This month we’re excited to share about Nancy, an amazing volunteer!
Where are you from?
New Orleans
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
826 DC
What keeps you coming back?
Its character and talent like in you kids, the spark of divine fire. Also my roots.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans?
Prose composition and emotional therapy trying to get the chance to look into each other’s soul and finding out your story.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
Writing
Favorite book/ author?
Walker Percy had the biggest influence on me when I was young. Now? You can’t list just one – here are some: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nabokov, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Jan Morris, Balzac…
Me In This Moment is a personal narrative writing project. Over the course of six lessons, young people will tell the story of a memorable moment in their lives.
Lesson One – A timeline of memorable moments
In the first lesson, we hear from acclaimed author Jason Reynolds, who explains his thinking behind how he wrote a memorable moment in the book Ghost. Ms. Kyley then guides us in thinking about five memorable moments in our lives.
Lesson Two – making a writing plan
In this lesson Ms. Kyley guides us through making a plan for our story, using the structure the emotion starts, the emotion gets bigger, the emotion wraps up. Before doing this lesson, you should read this excerpt from Ghost by Jason Reynolds, our mentor text.
Lesson Three – using a checklist
In this lesson Ms. Kyley shows us a checklist that includes different things we can do to make our story compelling, and gets us ready to write our first draft.
Lesson Four – see what I saw, feel what I felt
In this lesson, Ms. Kyley guides us in revising our writing. We go back over our draft and to find places where we can add more description that will help the readers see what we saw, and feel what we felt.
Lesson Five – using dialogue and internal thinking
In this lesson, we continue to revise our writing, looking for places where we can add what characters were saying and thinking.
Lesson Six – How did I do? Self-assessment
In the final lesson, we read our writing, then take a look at the checklist to see how we did. We use that to put any final touches on our writing.
826 New Orleans seeks a visionary Director of Development & Communications who can lead the charge in building a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the long-term advancement and sustainability of our organization and the students we serve. The Director of Development & Communications oversees all aspects of our Development Department, including the design and execution of a comprehensive fundraising strategy that focuses on securing the resources our students need to thrive. This will include planned campaigns around annual and major gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, endowments, and special events. We are looking for a results-focused, committed individual who has a passion for creative writing and educational equity.
This month we’re excited to share about Errol, a volunteer who is near and dear to our hearts!
Where are you from? Born and raised here in New Orleans
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans?
The program director is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.
(Though if you need a less creepy answer: I really like the work you guys are doing with the writing programs for the kids)
What keeps you coming back?
The kids are amazing.
The staff is great.
The events are so much fun.
I really love it there.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans? I’m the chief nerd consultant and electronic problem solver. Also I’m great at checking names off on lists when we have guests. Also my most important job, keep the program director happy.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
Being a nerd for a living! I work in IT
Also doing cool things like night swan rides in city park.
Favorite book/ author?
I’m all over the place but (shocker) I’m reading a lot of sci-fi right now.
Favorite snack?
Snack, I dunno. But food in general is always gonna be shrimp.
Favorite thing about New Orleans?
It’s the best city in the world, with amazing food, people, and music. There’s too much great stuff to name but if im picking one thing….
Our college essay writing workshop has moved to a virtual space. College-bound juniors and seniors who need support in writing their application essays should join us on November 14th. The workshop will be between 10 AM – 12 PM. Students who want extra support can come back between 1-4 pm for an individualized check in.
Students who attend the workshop will automatically be entered in a raffle for a chromebook! The workshop is free and sign up is required. Sign up today!
WGNO interviewed our Executive Director, Brooke Pickett about our project “Writing on the Wall” that kept students writing near the beginning of quarantine. Read about it here.
“Me in this Moment” is a personal narrative writing project meant to support students in telling the story of a memorable moment in their lives. Writing personal narratives, particularly now, is a vehicle for healing, processing, and making meaning of the world.
826 New Orleans can support schools, and their young writers, both synchronously (via zoom) and asynchronously (via pre-recorded lessons), as it makes the most sense for each site. This project is most appropriate for students in grades 5-12.
Young writers will produce a compelling story aligned to the following goals:
Creating a structured piece that unfolds an event in an engaging way
Including details that paint a vivid picture for the reader
Using dialogue and internal thinking to drive the story
Additional support includes:
An online writing notebook for young writers
Individualized feedback for each writer
Pre-selected mentor text aligned to the project
Narrative writing rubric for assessment
Student-facing writing checklist for self-assessment
826 New Orleans is looking for a dynamic Program Manager to lead center-based programs!
We are seeking a dynamic Program Manger to develop and foster authentic and impactful writing environments for young people. This person should have a mix of skills and experiences that demonstrate a passion for youth, writing, and education. This person is able to inspire creativity in youth, volunteers, and staff. Ultimately, this person has the passion and vision to help New Orleanians ages 6-18 develop the desire and skills to explore the unlimited depths of their imaginations through the power of writing.
826 New Orleans is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply!
This month we’re excited to share about Abdi, a dedicated volunteer!
Where are you from? Baltimore, Maryland
What first brought you to 826 New Orleans? I love organizations like 826 and benefited from similar programs when I was young. Specifically, the director, Brooke Pickett, is a friend and I like to be a part of whatever she is doing.
What keeps you coming back? The students are super impressive. And the events usually have good food.
What are some skills you have that help you out at 826 New Orleans? A valid driver’s license.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us? Too much, but it usually involves making something.
Favorite book/ author?My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
Favorite snack? Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts
Favorite thing about New Orleans? Mosquitoes. Oh, you said “favorite?”
To honor the fullness of Black life, we are seeking stories of Black joy from our Black youth. We want to hear the things, big and small, that bring our young people happiness. This is a space specifically for Black voices.
How can you do that?
Step 1 : Create Your Joy List
What makes you happy? Think of lots of things, big and small, that bring you joy. Use one of our joy list templates like Ms. Kyley did, or make your own. After you’ve finished writing your list, please share it with us. You can snap a picture and email it to Ms. Rosie or text it to (504) 684-5595.
Step 2 : Pick one thing from your list and make a plan.
What is one experience from your list that you can write well about? Pick a good moment. It’s important to focus on one moment that you can describe in really good detail. The Explode the Moment graphic organizer from ReadWriteThink can help you use your senses to paint a picture of what happened. Ms. Kyley decided to write about the moment her daughter conquered her fear of going down a big slide. You can watch a video of Ms. Kyley completing her graphic organizer here.
Step 3: Write the moment.
Use the Explode the Moment graphic organizer you completed to write about this moment. Put the details in the best order to tell your story of what made you happy. You can watch Ms. Kyley write her story here.
When you are finished, snap a photo of it, and send it to Ms. Rosie , or text it to (504) 684-5595. You can also submit it online. If you can, send us a picture (drawn or real) to match the writing. We’ll follow up with you to see if you’d like do an audio recording of your story!
