About 826 New Orleans

We provide space and support for young writers to tell their stories.

826 New Orleans is one of the only nonprofits in New Orleans dedicated to youth writing. Most organizations dedicated to youth literacy focus solely on reading skill parity. Our approach is holistic and focuses on long-term literacy development. For that, we fill a critical void in our city’s educational landscape.

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  • 826 New Orleans cultivates and supports the voices of young writers ages 3-18 through creative collaborations with schools and communities.

    • We believe in providing young writers with space, time, support, and opportunities to publish their work.

    • We believe in cultivating a sense of possibility that allows for creativity and joy.

    • We believe in the creation of safe, supportive spaces by facilitating and amplifying youth voices for black, brown, and queer youth.

    • We believe in collaborating with families and communities in developing learning environments inclusive of multiple ways of being and knowing.

  • 826 New Orleans offers a variety of free programs that provide public school students, ages 3-18, with opportunities to develop their writing skills and become published authors. Our vision is to develop a culture of literacy in New Orleans where young writers have the space, choice, time, and support they need to express themselves confidently and in their own voice.

    We believe that writing is the great equalizer and can be a catalyst for social change and our programs are designed to give students the skills they need to write their own paths forward.

Our Impact

  • To build a culture of literacy in New Orleans, our work takes an alternative approach to literacy instructions in schools, communities, and homes. 

  • Our publication approach is designed to address the fact that even though young people represent 25% of our city’s population, their voices often go unheard when it comes to conversations about our futures. 

  • Our programs emphasize each student’s humanity, dignity, imagination, and voice. By publishing young people, we believe youth voice will become an integral part of the city's landscape.

  • Our work is backed by the 826 National Network. 826 is the largest network of youth writing nonprofits in the United States. Among many honors, 826 was awarded the inaugural American Prize for Literacy by the Library of Congress. While we remain an independent 501(c)(3), 826 New Orleans is part of a national movement for creativity and critical thinking, connecting New Orleans’ young writers to more than 32,000 students across the nation.

Give today

Amplify young people and their stories by making a donation today. Your gift will support over 1,000 young writers who are using creative writing to grapple with their place in history, in this moment, and in the years to come.