Student at 826DC writing program (photo courtesy 826DC)

by Sam Brinton

When you run a store like Tivoli’s Astounding Magic Supply Co., the District’s only magic supply store, you should always expect the unexpected. For the staff of 826DC, the nonprofit writing organization behind Tivoli’s, this year has supplied plenty of unexpected challenges to their programming and the needs of their community.

Based in the Tivoli building located on 14th Street in Columbia Heights, 826DC is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.” This mission manifests across various programs dedicated to working with DC public and charter school students, including after-school writing labs, field trips, and in-school writing workshops. Founded in 2010, 826DC is one of ten chapters of the 826National organization founded in San Francisco by educator Nínive Calegari and author Dave Eggers.

After-school writing program (courtesy 826DC)

Each of their programs places an emphasis on producing publishing opportunities for young authors, from chapbooks binded onsite at their writing center to their flagship program, the Young Authors’ Book Project (YABP). YABP is a yearlong project where students “get hands-on experience with every aspect of writing, editing, and publishing” and ultimately walk away with a professionally bound and published book (with a real ISBN) of their own writing. In 2017, students from Ward 4’s Capital City Public Charter School published a collection of recipes and stories called “Delicious Havoc.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic reality set in this March, 826DC staff and students had to react quickly. Since most of the programs offered by 826DC are in-person in their Columbia Heights writing center, the organization had to review entire operations while schools and offices moved virtual. In April, 826DC sent out a survey to students, teachers, and families requesting feedback on how best the organization could help out. As schools went virtual, students struggled with attendance as well as having the resources to remain productive and engaged, while parents were forced to decide between supervision and continuing to work. Based on the results of the survey and the 826Digital platform provided by 826National, 826DC has been able to maintain their after-school writing lab in a reduced capacity, run a virtual “Rewrite the Stars” summer space/writing camp, and help other local organizations, such as Latin American Youth Center, with virtual writing workshops.

Tivoli’s Astounding Magic Supply Co (courtesy 826DC)

From a fundraising perspective, 82DC had to cancel their spring ping-pong tournament event, Paddlestar Galactica, and quickly shift their long-planned 10-year anniversary celebration to all-virtual. Additionally, there remains a significant amount of uncertainty in local and federal grant funding in the coming months. Organizations like 826DC will need to rely on individual and corporate donors for the near future to be able to continue support the District’s young authors.

If anyone is interested in supporting their #GivingTuesday campaign, you can donate online.

For virtual volunteering opportunities, sign up on their website.