September Newsletter
Dear Community,
The 20-21 school year is in full swing! With your support, 826 MSP ensures that young writers in the Twin Cities have the educational support and writing platform they need now more than ever. Most recently, we partnered with South High's College and Career Center to host a series of college essay writing workshops through our virtual Writers' Room. As described by Writers' Room Manager, Jeannine Erickson, the workshops have been a great success! Check out this update from Jeannine:
"I felt like there was a collective sigh, a breath of fresh air because students were carrying a lot of stress surrounding the college essay process. It's hard for our students to imagine entering college right now, due to all the uncertainty. 22 students attended our first workshop, which was focused on interviews, giving students time to reflect on a meaningful story or memory that could form the basis of their essay. The second session focused on outlining, and the final workshop will encourage students to think about 'why they're awesome' to craft powerful essay conclusions.”
There have even been some unexpected positives to the virtual format. Both the recordings of the live sessions and the accompanying materials are being made available through the Writers' Room's website. This increases access for students and faculty who weren't able to attend the workshops. The virtual format has also led to students asking more questions and feeling comfortable expressing their anxieties surrounding this process. We look forward to launching Wellness Wednesdays in October to give students even more resources related to health and well-being during this unprecedented time.
Thanks for your continued support of young writers in the Twin Cities!
- The 826 MSP crew
Student Spotlight
"Let's write another book!"
This literary magazine by students in South High's All Nations program is the result of dedication, resilience, and ample creativity. After publishing the 2019 anthology, Indigenous Originated: Walking in Two Worlds, these young writers kept writing. Their dedication to "write another book!" in the 19-20 school year led to a statewide writing contest through the MN Connect Powwow. 826 MSP recently released an anthology which contains the submissions from All Nations writers. As the 20-21 school year continues, we can't wait to see what these powerful young people write next.
Donate to our Back to School Campaign!
Our 2020 Back to School campaign is in its final hours, and we are ALMOST THERE! Donate TODAY to help us meet our goal of $10,000 in support of distance learning at 826 MSP this fall. Learn more and donate here.
Upcoming Events
Donate to our Back to School campaign by October 1!
Literacy Power Hour for 5 & 6 year olds starts October 1.
Virtual Field Trips start the week of October 5.
Virtual new volunteer orientation on October 8.
Young Authors' Council starts October 17.
Supporter Spotlight
Trivia for Cheaters is one of 826 MSP's annual fundraisers, usually held in the spring. Due to COVID and the need for social distancing, we had to postpone the event this year. Thanks to the generosity and patience of our incredible community, we just held Trivia for Cheaters virtually on September 26.
All told, teams helped to raise nearly $14,000! This support was instrumental in our transition to distance learning earlier this year. Congrats to the winning teams and gratitude to all!