, 826CHI staff & volunteers
Limited to 20 students entering grades 9–13
Students will team up with professional writers and poets to develop their writing skills. Participants will have the opportunity to be published in the 2008–9 826CHI publication. Guest speakers for the 2008 camp will include Joe Meno, Monica Eng, Sam Weller, Alex Kotlowitz, Robby Q. Telfer and other dynamic Chicago authors. The schedule each day will be from 10 AM to 5PM, including a lunch break. Students who sign up are required to attend all daytime sessions. On Friday we will celebrate student work with an evening reading. Preference will be given to high school students entering 10th, 11th, and 12th grade in CPS, and to those just graduated. Please fill out the form linked below, and in the "comments" section include a short 500-word essay detailing your interest in writing. Once accepted, to reserve a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at the last class.
Sign Up Online »
Three Sessions: Mondays, July 7, 14 and 21st
Time: 3:30–5PM
Taught by 826CHI Staff & Volunteers
Limited to 15 students entering grades 2–4
826CHI is proud to offer writing camp! Join 826CHI staff and volunteers for three weeks of exciting writing activities including: poetry, silly stories, and other surprises. Students will develop new skills and refine old ones. Students may sign up for Monday OR Wednesdays class, but not both.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Three Sessions: Wednesdays, July 9, 16 and 23rd
Time: 3:30–5PM
Taught by 826CHI Staff & Volunteers
Limited to 15 students entering grades 2–4
826CHI is proud to offer writing camp! Join 826CHI staff and volunteers for three weeks of exciting writing activities including: poetry, silly stories, and other surprises. Students will develop new skills and refine old ones. Students may sign up for Monday OR Wednesdays class, but not both.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Six Sessions: Tuesdays AND Thursdays, July 8, 10, 15, 17, 22 and 24th
Time: 3:30–5PM
Taught by 826CHI Staff & Volunteers
Limited to 15 students entering grades 5–8
Join 826CHI staff and volunteers for six sessions of writing projects. Students should be ready to improve their writing techniques and learn new ones through creative projects including poetry, short stories, comics, funny essays, and journalism. Each week, students will explore a new form of writing and finish the camp by making a book of their own writing. Students need to attend all sessions of this class. To reserve a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at the last class.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Three Sessions: Mondays, July 28, Aug. 4 and 11th
Time: 3:30–5PM
Taught by 826CHI Staff & Volunteers
Limited to 15 students entering grades 2–4
PART II 826CHI is proud to offer writing camp! Join 826CHI staff and volunteers for three MORE weeks of exciting writing activities including: poetry, silly stories, and other surprises. Students will develop new skills and refine old ones. Students need to attend all sessions of this class, but they do not need to have attended Part I earlier in the summer. Students may sign up for Monday OR Wednesdays class, but not both.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Three Sessions: Wednesdays, July 30, Aug. 6 and 13th
Time: 3:30–5PM
Taught by 826CHI Staff & Volunteers
Limited to 15 students entering grades 2–4
PART II 826CHI is proud to offer writing camp! Join 826CHI staff and volunteers for three MORE weeks of exciting writing activities including: poetry, silly stories, and other surprises. Students will develop new skills and refine old ones. Students need to attend all sessions of this class, but they do not need to have attended Part I earlier in the summer. Students may sign up for Monday OR Wednesdays class, but not both.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Six Sessions: Tuesdays AND Thursdays, July 29, 31, August 5, 7, 12 and 14th
Time: 3:30–5PM
Taught by 826CHI Staff & Volunteers
Limited to 15 students entering grades 5–8
PART II Join 826CHI staff and volunteers for six MORE sessions of writing projects. Students should be ready to improve their writing techniques and learn new ones through creative projects including poetry, short stories, comics, funny essays, and journalism. Each week students will explore a new form of writing and finish the camp by making a book of their own writing. Students need to attend all sessions of this class, but they do not need to have attended Part I earlier in the summer. To reserve a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at the last class.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Two Sessions: Tuesdays, July 8 and 15th
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Gabe Levinson
Limited to 10 students, entering grades 5–8
Calling all couch potatoes: Learn how to make watching TV a part of your creative writing process! Channel surfing can teach you about characters, dialogue, setting and so much more. We'll watch TV shows, write stories in response, read our stories aloud, and discuss all the fun ways to find inspiration for your own work in the unlikeliest of places. As the great Homer Simpson once said, "I was raised in front of the TV and I turned out TV." At Rot Your Brain! we'll turn on, tune in, and write!
