826michigan is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
We're about to ask you a big favor. "Big," that is, in significance to us -- it's pretty small in time and effort on your part.
Will you help us win --
(excuse us while we warm up our best The Price Is Right voices)
-- a newwwwwww CAR??
That's right, folks, 826michigan is in the running for a new car, courtesy of Toyota's 100 Cars for Good program. On Friday, May 18, we'll go head-to-head with four other nonprofit organizations. The nonprofit with the most votes at the end of the day wins a new Toyota. And we would really, really, really, REALLY like to be that nonprofit.
What would 826michigan do with a car? So many things. We'd transport Ann-Arbor-based tutors to Ypsilanti, where they are sorely needed at our after-school tutoring program at Ypsilanti Middle School (for another update from YMS, read on!). We'd shuttle In-School Residency volunteers from school to school, where they work one-on-one with struggling students and provide much-needed support for teachers in public school classrooms. We'd expand our reach even further by taking our wonderful field trip volunteers further afield to bring their stunning creativity and style to special programs in Detroit and elsewhere.
In short, this new car would change a lot of things around here, but here's the bottom line: If we win this Toyota, we will serve more students, in more ways, with more of our signature brand of high-quality, high-energy literacy education.
This matters a lot to us, and here's how you can help:
Visit 100CarsForGood.com and sign up for a reminder e-mail for the morning of 5/18! Find us under the "finalists" tab.
Spread the word!
VOTE. Vote vote vote. Voting begins at 10am on Friday, May 18, and continues till midnight.
We are often asked what the 826 in 826michigan stands for. (Particularly here in Ann Arbor, where "826" can sound a lot like "A2-6" if you're in a hurry.) There's a simple answer to that, which is that the building where Dave Eggers and Ninive Calegari started The Little Tutoring Center/Pirate Store That Could (ten whole years ago!) was located at 826 Valencia St in San Francisco.
But here at 826michigan we like to look beyond the Simple Answer and prod our creativity a little bit. What else could 826 stand for?
Perhaps 826 could be the number of:
wacky, wonderful ideas a second-grade classroom, all working together to appease our cranky and nefarious publisher Dr. Blotch, could come up with in five minutes?
homework assignments a student completes at Drop-in Tutoring over the course of his or her middle-school years?
times an 826michigan publication is checked out from the Ann Arbor District Library?
OR 826 could even possibly stand for the number of ways there are to support all of this.
Some of these 826 ways to support 826michigan spring to mind easily -- volunteering once a month at a workshop, attending Mittenfest every year, following and sharing with us on Facebook or Twitter. But others? Not as readily apparent.
That's where April's Supporter of the Month, 826michigan board member Rick Weise, comes in. A few years ago, Rick came to us with an interesting idea: what if he asked his friends and family to support his weight-loss efforts by pledging to donate a small amount per pound lost to 826michigan? It was new. It was unusual. It was, dare we say, even a little bit FUN.
Moreover, it was successful! Rick lost weight AND collected a substantial chunk of change for 826michigan. So when Rick approached us this winter with the idea to do it again, we could say nothing but "go for it"!
And go for it Rick did! Rick's weight-a-thon began in March and will continue through May. He's been steadily losing weight AND collecting pledges--what a win-win! And what an awesome idea, Rick!
This is why we are pleased to recognize Rick Weise as a Supporter of the Month: by adding his own spin to lending 826michigan a hand, he proves that our supporters are as creative, interesting, dedicated, and fun (and healthy!) as the 2,331 students their help enables us to serve each year. Thank you, Rick! We are proud and honored to have you on our team.
Anybody who's been around Ann Arbor for more than about five minutes has heard of Zingerman's the legendary deli/bakery/creamery/coffee roastery/mail-order specialty food business/BBQ restaurant/all around purveyor of delicious edible things. And for good reason: In all the many things they do, Zingerman's has serious chops.
The company is also well-known as a member of the Ann Arbor community, also for good reason. Their associated nonprofit, Food Gatherers does amazing work to, as their mission says, fight hunger where we live. From our perspective here at 826michigan, we know Zingerman's as a friend to us in many ways--in the past seven years, Zingerman's has done everything from donating pastries to our How To Write Like I Do workshops for adults to hosting our annual fundraising gala, the Storymakers Dinner, at the Zingerman's Roadhouse to sponsoring innumerable events.
