The Program Director is a dynamic, creative educator with exceptional instructional, management, and problem-solving skills. The ideal candidate is a team player with a track record of effectively growing writing ability in young people, directing and evaluating programs, a steadfast commitment to improving the quality of K-12 education, and a passion for youth empowerment through writing and publishing. The Program Director sets annual programming goals with program staff, measures progress toward these goals, and works with the Executive Director and program staff to create and implement programs & curricula.
826 New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. People of color and native New Orleanians are strongly encouraged to apply.
826 New Orleans is looking for an Afterschool Program Assistant
The Afterschool Program Assistant will work with staff, youth and families, and volunteers to ensure the success of our Afterschool Program. Reporting to the Program Manager, the Program Assistant will engage with all aspects of the Afterschool program, including set up, direct instruction, and clean up. They will also assist the Program Manager with the Young Writers’ Council, our teen writing program, which meets every other Saturday afternoon. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a flexible schedule who loves working with young people and wants to see them blossom through creative writing and other artistic pursuits.
826 New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply!
For the past three years, 826 New Orleans has been my passion and my most important undertaking. Back in 2019 when I joined the team, 826 New Orleans had just opened its Youth Writing Center in the 7th Ward. The organization was looking for a leader to help sustain and grow its mission in the 7th Ward and beyond.
When I began my role as Executive Director, I stepped into the center and imagined students filling the space on evenings and weekends, sharing their stories and learning critical literacy skills along the way. I imagined that we would open our doors to the 7th Ward and our community partners, sharing our creative space to collectively write and dream together.
Of course, in 2019, none of us had a clue of what was to come. Within a matter of months, I was tasked to lead a team and an organization through an unprecedented time in our history—a global pandemic, a series of social uprisings, and a major hurricane that wreaked havoc on our city.
The global pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing inequities; particularly for communities like the ones we serve. As a team we had to ask ourselves—how do we ensure young people don’t fall through the cracks?
I’m immensely proud of the 826 New Orleans response. We ensured that every student could participate in our programs without needing access to a computer, as a way to address the digital divide. We pivoted our programs to ensure that every young writer could have access to a mini-writing center in their home–providing them with at-home creative tools to continue their writing practice at home. We delivered over 10,000 bookmaking kits across the city and encouraged students to find new ways to publish their work, including publishing their stories on their windows at home.
That just scratches the surface of the impact we’ve been able to make. 826 New Orleans not only remained steady in this tumultuous educational landscape, we actually grew. Amidst tough times, there has been much to celebrate. We have expanded our work by almost every measure. This summer we will begin serving families with 3-5-year-olds, our digital storytelling lab is being built out as I type this, and our team has grown from 4 full-time staff to a team of 10 including full-time and part-time. We have doubled our financial support, too, making this growth possible. 826 New Orleans has been a force for good and has served over 3,000 young people during my tenure as Executive Director.
I am incredibly proud to be a part of what 826 New Orleans has achieved in these three years despite the unprecedented challenges, and I am tremendously grateful that I have been able to play a central part in its evolution and success. From when I was hired to today, I have been deeply committed to the cause of helping young New Orleanians tell their stories and become published authors. This has, without a doubt, been the best job I have ever had.
Today I’m announcing that this will be my last school year as the Executive Director of 826 New Orleans. My last day with the organization will be August 5th. While it’s bittersweet to begin saying goodbye, I know that 826 New Orleans is well-positioned for further growth. It is my unwavering belief that the organization will realize its vision of publishing over 25,000 young New Orleanians in the next 10 years.
My departure brings with it a fantastic opportunity for a new, innovative thinker to take 826 New Orleans to the next phase of its nonprofit life cycle. Our team has partnered with Maroon Consulting to manage the executive search and we have developed a hiring committee composed of core community members who have a stake in finding the next Executive Director.
As for me, I look forward to continuing to champion educational justice and cheerleading the work of 826 New Orleans from the sidelines. It has been a true privilege to work with such a committed and talented group of people. Serving the young authors of New Orleans with you has been such a gift.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me in the next few months as I begin to say my farewells. I’d love to meet with you and listen to your feedback or address any questions you may have.
With Gratitude,
Brooke Pickett
Letter from the BOD:
Three years ago when we hired Brooke as our organization’s Executive Director, no one could have predicted the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. Brooke gracefully stepped into the role as the first Executive Director outside of the organization’s founder and was instantly tasked with transforming our newly opened writing center into a hub for literacy. Within months of her hiring, a global pandemic ensued, there were a series of social uprisings, and New Orleans was faced with a major Hurricane that wreaked havoc on our city.
