So you've heard the rumors [[then...|rumors]]
<body>
<img src="http://826boston.org/content/uploads/2014/08/bg-hair.png" /> <align="middle"></a>
</body>When you first walk into the Institute, you'll be greeted by our towering, 10-foot statue of the hairy cryptid himself, as well as a whole host of mysterious research apparatus and ephemera. This is our store, where you can purchase official G.B.B.R.I merch, student-written publications, and works by author and 826 Valencia founder David Eggers. Just beyond and through the doorway, is where the real work is done- our tutoring center. [[Come on in and have a look around!|Doorway]]You take a few steps and find yourself in 826 Boston's little library. There are plenty of comfy chairs and couches, a veritable jungle of potted plants and a whole wall stuffed with books for all ages. 826 Boston aims to stoke our students' passion for the written word, and what better way to do so than to get lost in a great book.
You choose the coziest looking couch, tucked away between the ferns, and notice a stack of 826 Boston's most recently published student works:
<ul>
<li>[["And Lester Swam On"]]</li>
<li>[["85 Cents Might Not Sound Like A Lot"]]</li>
<li>[["Tooth, Claw, Grit and Bolts of Energy"]]</li>There's a big cow skull attached to the handlebars. Poor thing was probably Bigfoot bait at some point- this must be some sort of highly technical research vehicle.
[[I should probably go back to the entrance.->Doorway]] You walk up to the intern writing on the white boards and introduce yourself.
"Hey, how's it going? I'm a programming intern here at 826. Any questions I can answer?"
[[What can you tell me about 826 Boston's in-school programs?|in-school]]You walk to the side of the space and take a seat near a volunteer tutor who is helping a student with what appears to be English homework.
"Aha!" exclaims the student, who begins furiously scribbling away. The tutor smiles at you and introduces herself.
"Hi, I'm Rachel, and this is Jacob."
Jacob, completely lost in his work, continues writing.
"I'm an after-school tutor. Do you have any questions about 826?"
[["What after-school tutoring programs does 826 Boston offer?"|Program]]
You're standing in the doorway and see a charming [[library]] to your left, a [[tandem bicycle]] and an intern writing on a couple of [[white boards]] directly ahead of you, and a volunteer tutor working with a student at [[a large table]] to your right.You're drawn to the cheerfully illustrated children's book, "And Lester Swam On."
826 Boston helped steer the intrepid marine biologists of the Room 8 second grade classroom at the John D. Philbrick School towards the publication of our first Young Author's Book Project geared towards a younger age group. The students spent their school year researching ocean life in preparation for writing the book, which follows a leopard shark as he seeks a new home and new fishy friends after his native San Francisco Bay becomes polluted.
You follow Lester on his travels, meeting his friends Nine the blue whale, Mr. Tank the leatherback sea turtle, and Jack Jr. the penguin, before putting the book back down on the table in front of you.
<ul>
<li>[[Read "85 Cents Might Not Sound Like a Lot"->"85 Cents Might Not Sound Like A Lot"]]</li>
<li>[[Read "Tooth, Claw, Grit, and Bolts of Energy"->"Tooth, Claw, Grit and Bolts of Energy"]]</li>
<li>[[Leave the library]]</li>You inspect the serious looking volume with the seriously interesting title.
Forty students from the John D. O’Bryant High School worked with the 826 Boston’s Writers’ Room to publish *85 Cents Might Not Seem Like a Lot*, a response to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Focus40 initiative: itself a long term plan to meet the Greater Boston area's public transportation needs by 2040. These students, often living in traditionally underserved areas of the city, shared their reflections and insights on how the MBTA could be improved, providing a human perspective on the importance of civic engagement and responsibility.
You put the book back down.
<ul>
<li>[[Read "And Lester Swam On"|"And Lester Swam On"]]</li>
<li>[[Read "Tooth, Claw, Grit, and Bolts of Energy"|"Tooth, Claw, Grit and Bolts of Energy"]]</li>
<li>[[Leave the library]]</li>Interested in a little whimsy, you pick up the chapbook and flip through the pages. Students ages six to sixteen enrolled in 826 Boston’s After-School Writing and Tutoring program worked with After School staff and tutors to publish *Tooth, Claw, Grit, and Bolts of Energy*, stories about sorcery and magic. Their collective work highlights a year of creative writing prompts, student/tutor relationships, and the work of the student editorial board.
You put the book down.
