Meet the Team Behind: 826 National

826 National empowers young people to find their voice through creative writing— offering free tutoring, workshops, and publishing opportunities that help students build confidence and tell their stories. Learn more here!

What does your mission entail? 

826 National is the largest youth writing network in the country. With chapters in nine states, we support young writers, equip educators, and help students discover the power and joy of writing. Our definition of success is simple: Strengthen students through the transformative power of writing, wherever life takes them. Writing education can happen inside or outside the classroom, and we work to inspire students wherever they are. 

Can you tell me about the need for your work? 

Writing skills build the foundation for academic, professional, and personal success. But writing education is unevenly distributed and underfunded across the country— only 10% of Black and Hispanic students are writing at grade-level proficiency. We want to level the playing field by investing in the education of students who have long been underheard, giving them the power to write their own path forward. Our programs are conducted in inspiring, creative spaces, and we have digital programming for those who don’t live near a chapter. Our digital resources include lesson plans, writing prompts, student writing samples, and educational videos. 

How does writing help students long-term? 

Strong writing skills help students not only grow personally, but also to advance academically and in their careers. Students use writing as a way to speak up about their experiences and views on the world around them. They’re able to foster empathy by sharing stories and advocating for their communities. With strong writing skills, students can spark creativity and innovate new ways to improve their lives and communities. Writing leads to lifelong success, and our students build power through their writing to enact meaningful change. 

What kind of research does 826 work on?

The 826 research team reports on the state of writing education, measures our impact on students, educators, and communities, and establishes best practices to move the national conversation forward. Each report sheds new light on the critical importance of writing education and how we can take action, and offers different perspectives on the current state of education. Our recent report “The Truth About Writing Education in America”, focused on the perspectives of both students and teachers, including pertinent policy information. We also have reports on how educators can implement best practices in their classrooms and why certain methods work.