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1Evaluation Studies by Northeastern University;
REPORT BY 826 NATIONAL
THE 826 WRITERS’ ROOM
A Room Where I Can Be Who I Am
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AB
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6 826 is the largest youth writing network in the country. 826 National serves as the hub of the movement to amplify student voices and champions the belief that strong writing skills are
essential for academic and lifelong success. The 826 Network
now serves more than 470,000 students ages 6 to 18 in under-
resourced communities each year online via 826 Digital and
through chapters in nine cities: Boston, Chicago, Detroit/Ann
Arbor/Ypsilanti, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, San
Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis/St. Paul. 826
National was established in 2008 to support a growing network
of writing centers founded by author Dave Eggers and educator
Nínive Calegari in San Francisco in 2002. We work toward a
country in which the power and the joy of writing is accessible to
every student in every classroom. Together, we believe writing is
the key to cultivating a new generation of creative and diverse
thinkers who will define a better, brighter, and more
compassionate future.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WITH
826’S MOVEMENT FOR WRITING AND CREATIVITY, PLEASE VISIT
THE 826 NATIONAL WEBSITE AT 826NATIONAL.ORG.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
This report was made possible by the
generous support of the Hearst Foundation,
the research by Northeastern University, the
writing and leadership of 826 staff members
Carolyn Navikonis and Christina Villaseñor
Perry, and the hard work and cooperation
from staff, students, teachers, and volunteers
at 826 Boston and 826 Valencia.
WRITTEN BY:
Gabriela Oliveira and
Cynthia Chiong, Ph.D.
DESIGNED BY:
Megan Derry
COPYEDITED BY:
Meg LuthinTITLE FROM:
“A Room Where I
Can Be Who I Am”
video by 826 Boston
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Having a room just for writing,
that means a lot to me. I can
read books here, I can meet
other writers. If I want to come
in for an essay that I’m working
on in class, I know that they will
help me. It’s just amazing, for
me, to have a place where I can
just be who I am: a writer.”
“
AGNES UGOJI, 15, 826 BOSTON, 2015. AGNES HAS REMAINED AN
ACTIVE 826 BOSTON ALUMN AND RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, CLASS OF 2022.
Writers’ Rooms are imaginative spaces within a school dedicated to writing. In these rooms,
students immerse themselves in the craft, build their writing skills, and explore the depths
of their imaginations on the page in a creative, supportive environment. A dedicated third
space housed within partner schools, the 826 Writers’ Rooms are an integral part of the
school community. Team members from 826 meet with school leaders to align services with
the school’s goals and collaborate with teachers on developing engaging writing units, and
volunteer tutors provide students with direct support. Together, they publish student
writing to amplify student voices.
Through 826 Writers’ Rooms, students improve their writing skills, gain confidence and
pride in themselves and their writing, and build skills they will use throughout their lives.
Drawing on research conducted by Northeastern University, this report provides evidence
of those positive outcomes and details the essential elements of a Writers’ Room so that
students and schools everywhere can experience what makes these writing spaces so special.
THE 826 WRITERS’ ROOM
The Writers’ Room is intended to be
accessible to all teachers, serve all students,
and build and contribute to a schoolwide
culture of literacy and creativity. At 826,
Writers’ Rooms are typically established in
schools with high percentages of students
who are eligible to receive free and reduced
price lunch and/or who face significant
barriers to academic success, in an effort to
achieve more equitable outcomes.
In these unique, 826-ified spaces, students
engage with writing in various ways. The
826 model is adaptive to the needs of each
school community, but all Writers’ Room
programs offer individualized writing
support across disciplines, opportunities
for students to be published, and student-
centered, culturally relevant curriculum.
There are many ways that Writers’ Rooms
support teachers and students—from
drop-in tutoring to whole- and half-class
visits, from after-school creative writing
clubs to virtual college essay workshops
and author talks, from publication projects
to open mic nights.
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THE SPACE:
ANATOMY OF A WRITERS’ ROOM
The space is reflective of 826’s focus on creativity, as it is designed to transport students away
from the limitations associated with a traditional classroom. Colorful and themed decorations,
comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and bookshelves full of student and professional writing
transform the room into a space where students can relax, explore, and engage their imaginations.
A. COUCHES AND ARMCHAIRS
Comfy places for students to work, relax,
and hang out, encouraging students to
spend more time sitting and writing.
B. RUGS
Rugs make the room look more
welcoming and “homey.”
C. TABLES
Worksapces that can seat at least 2–4
students are great for collaboration
and group work.
D. WARM LIGHTING
Light fixtures such as lamps, string lights,
and fairy lights promote relaxation and set
the space apart from the fluorescent
overhead lighting of schools.
E. BOOKSHELVES
Stocked with books by student and
professional authors that students
can check out.
I. EQUIPMENT STATION
An area where students can find any
supplies they might need while at the
Writers’ Room.F. STAGE/PRESENTATION SPACE
A special area for student and
guest presentations.
G. FEATURED STUDENT WORK
Displays of student work throughout the
space give students a sense of ownership.
H. QUIET READING/WORKING SPACE
A comfortable, quiet area away from
the hubbub of the Writers’ Room.
THE PROJECTS:
WRITERS’ ROOMS IN ACTION
Currently, four of our nine chapters run Writers’ Rooms programming, serving ten schools across the country, with
two additional chapters piloting new Writers’ Rooms in the 2023–24 school year. In these spaces, students work on
writing projects that encourage them to explore their identities, publish in different formats, and dive deeply into
topics that directly affect their communities. Some recent projects include:
New and Beautiful Places by 826 Boston:
826 Boston opened its fourth Writers’ Room
at Boston International Newcomers
Academy, a school that exclusively serves
students who arrived in this country within
the past four years. New and Beautiful Places
is a book of memories and shared connections
from fifteen tenth-grade students, in which
they reflect on past experiences in order to
build new communities.
Kitchen Magic by 826 Valencia:
Written by Writers’ Room
students from Everett Middle
School, this book highlights one
space in the home that is warm,
comforting, and even magical—the
kitchen! Students wrote about the
food that fills their bellies and the
people and cultures behind those
dishes. Partner teacher Chalida
Anusasananan wrote, “One part
poetry, one part profile and one
part recipe; this book is all parts
love. Disfrutélo!”
826 MSP’s Career
Pathways Workshops:
In addition to direct writing
support, the MSP Writers’ Room
also hosts monthly visits from guest
speakers in creative industries
(such as authors, visual artists, and
publishers) to run writing
workshops with students and
expose them to creative career
pathways. Students learn from and
engage with working professionals
who inspire them to imagine a life of
writing outside the classroom.
Seedfolks by 826LA:
Inspired by the book Seedfolks by Paul
Fleischman, the students from two English
Language Development classes at Roosevelt
High School created stories about a problem or
conflict that they’ve faced and how growing their
own crops in a community garden could help
improve their situation. In the book’s
introduction, partner teachers Ms. Chapman and
Mr. Martinez write, “This book is a labor of love
disguised in the form of an English assignment.