One of these events is a little thing you might have heard us mention once or twice...
At this SUPREMELY exciting event, Zingerman's will be serving snacks (including wedding cake!)--and, perhaps more importantly (although, really, what could be more important than snacks), their support has been a major factor in bringing this sparkling Hollywood moment to 826michigan and we are extraordinarily grateful to them for that and for all the many other things they have done for us.
Zingerman's is getting its own sparkling Hollywood moment in The Five-Year Engagement--Jason Segel's character works there! See it for yourself on April 20 at the Michigan Theater--tickets available here.
(Seriously, what is it doing? If winter really does have a secret life, there must be some turmoil in it at the moment.)
Consider this video a winter-oriented group therapy session:
It features adorable wintry pictures, students reading their own (amazing AS USUAL) work, and lovely soothing music by the wonderful Frank Pahl. Here's Program Coordinator Catherine to explain what brought about this 6:51 slice of seasonal delight:
Living in Michigan, we get to know winter pretty well. We know it's the coldest and darkest season. It usually means snow, which is a good thing when there's enough to ski, sled, snowshoe, snowboard, or build a snow fort or snowman or . . . [fill in your favorite winter activity here]. But what else do we know about winter? How well do we really know its sounds and colors and smells, the things that make winter the beautiful and mysterious season that it is?
826michigan students have completed a entire year of hikes in the Nichols Arboretum, exploring the sounds and smells of fall, spring, and winter. We've entered into our second year of this workshop series, led by the truly extraordinary Jane Hayes, Sarah Pinkelman, & Ami Walsh.
Many thanks to everyone who helped to make this workshop a success -- our phenomenal students, volunteers, and Bob Grese and Linda Neely of Nicholas Arboretum, musician Frank Pahl, and the spectacular John Baird!
Make yourself a cup of hot cocoa, settle in next to a wintry window, and enjoy.
As a volunteer-based organization, we're used to wishing people well as they leave us for some other, more exotic location. (Let's be frank: It's usually the Bay Area.) Not to get too sappy, but it is a joy to see the volunteers we know and love move on to do exciting and wonderful things. But we'd be lying if we said it didn't make us a LITTLE sad to see them go.
That's why we love it when our former volunteers keep in touch! (Seriously, far-flung former volunteers! Drop us a line!) This month's Supporter of the Month, Chris Miller, is one such person. Although Chris has left Michigan and moved on to (you guessed it!) the Bay Area, he kept us in his heart this past holiday season by encouraging his friends and family to donate to us in lieu of giving him gifts. (WHAT. A. GUY. Right?!)
That gesture of generosity was pretty special, but it only scratches the surface of what's so cool about Chris Miller. When we decided to feature Chris as our Supporter of the Month, we sent him what we thought were quick questions. The depth and poetry of his responses astounded us. Without further ado, Chris Miller in his own words:
How did you first hear about 826michigan?
Would I be fibbing if I told you a robot jumped me in the alley one wintry night in 2007 or 08 and assigned me math homework it couldn’t finish on time?...I suspect I found 826michigan off of McSweeney’s, but my memory is a bit muddled. I do know I was new to Ann Arbor and looking for a place to volunteer. Amanda needed bodies for tutoring and happily I fit the job description.
How long were you involved with 826michigan and what programs did you volunteer for?
I started volunteering around about 2007-2008, tutoring at the State Street space. Other efforts included helping in the move to Liberty Street, folder paper, sticking labels, growing a mustache, more tutoring, sitting in the Art Fair Booth, cleaning, moving furniture, robot construction for the display window, sorting the entire basement and staffing the Robot Supply and Repair Store. More than a few bits of evidence of my presence float around the building now. Check the color of the wall above the shelves in the Robot Supply and Repair Store. I painted this blue. I also put a few blue spots on the carpet, but we got those off pretty quickly. Examine the heads of the display window robots, and you may find one old robot with a spring mustache and ball bearing eyes. This guy started out with ice skates, but has seen different accessories over time. And somewhere on the shelves Calvin and Hobbes collections should still be there, a set of books originally found in my own library. These are the tangible items I touched.