Amidst all of those challenges, Brooke rose to the occasion, adapting the organization to meet the needs of our students and their families. Over the past three years, we have served over 3,000 students, launched our first relief fund with close to $10,000 being distributed to our families, published over ten books, had Jason Reynolds serve as a lead mentor on a book project, and so much more. Brooke doubled our budget, doubled the number of staff members, and developed a new strategic plan which includes expanding our focus to serve students as young as 3-years-old.
Brooke Pickett’s leadership has transformed the organization and young people’s lives for the better, and we are incredibly grateful for her time with the organization. As Brooke expressed above, she has officially announced that this will be her last school year with 826 New Orleans as she goes on to champion educational justice in new ways. Whoever Brooke works with next will be incredibly blessed to have both her vision and her tenacity. We will miss Brooke and her ability to lead with empathy, her ability to pair vision with practicality, and her willingness to go above and beyond to ensure that young New Orleanians have a platform to share their stories. Brooke has guided our growth as an organization. We were able to meet the needs of thousands of students because of her radical leadership.
As we say our farewells and send best wishes to Brooke, we also look to the promising future of 826 New Orleans and to carrying our mission forward in exciting new ways. We have learned and grown a great deal over the past three years, expanding our programmatic reach and creating new ways to collaborate with students, their families, and our teaching partners. This includes our expansion to serve students as young as three, and our new initiative to build lasting Writers’ Rooms inside a series of public schools in New Orleans.
The astounding 826 New Orleans team remains dedicated to building, managing, and delivering effective, creative, joyful programs to motivate and support students in their writing growth. Together, we’re thrilled to work with Maroon consulting to manage the Executive Search. In addition, we have developed a hiring committee composed of core community members who have a stake in finding the next Executive Director.
Of course, you have a role in all of this too. Help us find our next leader. They’ll have big shoes to fill but you may know the person who can pick up where Brooke left off and take our organization to brand new heights. To read the full Executive Director job description and application deadlines, visit the link here.
While we begin to launch our search, we want to extend an invitation to celebrate Brooke and thank her for her time as Executive Director. There will be more details coming soon, so be on the lookout for an in-person celebration. Until then, feel free to send Booke a message of gratitude and let’s be sure to keep the conversation going.
826 New Orleans is part of 826 National, an award-winning national network of youth writing centers. In addition to being an integral member of the 826 National network, 826 New Orleans plays a vital role in the local community. Our program team members have been recognized and honored locally, nationally, and internationally.
826 New Orleans cultivates a creative and courageous workplace. We value innovation and collaboration. We strive to be supportive and accommodating to employee needs for scheduling and work styles, and aim to create a humanizing work environment that prioritizes work/life balance.
Through innovative partnerships with local public schools and communities, as well as the support of over 500 volunteers, we have worked with over 8,000 public school students and created over 100 publications of student work, including chapbooks, fiction, poetry and graphic storytelling. The 826 Team offers free writing programs and publishing opportunities at our state-of-the-art Youth Writing Center in the 7th Ward and in our partner schools across the city. Our staff and volunteers help students develop a love of literacy, become published authors, and find the power of their voices on and off the page. You can read more about our impact in our 2021 Annual Report.
Under the leadership of the current Board and Executive Director, the 826 New Orleans team has worked diligently to establish essential partnerships, strengthen community connections, and extend program access during the height of the pandemic. 826 New Orleans is in a strong position with a progressing strategic plan, a talented staff, an engaged board, established funding, and community relationships.
What Will the Executive Director Do?
Reporting to the 826 New Orleans Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for establishing 826 New Orleans’s future goals and continuing to build collaborative partnerships.
The Executive Director manages the general operations, annual budget, strategic plan, staff, and programming. The Executive Director is also responsible for oversight in the areas of fundraising, public relations, and marketing. The selected candidate must combine a proven track record in nonprofit and/or educational leadership with a clear understanding of 826 New Orleans’s mission and program offerings to improve and expand the organization’s impact across the city.
What Qualities Are We Looking For?
826 New Orleans is looking for a passionate leader whose professional mission and dynamic vision aligns with the organization. The Executive Director should be an enthusiastic and inspirational leader and collaborator who has previously led healthy, dynamic organizations through growth stages. They should exemplify a belief in the power of youth voice while operating with curiosity, empathy, gratitude, and cultural competency. The Executive Director should lead in imaginative and creative ways.
