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Celebrating You

Write together. Teach together. Learn together.

Welcome to the 826 Digital community. Discover resources and inspiration from educators like you who are passionate about writing education and award-winning authors in our community.

Community In Action

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Learning in Community

826 Digital Educator Leader and reading specialist Ashley Houston-King presented with 826 National at the recent National Council of Teachers of English in a panel session, "Blazing a New Path: Measuring and Celebrating Creativity in Student Writing". We’re already planning our next workshop for 2024 NCTE in Boston and hope to see you there!
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2024 Student Publication: Let This Be Our Anthem

826 National's 2024 Student Anthology is here! "Let This Be Our Anthem" features student writing inspired by a prompt from Javier Zamora, 826 Valencia alumni and New York Times bestselling author, that asks students to raise their voice and write to the next President of the United States. Copies are now available on 826 Digital's Bookstore.
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Educator Voices

In her blog post, “We are not OK.,” 826 MSP Board Member, and middle school educator Kathy Seipp in her blog post on 826national.org. Seipp advocates for teachers everywhere as they navigate multiple crises in our post-pandemic educational landscape, and she calls for a comprehensive, compassionate response from state and federal leaders.

Student Publishing Opportunity

In early 2024, we teamed up with the Academy of American Poets community for their annual Dear Poet project, which connects students with award-winning poets. See our new Sparks on 826 Digital, Exploring Voice and Exploring Connections, which can be taught all year long!

Lessons from Educator Leaders

Yeimi Valdes
Yeimi Valdes
What happens when we start from a place of gratitude? In this lesson, students will use Ross Gay’s "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" as a catalyst for a daily gratitude journal.
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Yeimi Valdes, Grades K-12, Miami, FL
Shavonde Chase
Shavonde Chase
Shavonde Chase is a Teach For America (TFA) Fellow serving as an 8th grade MLL Teacher at Margaret Allen Middle School. Shavonde can be found curled up with a book, binge watching documentaries, or analyzing current events when she is not working with students.
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Shavonde Chase, Grades 7-8, Nashville, TN
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Andrea Quintanilla
Dive into writing this summer (or any time) with Summer Writing Bingo! Students engage in a variety of fun writing prompts to keep their skills sharp over the summer break.
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Andrea Quintanilla, Grades K-6, Scotch Plains, NJ
Bryan Wilson
Bryan Wilson
Students revise a scene from a first draft by slowing it down into frames or “comic panels” that they will have to work collaboratively to embody for an audience.
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Bryan Wilson, Grades 1-12, Seattle, WA
Rae Baum
Rae Baum
Rae Baum is a 4th grade teacher in Newark, NJ. They are passionate about reading and writing instruction for their students. Outside of school, Rae also enjoys writing poetry and watching sports.
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Rae Baum, Grades 4, Newark, NJ
Meghan Dove McAfee
Meghan Dove McAfee
Inspired by George Ella Lyon’s original poem, this lesson guides students through naming the people, places, and things that have shaped them.
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Meghan Dove McAfee, Grades K-12, Saint Paul, MN
Marini Drobish
Marini Drobish
Students will reconstruct classic fairy tales by choosing to focus on altering one story element: setting, point of view, or resolution.
VIEW
Marini Drobish, Grades 11-12, Gaffney, SC
Rebecca Glaser
Rebecca Glaser
In this lesson, students will employ formal and informal writing techniques to build a persuasive argument about an issue in their communities.
VIEW
Rebecca Glaser, Grades K-4, Whittier, CA
Alana Herron
Alana Herron
In this lesson from Alana, students craft an argument about a controversial topic they hold a personal connection to and record their argument to persuade an audience.
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Alana Herron, Grades 7, San Bruno, CA
Ashley Houston-King
Ashley Houston-King
Students will learn about representation, self-advocacy, and the work of Marley Dias before writing an informational piece about this advocate's life.
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Ashley Houston-King, Grades 2-4, Boston, MA
Mallory Miller
Mallory Miller
In this lesson, students will construct a short narrative told through concrete poems.
VIEW
Mallory Miller, Grades 7-8, Allegan, MI
Andrea Nelson
Andrea Nelson
In this Spark, students will develop a setting that captures the environment of an alternate world.
VIEW
Andrea Nelson, Grades K-12, Washington, DC
Kathy Seipp
Kathy Seipp
Invite students to write freely with this lesson that includes directions for students to set up a writer's journal and favorite journal prompts.
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Kathy Seipp, Grades 6, Robbinsdale, MN
Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Thompson
Encourage students to confront abstract, messy topics in their writing with Philosophical Friday journal prompts.
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Lindsay Thompson, Grades 10-11, Independence, MO
Leah Tribbett
Leah Tribbett
In this lesson, students tackle the art of writing authentic dialogue that reveals information about the characters, plot, and conflict.
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Leah Tribbett, Grades 7, Boston, MA

Our Community of Authors

We have a growing community of authors and poets who are similarly committed to supporting the next generation of writers. See writing resources from award-winning authors like Jason Reynolds, Amanda Gorman, Javier Zamora, and Dave Eggers.