You can’t however see direct evidence with the students I tutored. I can only hope it was positive and they’re moving on in their lives with more academic confidence and realized ability. And you can’t see the direct effect of the conversations I had while working in the robot store with curious passers-by off the street. Maybe they spent money. Maybe they brought their children for tutoring. Maybe they told someone about 826, who either sent kids or gave money to support the programs. Maybe. I’ll never know.
What is one favorite memory of 826michigan?
I really can’t have one fond memory of 826, no matter how cliche that is. I do have one fond trend which turns into my favorite thing about 826michigan: The sense of progress.
I enjoyed seeing academic growth with students facing more challenging lives than others. Over the long term, I watched 826 grow under the tag-team leadership of Amanda Uhle and Amy Sumerton and their assorted cohorts. Together they shaped the organization’s future. And it’s still growing.
I remember a long day of robot construction headed by Jason. Then watching my robot live through countless permutations of display windows was a treat.
These permutations parallel the changing lives that passed through the front doors. These include pregnancies, births, proposals and weddings.
Beautiful, Chris! Thank you for the stroll down memory lane. 826michigan could not do what it does without friends like you.
As you may know, our major publication for 2012 will be written by students in our after-school tutoring program at Ypsilanti Middle School. For weeks now, these students have been diligently working on NOT ONLY their regular homework, but ALSO writing prompts on the subject of "past, present, future". The results? Well, stellar.
Here's what Corey A-W had to say about a time in his past that shaped who he is today:
The first time my dad taught me how to play basketball I was very nervous but excited because of me learning a new thing while I was very young. I was excited because I saw everyone doing it on TV, like my favorite players while I was young. Kobe Bryant and Shaq O'Neal were the best forwards to me so I wanted to try and get famous from it.
There were lots of people besides my dad who would help me out and build more confidence so I could reach one of my goals. My brother helped me a lot when we were younger and also now. My older brother would take me to gyms sometimes or during the summer we'd go to the park and go shoot. Also my uncles and aunts also played a bit part in how I became to be this good, so has my mom. Even though my mom probably has never played basketball ever, she pushes me harder to do the best I can and comes to my games and it makes me happy.
What I remember that day in the gym I remember seeing six basketball rims that were all down and seeing all the people there shooting as well. I also remember seeing a lot of purple because the school's main color was purple. I heard lots of yelling (well, not yelling just people talking loud) and basketballs bouncing. The smell of the gym wasn't that stinky it was a little fresh. The sound of my first shot going in was probably real loud to me because it was very important to how I am now. It was a clacking sound when the ball bounced off the rim into the nets and the sound was a "gcuoop" sound.
Ladies and gentlemen, GCUOOP. If there were an annual award for Best New Onomatopoeia, Corey A-W would have it LOCKED UP for 2012. Everybody else just take your basketballs and go home, because: GCUOOP.
I bet right now you are thinking, "Gee, this book project sounds really fun. Gcuoop! I wish I had been a tutor at YMS so I could meet all these wonderful students and work with them on their writing." Well, friend, you are in LUCK! We are looking for Traveling Editors to join us for the next two weeks at YMS to help Corey A-W and his classmates revise and refine their work before we begin the publication project. Traveling Editors also get to wear ties and cool glasses, because they are editors (naturally). We will need Traveling Editors Monday-Thursday for the weeks of 2/6 and 2/13. (Yes that's right, the two weeks that begin TODAY!)
Can you join us as a Traveling Editor and help these YMS students over the finish line? E-mail Catherine@826michigan.org to get started!
The holiday dust has finally settled here at 826HQ and Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair. The steel Santa hats are off robotic heads (good thing too, because they are quite heavy). The LED Menorah is dim for another year. The tinsel is back in storage (in case you were wondering, robots use the same tinsel we do). And we're settled in to another winter of long nights restocking and assembling our signature robot wares.