826 New Orleans is looking for someone who can inspire and guide staff, students, board, and volunteers, modeling a work-life balance and positive relationships. They should possess an appreciation for the rich history and culture of New Orleans and the 7th Ward and understand the New Orleans public education landscape. Their leadership should elevate robust community engagement. Our candidate must be actively engaged in anti-racist practices and have a track record of leading efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and a deep understanding and belief in the importance of these efforts.
What Do We Want to Accomplish in the Next Three to Five Years?
Our Board of Directors is seeking to hire a motivational leader who can accomplish the following overarching near-term goals:
Assess and track the progress of the existing strategic plan and make any necessary improvements based on informed stakeholder input to reach a near-term goal of publishing 2,000 students annually; lead ongoing strategic planning processes and implementation of the 826 New Orleans Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy
Launch additional school-based and on-campus programming, including:
Wee Write Early Learners Program for 3-5 year olds
826 New Orleans Writers Rooms in partnership with New Orleans public schools
Hire a development director and work with the Board of Directors to establish an annual fundraising goal; at this time, the organization is anticipating to operate a budget of approximately $900,000 annually
Increase engagement with and investment in our 7th Ward community
What Are the Job Responsibilities?
Strategy and Board Relations
Work with the 826 New Orleans board to track the progress of our existing strategic plan and lead the next phase of the strategic planning process for the organization, operating with a forward-thinking approach to its staff, leadership, and the entire organization through data-driven decision-making.
Report to the 826 New Orleans Board of Directors on programming impact, fundraising, finances, events, publications, personnel, strategic planning, and other 826 related matters; enlist their support as needed.
Work with 826 National to coordinate the work of 826 New Orleans with the other 826 chapters; represent 826 New Orleans at 826 National meetings, executive director meetings, staff conferences, and other convenings.
Financial Management and Fundraising
Ensure prudent fiscal management of 826 New Orleans, including establishment and review of salaries, management of expenses, strategic financial planning, and preparation of monthly financial reports and annual budgets.
Attract, hire, and support a Development Director who will create and implement 826 New Orleans fundraising strategies, including grant applications, corporate and private philanthropy, individual donations, and special events.
Work in partnership with the Development Director to ensure successful cultivation of financial gifts on behalf of 826 New Orleans; steward donors through every stage of a gift; deliver authentic gratitude, and provide timely information and individualized attention to donors and supporters.
Programming
Partner with the Program Director to oversee all programming and impact, including after-school, in-school projects, and workshops.
Ensure daily excellence and quality practices in accordance with 826 protocols and the Program Equity Framework; measure impact and make informed decisions based on the collection of qualitative and quantitative data.
Marketing/Public Relations/Communications
Develop and maintain relationships with education and community leaders that will facilitate programming growth.
Represent 826 New Orleans and its mission to students, families, funders, volunteers, the educational community, and the media; serve as spokesperson for media appearances and other public speaking opportunities.
Work closely with the communications team to guide external relations and collaborations, including website, annual fundraising appeals, and public relations.
Operations/Supervision
Supervise, direct, and support staff, interns, and volunteers to pursue 826 New Orleans’s educational mission, in alignment with its values.
Develop 826 New Orleans’s culture as a learning organization, providing consistent professional development plans, learning opportunities, regular feedback, and performance reviews.
Manage all legal and operational issues, including contracts, employment matters, technology, leases and building management, publication and other agreements, oversight of retail operations, and serve as chief organizational signatory.
What Are the Compensation and Benefits Packages?
826 New Orleans will offer a starting salary of $90,000 for this role. Although this is a full-time position (40 hours per week), the schedule for this position is flexible and may be a mix of in-person work at our Youth Writing Center in the 7th Ward of New Orleans and remote work. This position requires occasional evening and weekend hours.
826 New Orleans pays 100% of health insurance premiums for full-time employees. 826 New Orleans also offers a 3% matching retirement plan, 15 PTO days, 19 days of paid holiday, and 7 sick days per year.
How to Apply?
Please send a cover letter, resume, and contacts for three professional references to the 826 New Orleans Board of Directors through Maroon NOLA at 826NOLAEDsearch@themaroon.org. The application priority deadline is July 15, 2022.
826 New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. 826 New Orleans does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, political orientation, disability, veteran status, or gender identity or expression. 826 New Orleans looks forward to applications from individuals across diverse identities and lived experiences.
What Will the Candidate Engagement Process Look Like?
Candidate cover letters should include and highlight alignment to the organization’s mission, summarize skill set and capacity to lead the organization, and a connection to previous successful experiences.
Maroon NOLA will conduct initial application materials screenings and invite selected applicants into virtual (or phone) interviews.
