We love fall at 826michigan. It means seriously delicious apples and cider, amazing sweater weather, and a fresh school year to welcome so many students into our writing lab for field trips! This October, we recognize The Peck Foundation for its tremendous support in expanding our Field Trips program to even more Detroit school students.
One year ago this week, we opened the doors to the Detroit Robot Factory with festive fanfare. It was quite a party—featuring student authors, teachers, individual donors, and the most amazing animal bikes we’re sure you’ll ever encounter. More significantly though, our grand opening signified an opportunity to officially offer students in Detroit the chance to come into an 826michigan space—in their own neighborhood—for our dynamic Field Trips.
Our Field Trips are simply the best. These creative writing adventures are as diverse and dynamic as the classrooms who attend. Inspired by our bright, unusual, and creative Detroit Robot Factory writing lab, students are encouraged to think creatively and try their hand at something new. Field Trip experiences can range from our Storytelling and Bookmaking Field Trip for elementary school classrooms; to our Make Your Own Adventure Field Trip developed with fourth, fifth, and sixth-graders in mind; to our newest Zine Machine Field Trip that taps into the creative minds of high school students. Students who enter the Detroit Robot Factory, not knowing exactly what they would find, leave with a copy of their published story, and feel excited and affirmed with a stronger grasp on the value of writing and sharing their stories.
Most incredibly, the stories created during Field Trips are featured in our Detroit Robot Factory storefront, and are often later published in our annual anthology OMNIBUS. Students are thrilled to see their stories published, and realize they can achieve something they never thought possible. Our student publications are publicized through our storefront and website, community events, and the local media. Our larger publications are also found in independent bookstores across the region and nation. These publishing opportunities support student creativity and nurtures student confidence: our young writers know that they can try and succeed at new projects, and that their community wants to hear what they have to say.
The Peck Foundation is a critically important partner in this wonderful creative writing program. Thanks to The Peck Foundation’s generosity, the capacity of our Field Trips program has expanded and we are prepared to welcome Detroit classrooms for an entire school year of these innovative writing experiences. We are so delighted by this investment in our students and are pleased to recognize The Peck Foundation as our October 2017 Supporter of the Month!