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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

New Educator Tool!

New Educator Tool!

In 2025, four 826 Digital Educator Leaders—Kathy Seipp, Bryan Wilson, Shavonde Chase, and Ashley Houston-King—developed and wrote a brand new Educator Tool called Teaching Writing With Mentor Texts. Many thanks to Kathy, Bryan, Shavonde, and Ashley for sharing their time and expertise!

Learning in Community

The 826 National and 826 Boston teams teamed up at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention

Learning in Community

The 826 National and 826 Boston teams teamed up at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention to present a panel session on the 826 Writers' Room model: "A Room Where I Can Be Who I Am". We’re already planning our next workshop for 2025 NCTE in Denver and hope to see you there!

2024 Student Publication: Let This Be Our Anthem

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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.

Educator Voices

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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.

Amplifying Student Voices with Dear Poet Project

Photo of student writing with title "Dear Poet 2024"

Amplifying Student Voices with Dear Poet Project

For the past two years, we've partnered with the Academy of American Poets community to amplify the impact of their annual Dear Poet project, which connects students with award-winning poets. See our Dear Poet Sparks on 826 Digital, Exploring Voice and Exploring Connections, which can be taught all year long!

2025 Student Publication: UNBOUND with Mychal Threets!

Coming June 2025: 826 National's Student Anthology with Mychal Threets!

2025 Student Publication: UNBOUND with Mychal Threets!

In fall 2024, we teamed up with librarian and literacy ambassador Mychal Threets to share a prompt on 826 Digital called "Write. Read. Feel. with Mychal Threets." The prompt invited students across the country to write as a way to explore and process their feelings. Hundreds of submissions from students K-12 poured in, resulting in UNBOUND: The Power and Potential of Young Writers' Emotions. Check out the stunning and powerful collection, and pick up your copy today!

Meet our Educator Leaders

Erica Lopez
Erica Lopez
Erica Castro is a Xicana English high school teacher who has taught for twenty-eight years. She has dedicated herself to publishing student work. She published the Oracle school anthology, and she has recently launched Daxson Publishing to publish marginalized voices.
Erica Lopez, Grades 12, Los Angeles, CA
Joe Totterdell
Joe Totterdell
Joe Totterdell is an 11th & 12th grade English teacher at June Jordan School for Equity in San Francisco's Excelsior District. Joe cares deeply about supporting the growth and development of students who have been underserved in traditional school settings. When he is not at work, Joe enjoys reading and writing, watching sports, and going on long walks while listening to music.
Joe Totterdell, Grades 11-12, San Francisco, CA
Lorena Mercado
Lorena Mercado
Lorena Mercado is a Language Arts teacher at Seattle Country Day School who lives with her cat Queen Amélie and a thrilling collection of weird coloring books. She enjoys spending time with her children, reading poetry and rollerskating. She can be found in her classroom channeling an irrepressible enthusiasm for writing, tarot, Beyoncé and Bad Bunny.
Lorena Mercado, Grades 4-5, Seattle, WA
Shelby Dale DeWeese
Shelby Dale DeWeese
Shelby Dale DeWeese is a middle school language arts teacher in Minneapolis, MN. She's passionate about sharing her joy for reading and writing with students. Outside of school, Shelby loves theater, board games, and mystery novels.
Shelby Dale DeWeese, Grades 6-8, Minneapolis, MN
Rebecca Pollack
Rebecca Pollack
Rebecca directs the Creative Writing program at Marin School of the Arts. When not with her students, she enjoys reading, writing, traveling, experiencing live music, and spending time with her two kids.
Rebecca Pollack, Grades 9-12, Novato, CA
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.
VIEW
Yeimi Valdes, Grades K-12, Miami, FL
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.
VIEW
Bryan Wilson, Grades 1-12, Seattle, WA
Amanda Holt
Amanda Holt
Amanda has a daughter, Sarah, that is a senior this year. Seeing the young lady she’s become is truly an honor. This is Amanda's 11th year teaching ELA in Immokalee, FL. Amanda is most passionate about getting kids to read and think critically. Amanda loves seeing their A-HA moments.
Amanda Holt, Grades 6, Immokalee, FL
Shavonde Chase
Shavonde Chase
Shavonde Chase is a Teach For America Alumni and 6th Grade ELA and Social Studies teacher at Margaret Allen Middle School. She is dedicated to supporting multilingual learners through culturally responsive instruction and joyful, engaging learning experiences. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, documentaries, and exploring current events.
VIEW
Shavonde Chase, Grades 7-8, Nashville, TN
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
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
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.
VIEW
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
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.
VIEW
Kathy Seipp, Grades 6, Robbinsdale, MN

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 contribute to a growing, national movement. Please note that in alignment with 826 National's mission, priority will be given to applicants who serve in Title I schools, who identity as educators of color, and who serve in urban or rural areas beyond 826 Network cities. We look forward to hearing from you!

YOUR ROLE

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

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Lead with Your Voice
Share questions, ideas, challenges, and resources with educators across the country. Amplify and share the work and resources of 826 to your local networks and staff.
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Lead with Writing
Celebrate and honor your students' voices by participating in one of 826 National's publishing projects—or get inspired to create your own publishing project.
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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:

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 2025-2026 cohort! To apply, click the link below to tell us a bit about yourself, your school/site, and your goals for participating in the cohort.

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