Sign Up Online »
Three Sessions: Thursdays, July 10, 17 and 24th
Time: 5:30–7PM
Taught by Kate Schriner
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 3–5
Do you have single, lonely socks in your sock drawer? Don’t throw them away—bring them along to 826! During this workshop, you’ll learn everything you need to know to put on the funniest, scariest, craziest sock puppet show, and! At the end, you can walk away with your puppets, script, and play production under your feet. Sign-up your stray sock today!
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Four Sessions: Saturdays, July 12, 19, 26 and August 2nd
Time: 10:00–noon
Taught by Katy Klassman
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 4–8
Did you know you can travel the world without ever leaving home? Through your senses of taste and smell you can go anywhere you want to go! We will explore new landscapes, cultures and people by eating lots of chocolate! The medium of chocolate will open your horizons and fill your belly! We will learn about the history of chocolate, how to make chocolate, the proper way to eat chocolate and write a guidebook about chocolate. Come join this delicious adventure! To reserve a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at the last class.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Two Sessions: Saturdays, July 12 and 19th
Time: 1–3PM
Taught by Meghan Keys and Meghan McCook, in collaboration with David Weinberg Gallery
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 4–8
Sculpture’s cool to look at, but what do you have to say about it? Join us at a gallery! Have you ever seen a piece of artwork that you loved or disliked but couldn’t say why? We’ll look at the sculptures of 4 different artists, hear from a real art critic and a real curator, and learn how an art show gets put together. We’ll write about what we saw, why you liked it, why you didn’t like it, and how it made you feel. Please note: We will be meeting at the David Weinberg Gallery (300 W. Superior #203) July 12 and 826CHI July 19.
Sign Up Online »
Two Sessions: Mondays, July 14 and 21st
Time: 5:30–7PM
Taught by Jessica Herman and Elizabeth Cooperman
Limited to 12 students entering grades 5–8
Journaling can be a launch pad for all kinds of creative endeavors. Everyone from Leonardo da Vinci to Einstein has used journaling to cultivate their craft. By introducing many kinds of materials one can include in journaling—everything from photographs to recipe—the smallest idea or observation can grow into a full-blown creation. A journal is full of seeds, and during this workshop, we’ll discover ways to gather and water them.
Sign Up Online »
Two Sessions: Tuesdays, July 15 and 22nd
Time: 2–3PM
Taught by Kara Thorstenson
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 1–3
Come join us for story hour! Each week we’ll read a book and complete a fun activity related to the book. Dive into the world of children’s books with us!
Sign Up Online »
One Session: Saturday, July 19th
Time: 3:30–5:30PM
Taught by JoLynn Backes
Limited to 10 students entering grades 2–4
Come explore new worlds you create! Students will learn the importance of setting and its impact on storytelling. We will build fantasy cities using Lego blocks and then will throw our characters into these extraordinary lands. Students will end the session by writing a scene set in the worlds they create.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
Four Sessions: Mondays, July 21, 28 August 4 and 11th
Time: 1–3PM
Taught by Stephanie Seagle
Limited to 10 students entering grades 9–13
Interested in contemporary fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry, and ready to create pieces in each style? This workshop is perfect for avid readers and writers, or those who like a lively discussion. To reserve a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at the last class.
Sign Up Online »
Four Sessions: Tuesdays, July 22, 29, August 5 and 12th
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Brianne Farley and Grace Tran
Limited to 10 students entering grades 5–8
Popeye, Garfield, Superman, Wonder Woman—these are all well-known, fantastical characters in comics. But did you know that comics can also tell stories about people in real life? In My Comic Life, you will read autobiographical comics, learn how to write and draw in comics, and create your own comic with YOU as the main character. At the end of the course, your comic will be printed in a comic book anthology along with works by your classmates. To reserve a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at the last class.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
One Session: Saturday, July 26th
Time: 1–3PM
Taught by Hayley Levitan
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 4–8
From the sound of the saxophone to the tip of your pen, your words got soul! Write your own Blues poem and publish it in an original 826 song book: “We’ve Got the Blues!” So get your harmonica and drums ready—it is time to get down! At the end of this workshop, we will have a Blues Slam Session to share our songs!
Sign Up Online »
Two Sessions: Saturdays July 26 and August 2nd
Time: 3:30–5:30PM
Taught by Emily Blaha
Limited to 10 students entering grades 4–6
Have you always wondered how to put a site together that you could show to your family and friends? Now is your chance to make a website or blog that is all about you! Come ready with ideas to post on your OWN personal site. You may want to post your “Letter to the World” or an update on school—perhaps information about your family, your hobbies and interests or just your big ideas. The possibilities are endless! At the end of this workshop you will have your own www site to share with everyone you know!