To paraphrase Donny Hathaway's 1970 holiday masterpiece and modern classic carol "This Christmas", we knew this holiday season would be a very special holiday season for us. Not only did we bolster our product lines with dozens of new and exciting robot accoutrements (like the Nose-So-Bright Seasonal Attachment), we produced our first ever hardcopy Holiday Catalog in beautiful glossy full color AND launched a brand new online store, www.onwardrobots.com.
Suffice to say, it WAS a very special holiday season. As always, Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair invests 100% of its profits in the free writing and tutoring programs at 826michigan, which means that all those LED Menorahs and Nose-So-Bright Seasonal Attachments will live on through the innovation and creativity of 826michigan students. We'd like to thank the following people and businesses for their contributions to LSRS&R this past holiday season: Thomson-Shore, who printed the holiday catalog; McSweeney's, who helped us get the word out about onwardrobots.com; Store Intern Extraordinaire Erin Dreps and her crew of volunteer Robotiers, who packed online orders and staffed the store when it was ITSELF packed; illustrator Angela Duncan; Google; and our wonderful Program Director Amy Sumerton, whose contributions to LSRS&R CANNOT be fully enumerated. (Let us just say that anyone who does retail-related ANYTHING is admirable, but those who manage holiday retail while eight months pregnant are clearly superhuman. Or, perhaps, robotic.)
And, above all, we wish to thank all of you out there who supported 826michigan this holiday season by shopping Liberty. May your robot purchases never rust, break, or rise up against humans! (But if they do, come see us for replacement parts: www.onwardrobots.com is open year-round.)
Here at 826michigan we tend to love pretty much any endeavor that is creative, sustained, and technically demanding. (Like writing an epic poem in haiku form.) That means that we LOVE movies - even those without robots in them!
Alas, Real Steel got locked out of the Academy Award nominations this year, but there are plenty of interesting choices on this just-announced list. Best Picture Nominee Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was a favorite of many of our volunteers, and Best Adapted Screenplay Nominee Hugo warmed our robot-loving hearts. (There's room enough for automatons in the robot family tree.)
But what do we know? We're just movie enthusiasts, not movie experts.
FORTUNATELY, we have a bona-fide movie expert on our Board of Directors! MetroTimes film critic Jeff Meyers, along with Detroit News film critic Tom Long, are joining us for a very special event next
month: A Taste Of The Oscars!
We'll taste five wines provided by Everyday Wines, enjoy the lovely ambiance at Kerrytown Concert House, and watch clips of this year's Best Picture Nominees as Jeff and Tom share the insider's view on this year's Academy Awards: what to expect, what may be unexpected, and a bit of the wacky history of the broadcast. We hope to see you there!
One of the reasons we started this Supporter of the Month feature was
to acknowledge and honor the many businesses that, like vertebrae,
form the backbone of much of what 826michigan does around town. There
are many such businesses, but one of the largest and most important is
the one-and-only Andy Garris, barman and Ypsilanti personality
extraordinaire. Andy has been associated with many Ypsilanti
establishments, but his current gig is at a place EQUALLY wonderful as
he is: Woodruff's Bar in Depot Town!
(How far can we take this vertebrae metaphor? Will we name an EXACT
vertebra to which we will compare Andy and Woodruff's? Answer: no. But
suffice to say it is, again, a large and important one. And it
probably has a mustache.)
Andy Garris is known for many things: his mean Bloody Mary, his sense
of style, and yes, his mustache. But we also know him as an
enthusiastic and generous person who has, over the years, shown
himself to be more than willing to help 826michigan out in any way he
can.
And OH, has he helped 826michigan.
You have probably at this point heard about last month's Mittenfest
VI, which featured 60 awesome bands and raised $21,290 for our
Ypsilanti-based programs. It was, to say the very least, an
astonishing event for us. And it really, really -- REALLY --
could not have happened without Andy and the amazingly dedicated staff
at Woodruff's, who ably manned the door, slung drinks at the bar,
served delicious food, and ushered the festival through innumerable
band changes with nary a hitch. The staff performed like the
proverbial well-oiled machine, and as with any such performance it was
delightful to watch and to be a part of.
But Mittenfest VI is not the only successful event Andy has made
possible -- not by FAR. Andy has been a friend of 826michigan for so
long that enumerating his contributions would be well-nigh impossible.