Maroon NOLA will select up to 10 finalists, who can each expect between 1-3 rounds of interviews with Board members and search committee members, a 3-part performance task process (with a stipend provided), and engagement sessions with the 826 New Orleans Board and stakeholders. During these final application stages, finalists will be provided an opportunity to connect with key staff and stakeholders to learn more deeply about the organization and its work.
The 826 Board of Directors will vote on their final selection and offer the role to the most-qualified and best-fit finalist.
826 New Orleans is looking for a Family and Community Engagement Coordinator.
The Family and Community Engagement Coordinator will work with staff, youth and families, volunteers, and other stakeholders to increase and maintain engagement with 826 New Orleans Programs. Reporting to the Director of Programs, the Engagement Coordinator will manage all aspects of volunteer program, increase student and family engagement across programming, develop systems that will build, grow, and sustain relationships with educators, schools, volunteers and organizations, build and grow our relationship with our neighbors (people, schools, businesses), and ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are a key part of volunteer materials and training.
826 New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply!
826 New Orleans is looking for a dynamic Manager to launch our Early Childhood Literacy Program!
826 New Orleans is seeking a dynamic and engaged Manager for our new Wee Write Program.
The 826 Wee Write Manager will launch an Early Childhood Literacy Program designed to provide 100 students ages 3-5 with the literacy support they need in advance of elementary school. Our Early Childhood Literacy Program is designed to radically shift the way writing is taught to preschoolers across Orleans parish. Our vision is to prime early learners with key literacy concepts in advance of entering elementary school, with the goal of ensuring a greater number of young people across New Orleans are reading and writing at their grade-level by 3rd grade.
826 New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply!
Want to share your poetry with New Orleans through the magic of pizza???
The Pizza Poetry Project celebrates National Poetry Month and the power of New Orleans youth voices by publishing poems on pizza boxes on Pizza Poetry Day – this year, on April 29th. The best poems from grade bands 1-3, 4-8, and 9-12th will be selected as Pizza Poet Laureates*. Students will receive a certificate and be celebrated at our Pizza Poetry Party!
To have your poem featured on a pizza box you must:
1. Be between the ages of 6 and 18.
2. Email your poem to pizzapoetry@826neworleans.org by 5pm March 31st. We accept poems typed in the body of the email, or attached as Word or Google docs. No PDFs please.
3. Include your Name, Age, and School. Please also include your poem’s title if there is one. Any poems without a title will be printed with “Untitled.”
4. Attach the consent to print form signed by you, or your parent if you are under 18 years old.
Questions? Email pizzapoetry@826neworleans.org
*Only students who attend Orleans Parish Public Schools are eligible to be selected as Poet Laureates.
I am an Alumni Fellow of Lede New Orleans and the opportunity was posted in one of our monthly emails. I read up on 826 New Orleans and 826 National and became so fascinated, and knew I had no choice but to apply for the position. Luckily, I think I made a great impression.
What are you most excited about as our new Development and Communications Manager?
I am most excited to learn more about 826 as a whole and to get to know the amazing team at 826 New Orleans. I am also excited to see firsthand how some of the amazing work is created by powerful youth!
What was your favorite book as a kid, and why?
The Wonder Worm Wars by Margie Palatini. I’m not exactly sure why it was my favorite, but I do remember how it was hilarious and I would read it over and over and over. I’ve replaced it at least five times since elementary school.
What are you up to outside of your work with us?
Outside of 826 New Orleans, i’m a high school youth leader with YoungLife on the Westbank, and a dog mom to a very energetic one-year-old chihuahua, Dr. Cuba. I also enjoy cooking and baking when I have the time and ingredients.
If you were a ghost for a day, where would you most like to haunt?
If I was a ghost for a day, I would immediately go to haunt all the museums I can to see if there are other ghosts around. Maybe I’ll run into Mona Lisa, a nice Pharoah, or even Van Gogh. I think ghosts can teleport so I could make it happen.
The 826 New Orleans team is excited to welcome and introduce our new Writers’ Room Manager, Lisa O’Neill. Read more about her below!
First & Last Name: Lisa O’Neill Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Job Title: Writers’ Room Manager Hometown: New Orleans
What brought you to 826 New Orleans?
A lifelong love of writing, especially writing in community. I became familiar with the 826 organization while I was living in San Francisco, where it was founded. Since then, I’ve grown to understand the powerful work 826 chapters do to encourage and amplify youth voices. Upon my return home to New Orleans, I was seeking a role where I could use my skills as a writer and educator alongside my passions for storytelling and working with young writers—and here it was, the perfect fit!