<ul>
<li>[[Read "And Lester Swam On"|"And Lester Swam On"]]</li>
<li>[[Read "85 Cents Might Not Sound Like A Lot"|"85 Cents Might Not Sound Like A Lot"]]</li>
<li>[[Leave the library]]</li>Having flipped through some of the work that 826 Boston has helped students produce, you get up off the couch, and continue exploring the tutoring center.
You see a [[tandem bicycle]], a [[a volunteer working with a student at a large table|a large table]], and an intern scribbling on a couple of [[white boards]].
You also consider [[getting involved|get involved]]."That's a great question," Rachel replies. "During the school year, this center provides one-on-one instruction by trained tutors like myself four days a week. We help students complete their homework, practice their English skills, and work with them on developing chapbooks full of their own creative writing."
[[What other programs does 826 offer?"|more programs]]"826 Boston also hosts weekend workshops for their students, covering everything from SAT test prep to helping students find ways to make higher education more affordable. We also host evening tutoring once a week for our older, teen students. This summer we've started a new college essay writing bootcamp, where high school students preparing for the college application process can recieve help drafting and perfecting their Common App essays."
"Rachel! I need your help!" Jacob has apparently reached a stumbling block in his work.
"Excuse me," Rachel says, "Jacob's got to have this project turned in tomorrow. It was nice meeting you! Feel free to continue exploring the tutoring center."
You say your goodbyes, and look around the room.
You can [[visit the library|library]], [[walk over to the white boards|white boards]], or [[inspect the tandem bicycle|tandem bicycle]]. Or maybe you'd like to [[get involved|get involved]]!
"Good question! 826 Boston currently operates two in-school Writers' Rooms- spaces where students can recieve extra tutoring in writing in a more relaxed environment. The Writers' Rooms also host classroom visits, as well as extracurricular activities such as slam poetry teams and student-run literary journals."
[["Where are the Writers' Rooms located?|writers' room 2]]"There are currently two Writers' Rooms in operation- one at the John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science, and the other at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School. A third Writers' Room at the Boston Teachers Union school is slated for its grand opening in September of this year!
[[What does the future hold for the Writers' Room program?|writers' room 3]]"826 Boston is committed to opening and operating at least 6 more Writers' Rooms by 2021, as part of our strategic plan for growth. In effect, we're trying to double the number of students served by that point in time. There are currently five other schools vying to be home to the next Writers' Room, and for good reason- 100% of teachers strongly agreed or agreed that working with 826 Boston improved the quality of writing of their students.
[["That's amazing! How can I get involved?|get involved]]There are many ways you can get involved with us here at 826 Boston.
We are always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join us as tutors, both in-school and out-of-school. You can follow <a href="http://www.826boston.org/get-involved/volunteer/">this link</a> for more information about becoming a volunteer tutor.
If you or your organization are interested in sponsoring a partnership, or in arranging a corporate volunteer session, follow <a href="http://www.826boston.org/get-involved/partner-with-us">this link</a> for more about our oferrings.
Finally, if you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation to 826 Boston, please follow <a href="http
//www.826boston.org/get-involved/donate-to-826-boston/">this link</a> to learn how.
Want to keep exploring? [[Head back to the entrance|Doorway]]
[[The End]]
Thank you for exploring the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Center and 826 Boston! You've met some of our volunteers, interns, and students, seen our library, and understood some of the important work that we do here in Egleston Square. Bigfoot might still be out there, but we'll be here, helping students to get inspired to go look for him themselves.
<a href="http://www.826boston.org/" target="_blank">
<img src="http://826boston.org/content/uploads/2014/08/bg-hair.png" /> <align="middle"></a>
Hidden somewhere in Jamaica Plain's Egleston Square lies a peculiar place- a place where researchers toil night and day, chasing a legendary (and furry) figure. A place where students' imaginations are allowed to bloom and grow, their literacy skills are reinforced, and their writing skills are honed and sharpened. After all, as I'm sure you know, the most important skills for a Bigfoot seeker are curiosity, and the confidence that whatever (or whoever) it is you find out there- you can write it all down and share with the whole world.
826 Boston's writing and tutoring center is that place.
Home to the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute, 826 Boston is a nonprofit youth writing and publishing organization that empowers traditionally underserved students ages 6-18 to find their voices, tell their stories, and gain communication skills to succeed in school and in life. We provide after-school tutoring, field trips, creative writing workshops, in-school tutoring, help for English Language Learners, and in-depth publishing projects for our students and budding Bigfoot researchers.
The rumors are true, fellow Bigfoot seekers. Pack your bag full of pencils and paper, and head on down to [[the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute.]]