Last year, Woodruff's hosted the Love Hangover and the Spelling Bee
for Honest Cheaters (which raised $23,000!), to say nothing of an
incredible poetry slam featuring students from Ozone House and (I am
told) some DELICIOUS corndogs. All of these events were staffed with
the same dedication and skill shown at Mittenfest VI. And before too
long, 826michigan will be returning to Woodruff's for this year's
iterations of the Love Hangover and the Spelling Bee!
We are SO grateful to everyone over at Woodruff's for giving
826michigan a home away from home. (And what a home it is! We are
extremely partial to the needlepoint presidents hanging above the
fireplace.) We can't wait to see you all again to shake off our Love
Hangover!
We do this whole workshop-schedule thing approximately four times a year but it always has a special tingly sheen to it. Why? Because in addition to being incredibly popular (we can just sense legions ready to pounce when registration opens tomorrow at 7pm), workshops are incredibly FUN. They're a place for our creative, wonderful volunteers to really flex their creative, wonderful idea-generating wings. And the results are always fantastic.
I don't want to spoil TOO many of the wonderful surprises awaiting the general public when the workshop schedule goes up tonight, but I'd like to quote here a few snippets from this winter's workshop titles and descriptions. Just to whet your appetite even more than it is, already, whetted.
"Come make a valentine poem for someone YOU love!
Colby, a Canine Assistants Service Dog, will help share her knack for poetry, being lovey-dovey, and valentine cards to help you craft a poem of your own."
"What does purple taste like? What is green's deepest secret?"
"Blah! Come celebrate Valentine’s Day in a new, tear-soaked way by learning to write about the not-so-happily-ever-after: the tragic story."
"But let’s imagine that it is the year 2056 and YOU are running for President of the United States. In this workshop, you decide what the urgent issues will be in 2056: An impending robot takeover? A devastating global banana shortage? A proliferation of paper clips that threatens the stapler industry?"
WHOA. This is just a sampling of the many words describing the many workshops on offer this winter, and we are ALREADY blown away. And we haven't even seen what the STUDENTS will write!
Weird fact: it's still TECHNICALLY fall! So all those puffy coats, snow boots, and chill breezes? They are autumn puffy coats, snow boots and chill breezes for just a few more days!
(Admittedly, some of the most recent autumn chill breezes have been a little, well, chilly...)
Okay, okay, so only the most pedantic of souls would insist that it is still fall. Given that I am writing this blog post, not my dad (hi Dad! Love ya!), I'll give up the it's-still-autumn ghost.
BUT how about a little autumn nostalgia to wrap up the season? Join 826michigan students on a prairie walk through Dow Prairie simply by clicking right here.
Here's Program Coordinator Catherine to explain what brought about this charming video:
Here's the next wonderful installment of student voices from 826michigan's Nichols Arboretum workshops led by the inimitable Ami Walsh and Jane Hayes. Three times a year, Jane, Ami, and a group of dedicated volunteers take a workshop on a hike through the Arb to explore the secrets of each season. This October, we traversed the Alex Dow Prairie, and our students composed wonderful poems about their findings there. Many thanks to volunteers Jane, John, Derek, Brea, Lindsay, Sarah, Polly, Dena, and Anna, and to Bob Grese & Linda Neely from Nicholas Arboretum for making this workshop a success. Special gratitude to Ami for recording our students and creating such a lovely tribute to them and to their work.
I know people in This Modern World of Ours are constantly entreated to click on links, watch videos, etc etc etc, and I also know that I personally rarely feel compelled to do so. No compulsion here, but I really think you should try this one out. It's five minutes that will amuse and delightful and leave you with an effervescent feeling in your very SOUL.
If you'd like to join us for the winter installment of our nature writing workshop, keep an eye out for the Winter 2012 workshop schedule. It will be posted on Tuesday, January 10, at 7pm. Registration opens the following day, Wednesday, January 11, also at 7pm!
For this, our second Supporter of the Month, we wanted to feature one of the many individual donors who help keep the lights on here at 826HQ. One popped immediately to mind: the lovely Wendy Sherrill.