The reader will find that each chapter reflects
the desires and dreams and fears and traumas of
teenagers longing for the proverbial ‘better life.’”
C.
F.
I.
G.
A.
B.
D.
H.
E.
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At 826, we have seen firsthand how the Writers’ Room program
benefits students in writing skills, social and emotional learning,
creativity, leadership, and so much more; now, we have research to
back up our observations. Beginning in 2016, external evaluators
from Northeastern University conducted multiple studies on the
Writers’ Room program:
WHY WRITERS’
ROOMS?
STUDY 1
School and Student Outcomes:
This study interviewed students, teachers, and
school leaders in order to understand how and
why the 826 Writers’ Room program works.
STUDY 2
A Lasting Impact:
This study followed a cohort of students from
9th to 12th grade, digging into how their
experiences with and relationships to writing
changed over time after participating in the
826 Writers’ Room program.
STUDY 3
Lessons Learned:
This study focused on the 826 Writers’ Room
experience from the 826 chapter staff ’s perspectives,
drawing out best practices and pitfalls to avoid.
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STUDY 1:
SCHOOL AND STUDENT OUTCOMES
A cross-chapter case study that digs into 826 Boston and 826
Valencia’s experiences with the 826 Writers’ Room program. Read
the full report from Northeastern University here.
This study was grounded in the
theories of two frameworks from
826 Boston and 826 Valencia that
describe 826’s methods and
pedagogies for working with
student writers. The frameworks
were used to develop questions for
stakeholder surveys, interviews,
and focus groups in order to assess
the impact of programming. 60
students, 30 teachers, and 7
school administrators were
interviewed to identify key themes
of impact and challenges.
METHODOLOGY:
The study found that 826’s
pedagogy and programming
positively impacts both students
and school communities. The data
provides evidence that our
programming works as intended,
as the values and design principles
were appreciated by students,
teachers, and parents and lead to
positive outcomes.
KEY FINDINGS:
STUDENT OUTCOMES
Improves student writing skills in both the technical and creative aspects of
writing. Students stated that the program helped them become better
writers through the development of specific skills, such as how to
narrow, organize, and refine their writing through the drafting process.
If you want to learn something, anything in your life, whether
it’s physically or mentally, you have to practice. The Writers’
Room is a place where you practice and you get better at writing.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Builds social and emotional learning skills with students, such as self-
reflection, self-advocacy, confidence, emotional resilience, and the ability to
accept critical feedback. The process of writing is personal and reflective,
and 826 staff and volunteers offer students the space and tools to harness
the power of writing.
About a month ago I had a bad experience where something
happened in my life, and in class we worked with 826 Valencia to
write about it, which helped me a lot by talking out those feelings
that I have. So it’s kind of a relief.”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
TEACHER SUPPORT
Supports teachers and other school staff in delivering high-quality, impactful
writing instruction. Because of the small groups and one-on-one support
integrated into our model, teachers stated that they could dive deeper into
curriculum and projects, take risks in their teaching, and more carefully
differentiate their work to meet the needs of individual students.
I think that it allows teachers to be a little more creative and take
risks that they might not otherwise take.”
TEACHER FROM 826 BOSTON
CONTENT PEDAGOGY
Implements programming that is student-driven,
socially responsive, and based on community
interests and needs. As the importance of social
justice content becomes increasingly integral to
school curriculum, Writers’ Rooms serve as a
partner to deliver that content and to help
students develop as the next generation of
community leaders.
Last year we did a project about
immigrants, about us being immigrants,
like where we come from. It feels good
because at least some people know how we
feel, when it comes to someone being
racist about us.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Increases opportunities for students to express
themselves and exercise their voices at school.
Students engage in publications, presentations,
and performances that transform and build
upon classwork to enhance their self-
expression and communicate their point of
view to a wider audience.
I feel like you can inspire some people. . .
I mean, if you’ve been published in a book
and you’re writing stories, people can be
like, ‘Oh wow, that’s cool! I can do that.’”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
Fosters an environment, both physical and
psychological, where students are valued as creators and
feel safe to try new ideas and experiment with their
work. Students learn the writing process is not about
“getting it right” the first time but about how to make
the work better in a slow and steady manner, with
each iteration improving upon the last.
It’s going to be challenging, they are going to
challenge you. They’ll be like, ‘Okay, you
made a mistake, how are you going to fix it?’
And they’re gonna help you out during the
whole process. This is why I like the Writer’s
Room. It’s all the support.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Provides individualized support to students through
the tutoring and mentoring model. Students build
positive relationships with adult mentors,
working one-on-one or in small groups with 826
staff and volunteers to express, communicate,
and reflect on ideas through their writing;
because writing improves with specific and
tailored feedback, this one-on-one attention is
pivotal. “826 supports us because students get to
have more one-on-one time with tutors, and they
really appreciate that, where they can go through
the different facets of their writing and get
feedback. I think that allows them to dig a little
bit deeper and say,
Okay, I’m struggling with this. And it’s okay
to struggle with this because I have someone
here to help me. And it’s okay to open up
about that.”
TEACHER FROM 826 VALENCIA
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ENVIRONMENT
Volunteer Tutor Quality. Although working with
the tutors was a highlight for most, some
respondents had issues with certain tutors or
noted that certain tutors were less helpful and
prepared than others.
Volunteer Tutor Diversity. Respondents noted that
the Writers’ Room program should consider
recruitment mechanisms to enhance volunteer
diversity in order to develop and maintain a
diverse tutor network.
Leadership Opportunities. Respondents indicated
that they wanted even more opportunities for
students to engage in leadership, alongside
highlighting opportunities to clearly articulate
existing leadership pathways.
Adult Roles. Some teachers and school leaders
wanted a more formalized description of teacher
and staff roles during programming to reduce
uncertainty about leadership within the Writers’
Room space.
CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS
While the interviews were overwhelmingly positive, stakeholders also
expressed some issues they face while engaging with the 826 Writers’ Rooms:
Provides a space in schools that students can call their own, where
they feel safe to reflect and be brave to share their experiences.
Students see the room as a space where they can be creative
and express themselves.
It’s exciting that you can make your own world with your
own characters, and if you wanted to read a book, you could
just read your own book, and it would have exactly what you
wanted to read about in it.”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
STUDY 2:
A LASTING IMPACT
A longitudinal, multiyear study with 826 Boston to measure the impact of
Writers’ Room programming on student self-perceptions and outcomes.
Read the full report from Northeastern University here.
The study was designed to follow a cohort
of students over a four-year period from 9th
to 12th grade to evaluate the impact of the
Writers’ Room over the period of 2016 to
2020. The study also included interviews
with 21 teachers and school leaders across
the last two years of the study.
METHODOLOGY:
The longitudinal study found that the Writers’ Room program
not only positively impacts students’ outcomes but does so in
an enduring way:
The results echoed the interview results from Study 1.
