Join us in supporting the brilliant minds of young authors in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit!
We believe that with individualized attention from caring adults like you, students improve their academic performance, develop a sense of belonging, and discover the unique value of their voices. (Plus … 826michigan programs are truly fun and engaging—for students and volunteers alike!)
826michigan volunteers feed into the creation of a vibrant and wildly inspired safe place for young people. We build our creative writing and literacy programs to be actively anti-racist and trauma-informed, and we focus on creating humanizing settings for young people to explore the power of their voices.
In addition to working individually with students, there are lots of other ways to support our work! You can volunteer in our robot shop or tell people in the community about our work at a tabling event.
“I loved my time at 826michigan and gained so much experience with young people. I feel much more qualified to work on my toes and collaborate with teams to achieve a goal.”
From our volunteer feedback survey
Ready to sign up?
If you are a returning volunteer who has already filled out a volunteer application, you do not need to reapply; we still have your application on file.
Volunteer Opportunities
After-school Writing Labs
Students ages 8-14 (in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti) and 11-17 (in Detroit) work in small groups with peers and adult volunteers to brainstorm, write, revise, share, and publish their writing.
In-person / Weekly Commitment / After-school
Field Trips & In-school Roadshows
For elementary-aged classrooms. Action-packed, two-hour creative writing experiences filled with surprises and focused on building students’ confidence in their writing. These take place in schools or in community spaces.
In-person / Flexible commitment / Daytime
Wee-bots
For students ages 5-8. In these fun, informal sessions, we read a book aloud together and then play around with writing, from the physical act of actually writing to the creative ideas involved.
In-person / Flexible commitment / Evening
Store Shifts @ Robot Supply Co.
Serve as a store clerk and a community ambassador for 826michigan’s mission/work
In-person / Weekly commitment / Flexible timing
Design Cohort
Group of volunteer artists, illustrators, graphic designers, and others with skills in the visual arts. We call on members periodically asking for help on specific design projects.
Remote / Flexible commitment / Flexible timing
Editorial Cohort
Group of volunteer copyeditors, student-writing typists, and chapbook assemblers. We put out general calls to this group when we have projects in any of these areas.
Remote / Flexible commitment / Flexible timing
Translation Cohort
Group of volunteers with writing, reading, and/or speaking abilities in non-English languages. We call on members periodically asking for help on specific translation projects.
Remote / Flexible commitment / Flexible timing
Tabling and Outreach Cohort
Group of volunteers who can serve as ambassadors for 826michigan by representing the organization as community events, connecting potential students, families, volunteers, and others to our work.
In-person / Flexible commitment / Flexible timing
Understanding the commitment of each volunteer opportunity
We are so honored that you would consider dedicating some of your valuable time to advancing 826michigan’s work. To help you better understand how 826michigan volunteer opportunities might integrate into your schedule, each opportunity above is tagged with the following commitment indicators.
LOCATION
Remote: This activity happens virtually, via video conference
In-person: This activity takes place in a physical location
Hybrid: This activity has both virtual and in-person options available
FREQUENCY
Weekly Commitment: Volunteers for this activity are asked to commit to a weekly engagement for a minimum number of weeks
Flexible Commitment: Volunteers for this activity commit only to specific engagements and not a weekly schedule
TIME OF DAY
Daytime: This activity takes place on Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am and 4pm
After-school: This activity takes place on Monday through Friday between 4pm and 6pm
Evening + Weekend: This activity takes place on the weekends, or after 6pm on weekdays.
Flexible Timing: This activity has a variety of timing options for engagement.