Those of us who work at nonprofits know very well that the typical donor does not look or act like one might expect a Donor to. (Elements of a Donor: Fur coat? Small, fussy dog? Perhaps a sweater vest [but probably not concurrently with the fur coat]? A building with the family name on the door? MULTIPLE buildings with the family name on the door?)
In reality, most of the people who donate to 826michigan are refreshingly regular. (But, because they support 826michigan, they also tend to be really funny and literate, too. Of course we WOULD say that, but it actually is The Objective Truth.)
Wendy Sherrill is one of these refreshingly regular people. She works in marketing and can often be found enjoying a bite at Zingerman's Deli or playing in Ann Arbor parks with her two kids. Wendy is what we call a Sustainer, meaning she makes a modest but regular contribution on a monthly basis. In point of fact, Wendy PIONEERED this program by making monthly donations before we even had a system for people to make monthly donations! Additionally, Wendy has attended our fund-raising How To Write Like I Do workshops for adults and even donated her time recently to usher at our festival of one-act plays, Five Bowls of Oatmeal.
Although Wendy's contributions can be summed up in a few short sentences, our appreciation for her could never be. We are so glad to know that generous, involved people like Wendy are out there in our community, and that they believe in what we are doing. It honestly -- honestly -- means the world.
Of 826michigan, Wendy says, "I think I learned about 826michigan from a friend about 6 years ago. I was looking for a local organization to get involved with and have been a supporter ever since. Writing meant a lot to me as a kid (and still does) and I love how 826michigan helps kids find their voice. I am always amazed by the fun that goes into 826michigan activities. Events like Five Bowls of Oatmeal are so unique. I think that creative energy is a big draw for kids and volunteers."
WENDY. We are BLUSHING. We are always amazed by YOU! Thank you so much for what you do! If we could name a building after you or buy you a fur coat/sweater vest, we totally would. But please accept this blog post, and our sincere gratitude, instead.
(Interested in following in Wendy's footsteps and becoming a Sustainer? Please do! Sustainers make monthly contributions of any amount, allowing us to do things like buy copy paper and serve snacks for our students. They also earn, let's be real here, a Very Special place in our hearts. Get in touch with Executive Director Amanda at Amanda@826michigan.org for more information on becoming a Sustainer!)"
Next week is a GREAT time to swing by and pick up a few robotic goodies. We're participating in the Main Street Area Association's 12 Days of Giving celebration! From Monday, December 12, to Friday, December 23, Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair (along with a whole host of other Main Street businesses) will be supporting one local nonprofit per day. The line-up here is ALL-STAR, friends: SafeHouse Center, Food Gatherers, Ozone House, Habitat for Humanity of Washtenaw County -- AND MANY MORE! 12 Days of Giving is a great way of killing the two birds with one stone by supporting local businesses AND local nonprofits.
(Would these two birds be, perhaps, turtledoves? In honor of the 12 Days? Maybe? Maybe?)
There does happen to be one organization that is both a local business AND a local nonprofit: 826michigan/Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair! (Heard of them?) What does this mean for you, 12 Days of Giving shopper? When you are out and about on Tuesday, December 13, make a point to stop into Main Street businesses (again, an all-star list: Vault of Midnight, Sole Sisters, Acme Mercantile, and the list goes on. AND ON.), because they will donating to US!
(Whoever came up with this 12 Days of Giving idea should be given a golden ring. Maybe even FIIIIIIIIVE GOLDEN RIIIIINGS. Thank you, Main Street Area Association!)
Next week also brings another exciting event: our much-anticipated screening of the new documentary American Teacher at the Michigan Theater! This documentary, produced by 826 National founders Dave Eggers and Ninive Calegari and narrated by Everybody's Favorite Actor Matt Damon, follows the lives of four teachers as they advance through professional milestones and face mounting struggles. It promises to be both an enlightening film and an inspiring call to action.
American Teacher will be screened at the Michigan Theater on Wednesday, December 14, at 7pm. We'll have a Q & A session with Jonathan Dearman, one of the teachers featured in the movie, and Dan Moulthrop, educational policy wizard. We're also inviting some VERY special guests: our In-School Residency teachers, and 826michigan volunteers! We'll be recognizing these dedicated and wonderful people, so come out and show your support.
