826 New Orleans

826 is the largest youth writing network in the country! We serve as an international proof point for writing as a tool for young people to ignite and channel their creativity, explore identity, advocate for themselves and their community, and achieve academic and professional success.

826 was founded in 2002 in Valencia, CA by author Dave Eggers to support overburdened teachers by connecting community members with students who could use their help the most. Today, the 826 Network serves close to 350,000 students ages 3 to 18 each year via 826 Digital and through nine chapters: 826 Boston, 826CHI, 826DC, 826LA, 826michigan, 826 MSP, 826 New Orleans, and 826 Valencia. This work is possible thanks to the support of almost 5,000 volunteers.

Each chapter has an imaginative storefront that reimagines tutoring as anything but traditional; provides a gateway for meeting families, teachers, and volunteers, and connects students with community members. In addition, there are over 50 organizations around the world inspired by the 826 model collectively serving an additional 150,000 students.

826 New Orleans (formally Big Class) was founded in 2010 and has worked with and published thousands of students with the support of hundreds of volunteers.

A rigorous writing process leads to a wide range of high-quality work, from short stories about aliens in outer space celebrating Mardi Gras to personal narratives about overcoming struggle. Whether students are enrolled in a two-hour workshop or a semester-long in-school project, all of our programs end in publication.

When a student sees their ideas manifested in a physical publication, they learn that through hard work, determination, and opportunity they are able to turn their ideas into a reality.

826 New Orleans store is the Haunting Supply Co! This space operates as the entryway into our Youth Writing Center, storytelling lab, and meeting spaces. 

826 New Orleans believes in the transformative power of literacy, writing, and publication to elevate student stories. We strive to amplify the voices of New Orleans' diverse community of young people, who live at the intersection of many identities. We know writing builds critical communication skills and is a tool to disrupt the status quo. To this end, we aspire to be anti racist in our practices and processes and hold ourselves to continuously listening, learning, and growing as an organization.