The majority of students had positive perceptions of the key
values of the Writers’ Room. In the last year of the study, 12th
grade students reported these perceptions:
KEY FINDINGS:
NUMBER OF
STUDENTS SURVEYED
9TH GRADE
10TH GRADE
11TH GRADE
12TH GRADE
261
303
280
268
Students completed a 21-item survey that
examined their perceptions of writing
interest and ability, confidence in sharing
and receiving feedback on their writing,
and their self-efficacy and resilience. In
the last year of the study, students were
also asked questions about their
satisfaction with and perceptions of their
Writers’ Room experience.
Teachers and school leaders identified similar benefits around
individual support and creativity as well as similar challenges,
such as experience level of tutors and need for role definitions.
In terms of students’ perception about writing specifically,
Figure 1 shows the percent of student agreement across key
survey items across all four years.
85%
FELT WRITERS’ ROOM STAFF
AND VOLUNTEERS TREATED
THEM WITH RESPECT.
78%
FELT THE DESIGN OF THE
WRITERS’ ROOM HAD A
POSITIVE IMPACT.
73%
FELT THEIR FEEDBACK WAS VALUED.
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14 15
0
20
40
60
80
I enjoy
creative writing
I enjoy writing for
school assignments
I feel comfortable
sharing my work
with teachers
I feel comfortable
sharing my work
with friends
I feel comfortable
sharing my work
with my family
I feel comfortable
reading my writing out
loud in front of others
I enjoy discussing my
writing with others
GAINS FOR ALL ITEMS FROM 9TH TO 12TH GRADE ARE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AT P < .05. SEE APPENDIX A FOR DETAILS.
9TH GRADE 10TH GRADE 11TH GRADE 12TH GRADE
The majority of students started with negative perceptions
of writing in 9th grade. While 63% of students agreed
that they enjoy creative writing and 75% believed that
writing would help them in school, the majority of
students did not agree with most of the statements. For
example, only 28% agreed that they enjoyed writing for
school assignments, and only 24% thought of
themselves as writers. See Figure 2.
Students show early growth in enjoyment and sharing. In
10th grade, students in general responded with higher
agreement rates. In particular, the most growth in their
responses was for “I feel comfortable sharing my work
with teachers” (a 10% gain in agreement) and “I enjoy
creative writing” (an 8% gain).
By 11th grade, students show visible growth, especially with
sharing their work. As students’ experiences with the
Writers’ Rooms deepened, so did their confidence as
writers, leading them to feel more comfortable sharing
their work with friends and family (22% and 21% gains,
respectively), to better enjoy discussing their writing
with others (20% gain), and to feel more comfortable
reading their work aloud (19% gain).
Strongest growth across 4 years is a shift for students to
see themselves as writers. In 9th grade, only 27% of
students agreed that they saw themselves as writers,
but by 12th grade, the majority, 53% did—a 30% gain.
FIGURE 1 Highly engaged students recognize the importance of writing in their work and future. Recognizing that student
involvement with the Writers’ Room may not have been
consistent for students across all 4 years, 12th grade
students were asked about the amount of time they spent
with the Writers’ Room. Students who spent more than 2
years involved in the program showed statistically
significant higher levels of agreement on most of the items
shown in Figure 2 (see Appendix B). Of particular interest
is that they agreed more than the other students that
writing is important for their school work and careers.
The results show a clear growth trajectory. The
Writers’ Room provides a stable environment
for students to enjoy writing, to grow to be
more comfortable with the staff and tutors
(leading to increased confidence as writers
within their communities), and, eventually, to
shift their perceptions of themselves as writers
and to recognize the importance of writing.
It [the Writers’ Room] could be helpful just in case you
have a writing job in the future.”
9TH GRADE STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Being a good writer can help me write the thoughts that I
have in my head and bring my imagination to life. Also,
it would help me improve my skills on speaking.”
12TH GRADE STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
0
25
50
75
100
I enjoy
creative writing
I think of myself
as a writer
I avoid writing
whenever possible
I enjoy discussing my
writing with others
Being a writer will
help me in school
Being a writer will
help me in my career
I want to publish
my writing so
others can read it
0-1 YEARS < 2 YEARS
Desire to be a published author takes time.
Additionally, 53% of students with more than 2
years of involvement agreed that they want their
writing to be published so that others can read it
versus nly 39% of students with fewer than 2 years
of involvement–a 14% gain. While not statistically
significant, this result suggests that wanting to be
published takes more time to develop than other
program benefits.
FIGURE 2
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STUDY 3:
LESSONS LEARNED
A survey of staff and leadership of 826’s nine chapters on their
experiences with and perceptions of the Writers’ Room program.
In addition to the two formal studies,
Northeastern also administered surveys
to all existing 826 chapters, those with
active Writers’ Rooms, those with
inactive Writers’ Rooms, and those who
have not ever had Writers’ Rooms. These
surveys were intended to understand the
strengths and challenges of the Writers’
Room from 826’s perspective, as well as
to understand the larger organizational
goals and values that impact the
implementation of the program.
METHODOLOGY:
Drawing on the experiences and expertise of 826 staff across
the country, we identified three key learnings about the 826
Writers’ Room program:
KEY FINDINGS:
Mission Priorities: A Focus on Student Leadership
Chapters were asked to indicate the importance of several factors
to the mission of the Writers’ Room; based on their responses, we
ranked the factors in terms of priority. All five factors—Academic
Writing, Student Support, Creative Writing, Social Emotional
Development, and Student Leadership—were considered to be
part of the mission of 826 Writers’ Rooms, but there were clear
differences in priority between chapters with and without an
active Writers’ Room. Chapters with active Writers’ Rooms
prioritized Student Leadership over all factors other than Student
Support, while chapters without Writers’ Rooms valued Creative
Writing and Social Emotional Development the most and Student
Leadership the least.
CHAPTERS WITH ACTIVE WRITERS’ ROOM CHAPTERS WITHOUT WRITERS’ ROOMS
1: Student Support 1: Creative Writing
2: Student Leadership 2: Social Emotional Development
2: Social Emotional Development 3: Student Support
4: Academic Writing 4: Academic Writing
5: Creative Writing 5: Student Leadership
Chapters with active Writers’ Rooms provide Student Support through tutoring by staff and volunteers, and they
provide Student Leadership opportunities within the school, within the Writers’ Room, or even outside of school.
Partnership Selection and Definitions
Chapters with Writers’ Rooms highlighted how
important the relationship with the school is—they are
a partner rather than a “client.” They choose their
partner schools based on the strength of existing
relationships, proximity to volunteer populations, and
the socioeconomic need of the local population.
While all chapters have a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with each school partner, the
MOUs of chapters with active Writers’ Rooms were
longer and more detailed than those with inactive
Writers’ Rooms. Both included programming
descriptions, but the longer MOUs also included
agreements about student information, reporting,
equal opportunity guidelines, and more. Clear roles,
responsibilities, and expectations were established.
This detail and clarity ensure that communication and
participation is well-defined, getting everyone on the
same page from the get-go.
Once the MOU with the school is finalized,
Writers’ Room staff still have to get educator
buy-in, as teachers are their closest partners.
Some chapters host a teacher conference,
inviting any interested teachers to come and
learn about the Writers’ Room, while others
rely on word of mouth, focusing on building
strong, individual connections with a few
partner teachers.