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
One Session: Monday, July 28th
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Lauren Braun
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 6–13
Are you tired of your teacher asking you to write well? Do you yearn to put your creativity to the test by doing what you are NOT supposed to do? We will examine some amazing pieces of Bad Writing. Then, we will craft our own terribly lame, hilariously turgid, ridiculously over-the-top short pieces. You know you’ve been waiting to be bad. Despite what your teacher might say, it will make you smarter!
Sign Up Online »
Two Sessions: Tuesdays, July 29 and August 5th
Time: 2–3PM
Taught by Kara Thorstenson
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 1–3
Come join us for story hour! Each week we’ll read a book and complete a fun activity related to the book. Dive into the world of children’s books with us!
Sign Up Online »
Three Session: Wednesdays, July 30, August 6 and 13th
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Jon Greenberg
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 5–9
Are you a great athlete? Me neither, but I love sports. In every benchwarmer or substitute, there is a sportswriter lurking inside. This summer workshop will allow you to read and write about sports, from baseball to chess, using your own experiences to craft fictional stories about sports and life. We will read books about sports and practice the art of writing and storytelling, all the while using the great city of Chicago as inspiration. So join this class and we’ll. . . play ball!
Sign Up Online »
Two Sessions: Thursdays, July 31 and August 7th
Time: 1–3PM
Taught by Meghan Keys and Meghan McCook, in collaboration with David Weinberg Gallery
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 6–13
Photography is cool to look at, but what do you have to say about it? Join us at a gallery! Have you ever seen a piece of artwork that you loved or disliked but couldn’t say why? We’ll look at the photographs from 2 artists, hear from a real art critic and a real curator, and learn how an art show gets put together. We’ll write about what we saw, why you liked it, why you didn’t like it, and how it made you feel. Please note: We will be meeting at the David Weinberg Gallery (300 W. Superior #203) July 31 and 826CHI August 7.
Sign Up Online »
One Session: Thursday, July 31st
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Mark Vanderhoff and Ami Kelly
Limited to 10 students entering grades 5–8
Have you ever had a great song stuck in your head for hours? Ever wanted to throw the radio out the window after hearing a terrible song? You can share these feelings with the world through music journalism! Learn about the many different kinds of music writing, why people like to read about music instead of just listening to it, how to use words to recreate what you hear in a song, and much more.
Sign Up Online »
One Session: Saturday, August 2nd
Time: 1–3PM
Taught by Lara Marsh & Emilie Syberg
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 2–4
Have you ever tasted a tangerine taco with a side of chocolate soup? Imagined hot jalapeno snow cones for dinner? Anchovy-cherry-cheese balls for a snack? If the answer is no, then isn’t it about time you did? Come imagine a world of culinary-curiosities with Word Chefs. Let your creative juices flow and cook up some deliciously absurd recipes, stories and poems—fresh from your imagination!
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
One Session: Monday, August 4th
Time: 5:30–7:30PM
Taught by Lisa Grayson
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 1–3
Come and learn tricks about how to write an engaging story that a dog, cat, fish, reptile, or your own pet will enjoy. At the end of this workshop, you will have the chance to read your story to our highly-literate 826CHI puppy and to take your story home to read to your other animal friends.
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
One Session: Saturday August 9th
Time: 10–noon
Taught by Scarlett Stoppa
Limited to 12 students, entering grades 2–4
Ever fed the pigeons? Or waddled like a penguin? Do your birds of a feather flock together, even when you use conditioner? Wish you could fly like an eagle? To the sea? Well, Turkey, you're no lonesome dove! Miss Carrie Aviary, 826's new resident ornithologist, has been cuckoo for our flapping friends since before she flew the coop! And, my little chickadees, she needs your help—or her goose is cooked! Mr. Chacalaca's got company coming, and he's also got WORMS! Not one to put all her eggs in one basket, Miss A will need every species NOT YET INVENTED to peck this problem where it wriggles! SO, don't be a chicken, take up your quill pen (ouch!), and join other fearless 826 writers on this feathered flight of fancy.
Bring Your Own Bird—(toys, figurines, magazine cut-outs—nothing bigger than an ostrich, please.)
****Sorry, this workshop is full****
For more information
contact workshops@826chi.org.
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