Tickets are only six dollars! Find them (and more information) here!
It's that time of year again, when programs grind to a halt and the store amps up. (Speaking of which, have you checked out our magnificent online store? You can order seventy of our best, most-beloved products with just $5 flat rate shipping in the US!)
At any rate, as we wrap up another calendar year of programs, we wanted to bring some dates to your attention:
End dates:
On Thursday, December 8, we'll hold our last tutoring session (both at 826 and at YMS) in 2011.
The Fall Workshop Schedule wraps up December 7.
In-school Residencies go on a short hiatus starting around December 21.
Start dates:
Tutoring (both at 826 and YMS) starts back up January 9.
In-school Residencies resume on January 9.
Our first Field Trip in the new year happens on January 13.
The Winter Workshop Schedule begins on January 16.
Also, take note! The Winter Workshop Schedule will be posted on Tuesday, January 10. Registration opens on Wednesday, January 11 at 7pm.
AAAAND, we wanted to share some amazing student work with you. First up, two of our favorite Bot Jots from last semester. Bot Jots happen daily at tutoring.
The first one comes from Bushra H., who started coming to tutoring way back at our OLD location, when she was just a wee little thing. The Bot Jot prompt centered around creating a list of questions you've always wondered about.
Why do we go to school and not animals?
Why do we humans have all the brains?
Why can't animals speak our language?
Why does aching and stress have to be part of growing up?
How can animals speak our language some day?
Is there anything that I can choose for something epic to happen?
Why do good things have to end but the bad stuff doesn't?
Why is no one perfect?
Why do so many people say we'll never know?
How many clouds are in the sky?
A compelling list, to be sure. Questions we ourselves have wondered about, as well as questions we'll now START wondering about.
And now, Melanie K. During Bot Jots, she made a charming list she's titled "Names for a..."
Spotted dog: Wickley, Spock
Giraffe: Prikaley, Talle
Spy: Sprickaley, Tackal
Karate master: Lofey
Space robot: 678810, Shemol
Hopefully you'll be out and about in downtown Ann Arbor for Midnight Madness this Friday, December 2. As ever, businesses will be staying open late and offering special deals on merchandise. WHILE you are downtown, will you, oh won't you stop by your favorite robot shop? The Liberty Street Robot Supply & Repair will offer up BotChoir for the third time this year.
Just what IS BotChoir, and could it possibly be as astounding, magical, and delightful as it sounds, you ask? For starters, YES, it is every bit as astounding, magical, and delightful as it sounds. How could it not be? It consists of a variety of adult humans (and sometimes dogs) dressed up in robot costumes, singing robot-ized versions of holiday carols.
For example, well-loved classics, such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Robot" and "Here Comes Santabot," featuring lyrics like "Oh robot, robot, robot / I made it out of tin / And when it's dry and ready / Then robot I shall spin!" There's no saying what we'll do this year, but in past years, we've done a binary version of "Carol of the Bells" (in the round, of course) as well as a terrifying rendition of "O Holy Night" wherein all the robots tonelessly scream "FALL ON YOUR KNEES" after a soloist does a lovely version of the verse.
Is it hilarious? We sure think so!
So please stop by, stock up on robot supplies, and catch a performance of BotChoir. They'll be performing at 7, 8, 9, and 10pm during Midnight Madness, this Friday, December 2. Hope to see you there!
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826michigan is proud to provide 100% absolutely free one-on-one drop-in tutoring for students ages 8-18, really. Free. No kidding.
Tutoring is available during the school year Monday through Thursday, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. All students are welcome whether they are working on homework, their first novel, their first song, or their first screenplay. Or whatever. And it’s free.
We are always in need of tutors. Please drop by and see us or click here to sign up. Any amount of time you can spend – one hour a month or three hours a day – will make you feel better and truly make a difference for our students.
Digital camera.
Ink cartridges.
Laminator.
Microphone and Speaker.
Rolling white board.
Bulletin boards.
Large butcher paper pads.
Frequent Flyer miles.
Reams of white paper.
Gift certificates to Staples.
Gift certificates to Meijer or Sam's Club.
Gift certificates to Ikea.
Stamps.
Staplers.