KEY BARRIERS
Resources and Staffing
Chapters without Writers’ Rooms indicated a lack
of resources, including staff capacity, as one reason
why they do not offer the program. However, while
chapters acknowledged that a minimum budget is
necessary to operate a Writers’ Room, the size of
that budget was not an identified factor of success.
Chapters with larger Writers’ Rooms budgets were
not necessarily more successful than those with
smaller budgets.
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HOW TO CREATE A
WRITERS’ ROOM:
BEST PRACTICES
Writers’ Rooms provide writing opportunities for students and do not have to be at the scale of 826
programs. You can create a version of the programming and environment in your schools and after-school
spaces. Based on what we have learned from Northeastern’s research and our own experiences, here are
best practices for how to create a Writers’ Room–like space in your community:
It is important to clearly identify the values and
goals of the space and ensure there is alignment
among all those involved. Chapters indicated that
building a strong understanding with partner
schools was essential to their success. Consider
creating a contract for the staff and other adults
involved that clearly lays out these values and
goals, identifying how people should behave and
collaborate and what outcomes you are hoping to
achieve. Then, have a similar process with
students in which you collaboratively establish
the purpose and principles of the space.
IDENTIFY VALUES.
As previously mentioned, it is important that the
Writers’ Room looks and feels different than a
traditional classroom space. Stakeholders expressed
that having a separate, dedicated space allows
students to immerse themselves in writing and
creativity without the fear of getting a bad grade.
Comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and themed
decorations all serve to set the space apart. See the
beginning of this report for examples of elements
important to include in a Writers’ Room space.
DEDICATE A UNIQUE SPACE.
I think you feel more free saying whatever
you want cause you know that person
won’t judge you.”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
I think at every age it’s important that
students have another outlet and another
place to go where they feel safe.”
SCHOOL LEADER FROM 826 BOSTON
It is important to include some sort of publication or
showcase so that you can invite the larger community
into the space. Teachers, students, parents, and other
members of the community can come together to
celebrate student writing and engage in important
community discussions.
PUBLISH AND CELEBRATE STUDENTS.
The Writers’ Room serves several purposes: first,
to provide structured support to students through
specific projects and activities; second, to be a
space where students feel comfortable doing
their own thing, whether that’s receiving
feedback from a tutor or working independently
on homework and writing. It is important to
include both of these elements, so provide time
for structured projects (an essay, newspaper,
publication, etc.), but also engage students with
content that allows for agency and decision-
making opportunities.
BALANCE CONTENT.
This program actually allows students to go
through a process of revision, working with a
tutor, doing that close reading of their work.
So it actually brings that term [the writing
process], that I think we throw around so
often, to life or to fruition for them.”
TEACHER FROM 826 VALENCIA
Building your identity in print is a need. I don’t see
that as an icing on the cake type thing. I think that
changes who you consider yourself to be, or the
potential of who you consider yourself to be.”
SCHOOL LEADER FROM 826 BOSTON
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A key aspect of the Writers’ Room is the focus on
individualized support, and 826 chapters indicate
that staff and volunteer capacity is the biggest
barrier to a thriving program. While you may not
have dedicated staff for your Writers’ Room, you
can recreate the individualized model by having
older students act as writing tutors. This is a
great opportunity to not only provide extra
support to students but also further engage older
students in leadership opportunities. You can
even incentivize students to volunteer by offering
extra credit or community volunteer hours.
Another key aspect of staffing is to ensure that
students are working with volunteers, whether
that be fellow students or adult mentors, who
reflect their communities, experiences, and
identities. Students are likely to feel more
comfortable, supported, and motivated by tutors
who share and understand their backgrounds.
STAFF STRATEGICALLY.
Trying to get [tutors]—and, even deeper,
trying to get tutors who come from similar
cultural and linguistic backgrounds [as the
students]—that can be challenging, but
that’s something that I know they’re
always thinking about.”
TEACHER FROM 826 VALENCIA
Last but definitely not least, it is essential to build
pathways for student leadership. At its most basic, the
Writers’ Room program supports students as leaders
through the writing process, engaging students as they
work on projects in a largely self-directed environment.
All chapters indicated building their students’ social and
emotional learning skills as a top priority, as it helps
students see themselves as effective, responsive leaders
capable of creating change. Students are partners in the
work, deciding what to write about and playing a role in
creating a publication that represents themselves and
their classmates. You can provide further leadership
opportunities, such as having older students tutor for
younger students or creating a student editorial/advisory
board that steers publishing and programming.
CREATE LEADERSHIP PATHWAYS
I got to show my writing to 11th graders. It was like,
oh I’m helping all the people with my story, now
I’m happy.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
APPENDIX
18
“
“
22 23
APPENDIX A: AVERAGE STUDENT
AGREEMENT BY GRADE
APPENDIX B: AVERAGE STUDENT
AGREEMENT BY LENGTH OF ENGAGEMENT
9TH GRADE
N=261
10TH GRADE
N=303
11TH GRADE
N=280
12TH GRADE
N=271 F-STATISTIC SIG.
I ENJOY
CREATIVE WRITING.
I ENJOY WRITING FOR
SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
SHARING MY WORK
WITH TEACHERS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
SHARING MY WORK
WITH FRIENDS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
SHARING MY WORK
WITH FAMILY.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
READING OUT LOUD IN
FRONT OF OTHERS.
I FEEL ENJOY
DISCUSSING MY
WRITING WITH OTHERS.
I THINK OF
MYSELF AS A WRITER.
62.8% 71.3% 74.5% 77.8% 4.969 0.002
27.6% 30.4% 39.9% 42.7% 5.551 0.001
52.1% 62.1% 74.6% 79.3% 16.431 0
49.8% 53.8% 75.6% 79.2% 24.103 0
46.5% 44.2% 64.8% 63.3% 11.33 0
24.9% 31% 49.5% 47.7% 15.153 0
36.8% 45.2% 65% 68.1% 21.959 0
22.6% 28.1% 43.5% 52.9% 19.773 0
0-1 YEARS <2 YEARS T-STATISTIC P VALUE
I ENJOY
CREATIVE WRITING.
I THINK OF
MYSELF AS A WRITER.
I AVOID WRITING
WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
I ENJOY DISCUSSING MY
WRITING WITH OTHERS.
BEING A WRITER WILL
HELP ME IN SCHOOL.
BEING A WRITER WILL
HELP ME WITH MY CAREER.
I WANT TO PUBLISH
MY WRITING SO
OTHERS CAN READ IT.
75% 92.9% -2.555 0
48.7% 71% 0
54.4% 33.3% 2.231 0
66.1% 72.7% -0.742 0.098
77.8% 87% -1.389 0.002
58% 67.4% -1.173 0.004
38.6% 53.3% -1.492 0.248
-2.284
0 1
24
To learn more about how you can get involved
with 826’s movement for writing and creativity,
please visit our website at 826national.org.