What are you most excited for as our new WR Manager?
Having worked with 826 New Orleans on the “Me in this Moment” project in the spring, I’ve gotten the chance to know some of our inspiring young writers, team members, and community collaborators. I’m looking forward to continuing to learn about and from our community of young writers. I’m really excited to discover what has been done with writer rooms in fellow 826 chapters and to dream, vision, and tailor a writers room that will serve the needs of New Orleans students. I’m enthused to come in at the very beginning and be part of co-creating a supportive, creative environment for young people to engage with their imagination, express themselves, and tell their stories.
What was your favorite book as a kid, and why?
I was a voracious reader as a kid and Scholastic book fair days were a dream come true. Two books I remember really sticking with me are Where the Red Fern Grows and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Where the Red Fern Grows is the first book I remember bringing me to tears while I was reading—I had grown so fond of the main character and his dogs and could really feel the connection between them. Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry allowed me to see through the perspective of the main character Cassie, who was about the same age as me and living in nearby Mississippi, although in a different era; Cassie and her family were targeted because they were Black and as a White kid, my eyes were opened to many of the harsh realities of racism. As a kid, I deeply appreciated books that felt like they were being real with me about the nature of the world—both the beauty and the hard edges—and I still appreciate books that do this.
What are you up to outside of your work with us?
I love all things words—reading, writing, storytelling of all kinds. My other big love is music. I sing, songwrite, and play guitar, harmonica, and banjo. Harmonizing on front porches is my favorite thing. During the pandemic, I have dispelled the lifelong myth that I can’t grow things and have fallen in love with gardening and taking care of my forest of houseplants.
If you were a ghost for a day, where would you most like to haunt?
I would haunt the river. And when I wanted a change of scenery, I might drop by some of my favorite local bookstores, the Community Book Center and Baldwin & Co, and the Latter library which was the branch I went to every Sunday as a kid.
BIO
Lisa O’Neill is writer and storyteller whose work explores art, culture, politics, social justice issues, and our relationship to place. A native New Orleanian, Lisa returned in 2020 after time spent in the desert where she received her MFA in nonfiction writing from the University of Arizona and taught writing in the English Department for a decade.
She has worked as a full-time freelance writer; designed and taught in-person and online community writing workshops; and led writing classes as a teaching artist in K-12 classrooms including inside juvenile detention. Lisa hosts and produces The MATRIARCHITECTS, a podcast which highlights change-makers who are building a culture that respects, values, and celebrates women. Her writing has appeared in Bitch Media, Diagram, defunct, Edible Baja Arizona, Everyday Feminism, The Feminist Wire, GOOD, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, Salon, Shondaland, Talk Poverty, and The Washington Post. Lisa is also a singer/songwriter and loves playing music on porches, witnessing the sky at twilight, and watching the Golden Girls.
This month we are delighted to share an interview with Me In This Moment volunteer, Lisa!
Where are you from?
I was born in Louisville KY and then lived in Illinois, New York, Ohio, Wyoming, Washington, and Texas before moving to New Orleans when I was 27.
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
You know, I am not sure how I found 826. I might have found you on Volunteer Match. I am always looking for a way to work with students. It looked interesting and it turned out to be even better than I expected. A good pandemic volunteer job.
What keeps you coming back?
I love hearing people’s stories. They are beautiful, sad, heartbreaking, funny, uplifting, and sometimes frightening. And I love watching the stories develop and grow. I feel like I know so much about all the writers even though we have only met through words on the internet.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans?
I used to be a geologist and also a technical writer and editor. So, I am a pretty good editor. But, the last part of my career, I was a science teacher. You have to be able to be a good observer as a scientist. And, you need to be able to accurately explain those observations. My studends had to work hard on those skills. So, who knew, turns out that creative writing has a lot in common being a scientist. And I love to read. That is a huge help.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
I live on a mini-farm in Abita Springs and we have dogs, cats, donkeys, chickens bees and gardens. All that keeps me kind of too busy. I sometimes teach classes on textile arts. I am an embroidery nerd. And, when it isn’t raining and or unbearably humid (covers too much time), I like to bike, hike, kayak. I read and cook. I miss my two sons who leave in San Antonio and Los Angeles. Under normal times, I try and visit them as often as I can.
Favorite book/ author?
Oh, that is so hard! I will tell you the book I’ve loved the most that I read lately. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. And, Jane Austen is the author that I can read over and over again. I like many different genres: YA, science fiction, historical fiction, mysteries. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction. Weird for a scientist!
