Where is the writing center?
Fifth Avenue and Fifth Street, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The closest trains are the F, J, or R at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street.
What does 826NYC do?
826NYC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students, ages 6-18, develop their writing skills. We offer evening and weekend workshops and afterschool tutoring, and with the help of our talented team of volunteers, we're able to host class trips and offer teachers in-class support. We specialize in writing-based projects, including college essays, student publications, creative-writing assignments, and expository papers.
How does afterschool tutoring work?
Every day our center is full with students who walk in after school and get direct, one-on-one attention from volunteer tutors. And it's all free.
What else happens in the writing center?
In addition to drop-in tutoring, we offer free writing workshops, which take place evenings and weekends. Our workshops meet once a week for one to four weeks and cover a wide range of topics, including comic books, SAT essays, journals, short stories, and more.
And?
We also host field trips at 826NYC. Teachers are welcome to schedule a trip by calling the center or sending an e-mail to Joan. We offer specialized trips for every age range, including our popular Storytelling & Bookmaking trip for ages 6-10.
What is the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.?
The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. sells capes, grappling hooks, antimatter, and more. All the proceeds from the store go directly to 826NYC. The store also gives passersby a reason to walk in and see what's going on in the writing center.
Do you need volunteers?
Absolutely. The more tutors we have, the more we can send into classrooms where they're needed. The best way to learn more would be to visit our website, www.826nyc.org.
What kind of volunteers are you looking for?
All interested parties will be put to work in some way. In terms of working with students, most of our tutors are college-educated, with some experience in professional writing, editing, newspaper or magazine work, or teaching. But we also have many talented tutors whose day jobs are in the fields of public relations, advertising, accounting, webmastering —you name it. What they have in common are solid English and writing skills, knowledge of grammar and spelling, and a love of working with students.
How much time must a tutor donate?
It varies, but we can accommodate virtually any schedule. Because we work one-on-one with students on specific projects, including one-day homework assignments, very often a tutor will work with a student one afternoon and won't see that student again. But those hours spent with the student have had a big impact. Thus, if you work at a full-time job and can only donate two hours a month, chances are those two hours will be spent with one student, who will be very happy you've found those hours.
What happened at 826NYC today?
This morning, we had a field trip. We hosted 20 sixth-graders from the Secondary School for Research in Park Slope, who entered the writing center with science and math on their minds. In class, they've been watching mold grow on bread and working in fractions. At 826, these scientists transformed into budding journalists capable of turning anything—even mold and fungus—into riveting news. Thanks to these students, today's issue of The Daily Mildew features some incredible articles, including "Mold Lives!" and "Mold Attacks Manhattan."
Is this kind of work rewarding?
We have to come out and say what we say to many people we meet who are considering volunteering at 826 Valencia or 826NYC: It's almost unbearably rewarding, and almost always heartwarming. It just knocks you out, to come through our building any afternoon, after school lets out and our writing lab opens up. From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., the center is full of students dropping in for one-on-one help with their homework, and while there's fun being had, it's also a pretty serious environment. Everywhere you look, at every available desk, table, or couch, there are two people—one student and one adult tutor—hunched over one piece of paper, getting the words just right. It's just plain beautiful.