REPORT BY 826 NATIONAL
THE 826 WRITERS’ ROOM
A Room Where I Can Be Who I Am
2 3
AB
O
U
T
82
6 826 is the largest youth writing network in the country. 826 National serves as the hub of the movement to amplify student voices and champions the belief that strong writing skills are
essential for academic and lifelong success. The 826 Network
now serves more than 470,000 students ages 6 to 18 in under-
resourced communities each year online via 826 Digital and
through chapters in nine cities: Boston, Chicago, Detroit/Ann
Arbor/Ypsilanti, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, San
Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis/St. Paul. 826
National was established in 2008 to support a growing network
of writing centers founded by author Dave Eggers and educator
Nínive Calegari in San Francisco in 2002. We work toward a
country in which the power and the joy of writing is accessible to
every student in every classroom. Together, we believe writing is
the key to cultivating a new generation of creative and diverse
thinkers who will define a better, brighter, and more
compassionate future.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WITH
826’S MOVEMENT FOR WRITING AND CREATIVITY, PLEASE VISIT
THE 826 NATIONAL WEBSITE AT 826NATIONAL.ORG.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
This report was made possible by the
generous support of the Hearst Foundation,
the research by Northeastern University, the
writing and leadership of 826 staff members
Carolyn Navikonis and Christina Villaseñor
Perry, and the hard work and cooperation
from staff, students, teachers, and volunteers
at 826 Boston and 826 Valencia.
WRITTEN BY:
Gabriela Oliveira and
Cynthia Chiong, Ph.D.
DESIGNED BY:
Megan Derry
COPYEDITED BY:
Meg LuthinTITLE FROM:
“A Room Where I
Can Be Who I Am”
video by 826 Boston
4 5
Having a room just for writing,
that means a lot to me. I can
read books here, I can meet
other writers. If I want to come
in for an essay that I’m working
on in class, I know that they will
help me. It’s just amazing, for
me, to have a place where I can
just be who I am: a writer.”
“
AGNES UGOJI, 15, 826 BOSTON, 2015. AGNES HAS REMAINED AN
ACTIVE 826 BOSTON ALUMN AND RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, CLASS OF 2022.
Writers’ Rooms are imaginative spaces within a school dedicated to writing. In these rooms,
students immerse themselves in the craft, build their writing skills, and explore the depths
of their imaginations on the page in a creative, supportive environment. A dedicated third
space housed within partner schools, the 826 Writers’ Rooms are an integral part of the
school community. Team members from 826 meet with school leaders to align services with
the school’s goals and collaborate with teachers on developing engaging writing units, and
volunteer tutors provide students with direct support. Together, they publish student
writing to amplify student voices.
Through 826 Writers’ Rooms, students improve their writing skills, gain confidence and
pride in themselves and their writing, and build skills they will use throughout their lives.
Drawing on research conducted by Northeastern University, this report provides evidence
of those positive outcomes and details the essential elements of a Writers’ Room so that
students and schools everywhere can experience what makes these writing spaces so special.
THE 826 WRITERS’ ROOM
The Writers’ Room is intended to be
accessible to all teachers, serve all students,
and build and contribute to a schoolwide
culture of literacy and creativity. At 826,
Writers’ Rooms are typically established in
schools with high percentages of students
who are eligible to receive free and reduced
price lunch and/or who face significant
barriers to academic success, in an effort to
achieve more equitable outcomes.
In these unique, 826-ified spaces, students
engage with writing in various ways. The
826 model is adaptive to the needs of each
school community, but all Writers’ Room
programs offer individualized writing
support across disciplines, opportunities
for students to be published, and student-
centered, culturally relevant curriculum.
There are many ways that Writers’ Rooms
support teachers and students—from
drop-in tutoring to whole- and half-class
visits, from after-school creative writing
clubs to virtual college essay workshops
and author talks, from publication projects
to open mic nights.
2 3
6 7
THE SPACE:
ANATOMY OF A WRITERS’ ROOM
The space is reflective of 826’s focus on creativity, as it is designed to transport students away
from the limitations associated with a traditional classroom. Colorful and themed decorations,
comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and bookshelves full of student and professional writing
transform the room into a space where students can relax, explore, and engage their imaginations.
A. COUCHES AND ARMCHAIRS
Comfy places for students to work, relax,
and hang out, encouraging students to
spend more time sitting and writing.
B. RUGS
Rugs make the room look more
welcoming and “homey.”
C. TABLES
Worksapces that can seat at least 2–4
students are great for collaboration
and group work.
D. WARM LIGHTING
Light fixtures such as lamps, string lights,
and fairy lights promote relaxation and set
the space apart from the fluorescent
overhead lighting of schools.
E. BOOKSHELVES
Stocked with books by student and
professional authors that students
can check out.
I. EQUIPMENT STATION
An area where students can find any
supplies they might need while at the
Writers’ Room.F. STAGE/PRESENTATION SPACE
A special area for student and
guest presentations.
G. FEATURED STUDENT WORK
Displays of student work throughout the
space give students a sense of ownership.
H. QUIET READING/WORKING SPACE
A comfortable, quiet area away from
the hubbub of the Writers’ Room.
THE PROJECTS:
WRITERS’ ROOMS IN ACTION
Currently, four of our nine chapters run Writers’ Rooms programming, serving ten schools across the country, with
two additional chapters piloting new Writers’ Rooms in the 2023–24 school year. In these spaces, students work on
writing projects that encourage them to explore their identities, publish in different formats, and dive deeply into
topics that directly affect their communities. Some recent projects include:
New and Beautiful Places by 826 Boston:
826 Boston opened its fourth Writers’ Room
at Boston International Newcomers
Academy, a school that exclusively serves
students who arrived in this country within
the past four years. New and Beautiful Places
is a book of memories and shared connections
from fifteen tenth-grade students, in which
they reflect on past experiences in order to
build new communities.
Kitchen Magic by 826 Valencia:
Written by Writers’ Room
students from Everett Middle
School, this book highlights one
space in the home that is warm,
comforting, and even magical—the
kitchen! Students wrote about the
food that fills their bellies and the
people and cultures behind those
dishes. Partner teacher Chalida
Anusasananan wrote, “One part
poetry, one part profile and one
part recipe; this book is all parts
love. Disfrutélo!”
826 MSP’s Career
Pathways Workshops:
In addition to direct writing
support, the MSP Writers’ Room
also hosts monthly visits from guest
speakers in creative industries
(such as authors, visual artists, and
publishers) to run writing
workshops with students and
expose them to creative career
pathways. Students learn from and
engage with working professionals
who inspire them to imagine a life of
writing outside the classroom.
Seedfolks by 826LA:
Inspired by the book Seedfolks by Paul
Fleischman, the students from two English
Language Development classes at Roosevelt
High School created stories about a problem or
conflict that they’ve faced and how growing their
own crops in a community garden could help
improve their situation. In the book’s
introduction, partner teachers Ms. Chapman and
Mr. Martinez write, “This book is a labor of love
disguised in the form of an English assignment.
The reader will find that each chapter reflects
the desires and dreams and fears and traumas of
teenagers longing for the proverbial ‘better life.’”
C.
F.
I.
G.