Grades 2–12
Videos
Hear Me Out with Javier Zamora
by Javier Zamora, 826 Valencia alumni and New York Times bestselling author

Author Javier Zamora was an undocumented immigrant when he was a student. Now, he invites you to raise your voice and write to the next President of the United States.

Memoir
Narrative
Persuasive
Poetry

Students will learn how to craft a message for an intended audience — in this case, the next leader of the United States.

view
Grades 9–12
Videos
For Every One
by Jason Reynolds

Part letter, part long-form poem, "For Every One" offers reflections and courageous words about unraveling and rebuilding one's dreams.

Memoir
Narrative

First, find a cozy spot that is free of noise and distractions, if possible. Then, watch Jason Reynolds read his poem, “For Every One.”

View
Grades 3–12
Videos
Book Scavenger Hunt Poetry with Amanda Gorman
by Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman is the Presidential Inaugural Poet, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer and cum laude graduate of Harvard University

Poetry

Your students will learn a new technique to spark creativity when writing poems.

view
Grades 7–12
Sparks
The Beast with Ada Limón
by Ada Limón

In this prompt from U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, students pay attention to animals around them and write about the connections they share with the natural world.

Poetry

In this prompt from U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon, students pay attention to animals around them and write about the connections they share with the natural world.

View
Grades 7–12
Sparks
A List of Golden Details
by by Dave Eggers

Students will collectively create a running list of golden details—details and descriptions that are singular, completely original, and make one's subject unforgettable.

Poetry

Students will collectively create a running list of golden details—details and descriptions that are singular, completely original, and make one's subject unforgettable.

View
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Get Involved

You’re already part of the 826 Digital Community. Ready for more? Join the 826 Digital Educator Leaders! We welcome every educator who is passionate about moving the field of writing education forward to apply. Our goal for this cohort is to make space for a diverse group of educators across the country to connect, learn from each other, and get inspired. In alignment with 826 National's mission, priority will be given to applicants who serve in Title I schools, educators of color, and educators serving in areas beyond 826 Network cities.

YOUR ROLE

As an 826 Digital Educator Leader, you will have the opportunity to:

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Lead with Your Voice
Engage in a community of practice and share questions, ideas, challenges, and resources with educators across the country.
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Lead with Writing
Celebrate student voices by tapping into ample publishing opportunities from 826—or get inspired to create your own publishing project. Amplify and share the work and resources of 826 to your local networks and staff.
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Lead with Your Ideas
Contribute your perspective and ideas to a growing professional learning community, and to the future of 826 Digital.
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THE COMMITMENT

We believe that leadership comes in many forms, and we aim to make space for participating members to choose how they'd like contribute to the community. In addition to centering members' vision for leadership, we ask that all 826 Digital Educator Leaders:

Engage with their peers during 3-4 826 Digital Educator meetings
Serving as an 826 Digital ambassador within their teaching and learning communities
Share a favorite writing prompt or lesson on 826 Digital
Amplify 826 opportunities with students, families, and colleagues in their communities
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THE EXTRAS

We honor your work and your commitment to 826, to learning, and to your students. When you join the 826 Digital Educator Leaders group, you will:

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Wear it with Pride
Get the official 826 Digital Educator Badge along with other 826 swag.
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Fill your Bookshelf
Receive free copies of 826 Network student publications!
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Grow your Leadership
Get early access to 826 Digital resources, tools, and professional development opportunities. 826 Digital Educator Leaders may be invited to participate in a variety of stipend opportunities from 826 National, which might include: travel stipends to present at national conferences and stipends for member contributions to 826 Digital projects and/or webinars, and stipends for sharing their perspectives on writing education in media outlets.
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To Apply

We are currently accepting applications to join the 2024-2025 cohort! Applications will be open through August 2024. To apply, tell us a bit about yourself and submit an original writing lesson or prompt.

apply now

Already a member? Submit a lesson

from our educator leaders

“Working with other educators stretches my thinking and this is when my students find ultimate success.”
- Lindsay T.
TEACHER AT FORT OSAGE SCHOOL, INDEPENDENCE, MO
“Empowering students with an outlet for writing like this one would be a game changer. My students have stories. Their lives are rich with experiences that sometimes only become real when they have been shared. I want to use 826 to amplify the movement for justice, creativity, and writing for kids.”
- Kathy S.
TEACHER AT ROBBINSDALE AREA SCHOOLS, NEW HOPE, MN
“I use 826 Digital in my classroom all the time! I love the lessons and prompts that incorporate SEL and use them to build relationships with my students.”
- Mallory M.
TEACHER AT ALLEGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ALLEGAN, MI