A.
B.
D.
H.
E.
5
8 9
At 826, we have seen firsthand how the Writers’ Room program
benefits students in writing skills, social and emotional learning,
creativity, leadership, and so much more; now, we have research to
back up our observations. Beginning in 2016, external evaluators
from Northeastern University conducted multiple studies on the
Writers’ Room program:
WHY WRITERS’
ROOMS?
STUDY 1
School and Student Outcomes:
This study interviewed students, teachers, and
school leaders in order to understand how and
why the 826 Writers’ Room program works.
STUDY 2
A Lasting Impact:
This study followed a cohort of students from
9th to 12th grade, digging into how their
experiences with and relationships to writing
changed over time after participating in the
826 Writers’ Room program.
STUDY 3
Lessons Learned:
This study focused on the 826 Writers’ Room
experience from the 826 chapter staff ’s perspectives,
drawing out best practices and pitfalls to avoid.
7
10 11
STUDY 1:
SCHOOL AND STUDENT OUTCOMES
A cross-chapter case study that digs into 826 Boston and 826
Valencia’s experiences with the 826 Writers’ Room program. Read
the full report from Northeastern University here.
This study was grounded in the
theories of two frameworks from
826 Boston and 826 Valencia that
describe 826’s methods and
pedagogies for working with
student writers. The frameworks
were used to develop questions for
stakeholder surveys, interviews,
and focus groups in order to assess
the impact of programming. 60
students, 30 teachers, and 7
school administrators were
interviewed to identify key themes
of impact and challenges.
METHODOLOGY:
The study found that 826’s
pedagogy and programming
positively impacts both students
and school communities. The data
provides evidence that our
programming works as intended,
as the values and design principles
were appreciated by students,
teachers, and parents and lead to
positive outcomes.
KEY FINDINGS:
STUDENT OUTCOMES
Improves student writing skills in both the technical and creative aspects of
writing. Students stated that the program helped them become better
writers through the development of specific skills, such as how to
narrow, organize, and refine their writing through the drafting process.
If you want to learn something, anything in your life, whether
it’s physically or mentally, you have to practice. The Writers’
Room is a place where you practice and you get better at writing.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Builds social and emotional learning skills with students, such as self-
reflection, self-advocacy, confidence, emotional resilience, and the ability to
accept critical feedback. The process of writing is personal and reflective,
and 826 staff and volunteers offer students the space and tools to harness
the power of writing.
About a month ago I had a bad experience where something
happened in my life, and in class we worked with 826 Valencia to
write about it, which helped me a lot by talking out those feelings
that I have. So it’s kind of a relief.”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
TEACHER SUPPORT
Supports teachers and other school staff in delivering high-quality, impactful
writing instruction. Because of the small groups and one-on-one support
integrated into our model, teachers stated that they could dive deeper into
curriculum and projects, take risks in their teaching, and more carefully
differentiate their work to meet the needs of individual students.
I think that it allows teachers to be a little more creative and take
risks that they might not otherwise take.”
TEACHER FROM 826 BOSTON
CONTENT PEDAGOGY
Implements programming that is student-driven,
socially responsive, and based on community
interests and needs. As the importance of social
justice content becomes increasingly integral to
school curriculum, Writers’ Rooms serve as a
partner to deliver that content and to help
students develop as the next generation of
community leaders.
Last year we did a project about
immigrants, about us being immigrants,
like where we come from. It feels good
because at least some people know how we
feel, when it comes to someone being
racist about us.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Increases opportunities for students to express
themselves and exercise their voices at school.
Students engage in publications, presentations,
and performances that transform and build
upon classwork to enhance their self-
expression and communicate their point of
view to a wider audience.
I feel like you can inspire some people. . .
I mean, if you’ve been published in a book
and you’re writing stories, people can be
like, ‘Oh wow, that’s cool! I can do that.’”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
Fosters an environment, both physical and
psychological, where students are valued as creators and
feel safe to try new ideas and experiment with their
work. Students learn the writing process is not about
“getting it right” the first time but about how to make
the work better in a slow and steady manner, with
each iteration improving upon the last.
It’s going to be challenging, they are going to
challenge you. They’ll be like, ‘Okay, you
made a mistake, how are you going to fix it?’
And they’re gonna help you out during the
whole process. This is why I like the Writer’s
Room. It’s all the support.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Provides individualized support to students through
the tutoring and mentoring model. Students build
positive relationships with adult mentors,
working one-on-one or in small groups with 826
staff and volunteers to express, communicate,
and reflect on ideas through their writing;
because writing improves with specific and
tailored feedback, this one-on-one attention is
pivotal. “826 supports us because students get to
have more one-on-one time with tutors, and they
really appreciate that, where they can go through
the different facets of their writing and get
feedback. I think that allows them to dig a little
bit deeper and say,
Okay, I’m struggling with this. And it’s okay
to struggle with this because I have someone
here to help me. And it’s okay to open up
about that.”
TEACHER FROM 826 VALENCIA
8 9
“
“
“
“
“
“
“
12 13
ENVIRONMENT
Volunteer Tutor Quality. Although working with
the tutors was a highlight for most, some
respondents had issues with certain tutors or
noted that certain tutors were less helpful and
prepared than others.
Volunteer Tutor Diversity. Respondents noted that
the Writers’ Room program should consider
recruitment mechanisms to enhance volunteer
diversity in order to develop and maintain a
diverse tutor network.
Leadership Opportunities. Respondents indicated
that they wanted even more opportunities for
students to engage in leadership, alongside
highlighting opportunities to clearly articulate
existing leadership pathways.
Adult Roles. Some teachers and school leaders
wanted a more formalized description of teacher
and staff roles during programming to reduce
uncertainty about leadership within the Writers’
Room space.
CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS
While the interviews were overwhelmingly positive, stakeholders also
expressed some issues they face while engaging with the 826 Writers’ Rooms:
Provides a space in schools that students can call their own, where
they feel safe to reflect and be brave to share their experiences.
Students see the room as a space where they can be creative
and express themselves.
It’s exciting that you can make your own world with your
own characters, and if you wanted to read a book, you could
just read your own book, and it would have exactly what you
wanted to read about in it.”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
STUDY 2:
A LASTING IMPACT
A longitudinal, multiyear study with 826 Boston to measure the impact of
Writers’ Room programming on student self-perceptions and outcomes.
Read the full report from Northeastern University here.
The study was designed to follow a cohort
of students over a four-year period from 9th
to 12th grade to evaluate the impact of the
Writers’ Room over the period of 2016 to
2020. The study also included interviews
with 21 teachers and school leaders across
the last two years of the study.
METHODOLOGY:
The longitudinal study found that the Writers’ Room program
not only positively impacts students’ outcomes but does so in
an enduring way:
The results echoed the interview results from Study 1.
The majority of students had positive perceptions of the key
values of the Writers’ Room. In the last year of the study, 12th
grade students reported these perceptions:
KEY FINDINGS:
NUMBER OF
STUDENTS SURVEYED
9TH GRADE
10TH GRADE
11TH GRADE
12TH GRADE
261
303
280
268
Students completed a 21-item survey that
examined their perceptions of writing
interest and ability, confidence in sharing
and receiving feedback on their writing,
and their self-efficacy and resilience. In
the last year of the study, students were
also asked questions about their
satisfaction with and perceptions of their
Writers’ Room experience.
Teachers and school leaders identified similar benefits around
individual support and creativity as well as similar challenges,
such as experience level of tutors and need for role definitions.
In terms of students’ perception about writing specifically,
Figure 1 shows the percent of student agreement across key
survey items across all four years.
85%
FELT WRITERS’ ROOM STAFF
AND VOLUNTEERS TREATED
THEM WITH RESPECT.
78%
FELT THE DESIGN OF THE
WRITERS’ ROOM HAD A
POSITIVE IMPACT.
73%
FELT THEIR FEEDBACK WAS VALUED.
0 11
“
14 15
0
20
40
60
80
I enjoy
creative writing
I enjoy writing for
school assignments
I feel comfortable
sharing my work
with teachers
I feel comfortable
sharing my work
with friends
I feel comfortable
sharing my work
with my family
I feel comfortable
reading my writing out
loud in front of others
I enjoy discussing my
writing with others
GAINS FOR ALL ITEMS FROM 9TH TO 12TH GRADE ARE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AT P < .05. SEE APPENDIX A FOR DETAILS.
9TH GRADE 10TH GRADE 11TH GRADE 12TH GRADE
The majority of students started with negative perceptions
of writing in 9th grade. While 63% of students agreed
that they enjoy creative writing and 75% believed that
writing would help them in school, the majority of
students did not agree with most of the statements. For
example, only 28% agreed that they enjoyed writing for
school assignments, and only 24% thought of
themselves as writers. See Figure 2.
Students show early growth in enjoyment and sharing. In
10th grade, students in general responded with higher
agreement rates. In particular, the most growth in their
responses was for “I feel comfortable sharing my work
with teachers” (a 10% gain in agreement) and “I enjoy
creative writing” (an 8% gain).
By 11th grade, students show visible growth, especially with
sharing their work. As students’ experiences with the
Writers’ Rooms deepened, so did their confidence as
writers, leading them to feel more comfortable sharing
their work with friends and family (22% and 21% gains,
respectively), to better enjoy discussing their writing
with others (20% gain), and to feel more comfortable
reading their work aloud (19% gain).
Strongest growth across 4 years is a shift for students to
see themselves as writers. In 9th grade, only 27% of
students agreed that they saw themselves as writers,
but by 12th grade, the majority, 53% did—a 30% gain.
FIGURE 1 Highly engaged students recognize the importance of writing in their work and future. Recognizing that student
involvement with the Writers’ Room may not have been
consistent for students across all 4 years, 12th grade
students were asked about the amount of time they spent
with the Writers’ Room. Students who spent more than 2
years involved in the program showed statistically
significant higher levels of agreement on most of the items
shown in Figure 2 (see Appendix B). Of particular interest
is that they agreed more than the other students that
writing is important for their school work and careers.
The results show a clear growth trajectory. The
Writers’ Room provides a stable environment
for students to enjoy writing, to grow to be
more comfortable with the staff and tutors
(leading to increased confidence as writers
within their communities), and, eventually, to
shift their perceptions of themselves as writers
and to recognize the importance of writing.
It [the Writers’ Room] could be helpful just in case you
have a writing job in the future.”
9TH GRADE STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
Being a good writer can help me write the thoughts that I
have in my head and bring my imagination to life. Also,
it would help me improve my skills on speaking.”
12TH GRADE STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
0
25
50
75
100
I enjoy
creative writing
I think of myself
as a writer
I avoid writing
whenever possible
I enjoy discussing my
writing with others
Being a writer will
help me in school
Being a writer will
help me in my career
I want to publish
my writing so
others can read it
0-1 YEARS < 2 YEARS
Desire to be a published author takes time.
Additionally, 53% of students with more than 2
years of involvement agreed that they want their
writing to be published so that others can read it
versus nly 39% of students with fewer than 2 years
of involvement–a 14% gain. While not statistically
significant, this result suggests that wanting to be
published takes more time to develop than other
program benefits.
FIGURE 2
2 3
“
“
16 17
STUDY 3:
LESSONS LEARNED
A survey of staff and leadership of 826’s nine chapters on their
experiences with and perceptions of the Writers’ Room program.
In addition to the two formal studies,
Northeastern also administered surveys
to all existing 826 chapters, those with
active Writers’ Rooms, those with
inactive Writers’ Rooms, and those who
have not ever had Writers’ Rooms. These
surveys were intended to understand the
strengths and challenges of the Writers’
Room from 826’s perspective, as well as
to understand the larger organizational
goals and values that impact the
implementation of the program.
METHODOLOGY:
Drawing on the experiences and expertise of 826 staff across
the country, we identified three key learnings about the 826
Writers’ Room program:
KEY FINDINGS:
Mission Priorities: A Focus on Student Leadership
Chapters were asked to indicate the importance of several factors
to the mission of the Writers’ Room; based on their responses, we
ranked the factors in terms of priority. All five factors—Academic
Writing, Student Support, Creative Writing, Social Emotional
Development, and Student Leadership—were considered to be
part of the mission of 826 Writers’ Rooms, but there were clear
differences in priority between chapters with and without an
active Writers’ Room. Chapters with active Writers’ Rooms
prioritized Student Leadership over all factors other than Student
Support, while chapters without Writers’ Rooms valued Creative
Writing and Social Emotional Development the most and Student
Leadership the least.
CHAPTERS WITH ACTIVE WRITERS’ ROOM CHAPTERS WITHOUT WRITERS’ ROOMS
1: Student Support 1: Creative Writing
2: Student Leadership 2: Social Emotional Development
2: Social Emotional Development 3: Student Support
4: Academic Writing 4: Academic Writing
5: Creative Writing 5: Student Leadership
Chapters with active Writers’ Rooms provide Student Support through tutoring by staff and volunteers, and they
provide Student Leadership opportunities within the school, within the Writers’ Room, or even outside of school.
Partnership Selection and Definitions
Chapters with Writers’ Rooms highlighted how
important the relationship with the school is—they are
a partner rather than a “client.” They choose their
partner schools based on the strength of existing
relationships, proximity to volunteer populations, and
the socioeconomic need of the local population.
While all chapters have a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with each school partner, the
MOUs of chapters with active Writers’ Rooms were
longer and more detailed than those with inactive
Writers’ Rooms. Both included programming
descriptions, but the longer MOUs also included
agreements about student information, reporting,
equal opportunity guidelines, and more. Clear roles,
responsibilities, and expectations were established.
This detail and clarity ensure that communication and
participation is well-defined, getting everyone on the
same page from the get-go.
Once the MOU with the school is finalized,
Writers’ Room staff still have to get educator
buy-in, as teachers are their closest partners.
Some chapters host a teacher conference,
inviting any interested teachers to come and
learn about the Writers’ Room, while others
rely on word of mouth, focusing on building
strong, individual connections with a few
partner teachers.
KEY BARRIERS
Resources and Staffing
Chapters without Writers’ Rooms indicated a lack
of resources, including staff capacity, as one reason
why they do not offer the program. However, while
chapters acknowledged that a minimum budget is
necessary to operate a Writers’ Room, the size of
that budget was not an identified factor of success.
Chapters with larger Writers’ Rooms budgets were
not necessarily more successful than those with
smaller budgets.
4 5
18 19
HOW TO CREATE A
WRITERS’ ROOM:
BEST PRACTICES
Writers’ Rooms provide writing opportunities for students and do not have to be at the scale of 826
programs. You can create a version of the programming and environment in your schools and after-school
spaces. Based on what we have learned from Northeastern’s research and our own experiences, here are
best practices for how to create a Writers’ Room–like space in your community:
It is important to clearly identify the values and
goals of the space and ensure there is alignment
among all those involved. Chapters indicated that
building a strong understanding with partner
schools was essential to their success. Consider
creating a contract for the staff and other adults
involved that clearly lays out these values and
goals, identifying how people should behave and
collaborate and what outcomes you are hoping to
achieve. Then, have a similar process with
students in which you collaboratively establish
the purpose and principles of the space.
IDENTIFY VALUES.
As previously mentioned, it is important that the
Writers’ Room looks and feels different than a
traditional classroom space. Stakeholders expressed
that having a separate, dedicated space allows
students to immerse themselves in writing and
creativity without the fear of getting a bad grade.
Comfortable furniture, warm lighting, and themed
decorations all serve to set the space apart. See the
beginning of this report for examples of elements
important to include in a Writers’ Room space.
DEDICATE A UNIQUE SPACE.
I think you feel more free saying whatever
you want cause you know that person
won’t judge you.”
STUDENT FROM 826 VALENCIA
I think at every age it’s important that
students have another outlet and another
place to go where they feel safe.”
SCHOOL LEADER FROM 826 BOSTON
It is important to include some sort of publication or
showcase so that you can invite the larger community
into the space. Teachers, students, parents, and other
members of the community can come together to
celebrate student writing and engage in important
community discussions.
PUBLISH AND CELEBRATE STUDENTS.
The Writers’ Room serves several purposes: first,
to provide structured support to students through
specific projects and activities; second, to be a
space where students feel comfortable doing
their own thing, whether that’s receiving
feedback from a tutor or working independently
on homework and writing. It is important to
include both of these elements, so provide time
for structured projects (an essay, newspaper,
publication, etc.), but also engage students with
content that allows for agency and decision-
making opportunities.
BALANCE CONTENT.
This program actually allows students to go
through a process of revision, working with a
tutor, doing that close reading of their work.
So it actually brings that term [the writing
process], that I think we throw around so
often, to life or to fruition for them.”
TEACHER FROM 826 VALENCIA
Building your identity in print is a need. I don’t see
that as an icing on the cake type thing. I think that
changes who you consider yourself to be, or the
potential of who you consider yourself to be.”
SCHOOL LEADER FROM 826 BOSTON
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A key aspect of the Writers’ Room is the focus on
individualized support, and 826 chapters indicate
that staff and volunteer capacity is the biggest
barrier to a thriving program. While you may not
have dedicated staff for your Writers’ Room, you
can recreate the individualized model by having
older students act as writing tutors. This is a
great opportunity to not only provide extra
support to students but also further engage older
students in leadership opportunities. You can
even incentivize students to volunteer by offering
extra credit or community volunteer hours.
Another key aspect of staffing is to ensure that
students are working with volunteers, whether
that be fellow students or adult mentors, who
reflect their communities, experiences, and
identities. Students are likely to feel more
comfortable, supported, and motivated by tutors
who share and understand their backgrounds.
STAFF STRATEGICALLY.
Trying to get [tutors]—and, even deeper,
trying to get tutors who come from similar
cultural and linguistic backgrounds [as the
students]—that can be challenging, but
that’s something that I know they’re
always thinking about.”
TEACHER FROM 826 VALENCIA
Last but definitely not least, it is essential to build
pathways for student leadership. At its most basic, the
Writers’ Room program supports students as leaders
through the writing process, engaging students as they
work on projects in a largely self-directed environment.
All chapters indicated building their students’ social and
emotional learning skills as a top priority, as it helps
students see themselves as effective, responsive leaders
capable of creating change. Students are partners in the
work, deciding what to write about and playing a role in
creating a publication that represents themselves and
their classmates. You can provide further leadership
opportunities, such as having older students tutor for
younger students or creating a student editorial/advisory
board that steers publishing and programming.
CREATE LEADERSHIP PATHWAYS
I got to show my writing to 11th graders. It was like,
oh I’m helping all the people with my story, now
I’m happy.”
STUDENT FROM 826 BOSTON
APPENDIX
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APPENDIX A: AVERAGE STUDENT
AGREEMENT BY GRADE
APPENDIX B: AVERAGE STUDENT
AGREEMENT BY LENGTH OF ENGAGEMENT
9TH GRADE
N=261
10TH GRADE
N=303
11TH GRADE
N=280
12TH GRADE
N=271 F-STATISTIC SIG.
I ENJOY
CREATIVE WRITING.
I ENJOY WRITING FOR
SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
SHARING MY WORK
WITH TEACHERS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
SHARING MY WORK
WITH FRIENDS.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
SHARING MY WORK
WITH FAMILY.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE
READING OUT LOUD IN
FRONT OF OTHERS.
I FEEL ENJOY
DISCUSSING MY
WRITING WITH OTHERS.
I THINK OF
MYSELF AS A WRITER.
62.8% 71.3% 74.5% 77.8% 4.969 0.002
27.6% 30.4% 39.9% 42.7% 5.551 0.001
52.1% 62.1% 74.6% 79.3% 16.431 0
49.8% 53.8% 75.6% 79.2% 24.103 0
46.5% 44.2% 64.8% 63.3% 11.33 0
24.9% 31% 49.5% 47.7% 15.153 0
36.8% 45.2% 65% 68.1% 21.959 0
22.6% 28.1% 43.5% 52.9% 19.773 0
0-1 YEARS <2 YEARS T-STATISTIC P VALUE
I ENJOY
CREATIVE WRITING.
I THINK OF
MYSELF AS A WRITER.
I AVOID WRITING
WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
I ENJOY DISCUSSING MY
WRITING WITH OTHERS.
BEING A WRITER WILL
HELP ME IN SCHOOL.
BEING A WRITER WILL
HELP ME WITH MY CAREER.
I WANT TO PUBLISH
MY WRITING SO
OTHERS CAN READ IT.
75% 92.9% -2.555 0
48.7% 71% 0
54.4% 33.3% 2.231 0
66.1% 72.7% -0.742 0.098
77.8% 87% -1.389 0.002
58% 67.4% -1.173 0.004
38.6% 53.3% -1.492 0.248
-2.284
0 1
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To learn more about how you can get involved
with 826’s movement for writing and creativity,
please visit our website at 826national.org.
