Writers’ Room Program
A dedicated classroom within a Boston Public School building, the 826 Boston Writers' Room Program can catalyze a culture of creativity and writing for an entire school.
Each 826 Boston Writers’ Room delivers long-term, meaningful change in the lives of students, serving students during and after the school day with individualized attention that improves writing skills and fosters creative self-expression. With a focus on publishing, improving writing skills, and project-based learning, the Writers’ Room uses trained volunteer tutors and full-time dedicated staff to unlock students’ full potential. Over the course of a school year, the Writers’ Room will serve nearly every student in the school through whole-class visits, individual writing assistance, and/or after-school extracurricular activities.
In 2013, 826 Boston opened its first Writers’ Room, a fully-staffed program modeled on the university writing center and embedded within a public school, at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. 826 Boston currently runs three additional Writers’ Rooms at Boston public schools, with offerings such as tutoring and mentoring, writing support, clubs, activities, and publishing projects.
Writers’ Rooms are open from Monday through Thursday, with operation hours varying. Program offerings will roll out in phases and will be provided based on each school’s identified needs.
If you have questions regarding the Writers’ Room program, please email Isata Jalloh, Writers’ Room Director, at isata@826boston.org.
Interested in learning more about the Writers’ Room experience? Listen to a story from the BBC that features Writers’ Room alumna Legacy:
Located at the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science, 826 Boston’s Writers’ Room is a collaborative project with Northeastern University’s Writing Program. With Northeastern’s help, the Writers’ Room provides classroom support for writing assignments throughout the school day, in addition to holding after-school activities and clubs ranging from a slam poetry team to a student-run literary journal, Rubix. Find out more details about the Writers’ Room here.
826 Boston opened its second Writers’ Room in September of 2016 at the Dr. Albert D. Holland High School of Technology (then the Jeremiah E. Burke High School) in Dorchester. Support from the Calderwood Writing Initiative, the Boston Globe Foundation, Clipper Ship Foundation, Liberty Mutual Education Initiative, the Ludcke Foundation, State Street Foundation, and the Wellington Management Foundation made this project possible. In addition to whole-class visits and drop-in writing assistance, the Writers’ Room at the Burke has offered extracurricular activities such as a slam poetry team. Find out more details about the Writers’ Room here.
The 826 Boston Writers’ Room at the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) School launched in September 2017. The BTU was the first 826 Boston Writers’ Room in an elementary/middle school, which allows 826 Boston to work with about 300 students per year at an earlier stage to inspire creativity, improve writing skills, and support teachers in their important work. Find out more about the Writers’ Room here.
826 Boston opened its fourth Writers’ Room and the first at a school serving the needs of a predominantly English Language Learner population at Boston International Newcomers Academy (BINcA) in September 2018. Having partnered with the school and the entire graduating class of BINcA in 2017-2018 on the publication, Like the Sun in Dark Spaces, 826 Boston is thrilled to be able to continue serving this incredible community of impressive learners. Every student at Boston International Newcomers Academy (BINcA) in Dorchester arrived in this country within the past four years and more than 20 languages are spoken by students at the school. Find out more about the Writers’ Room here.
826 Boston opened its fifth Writers’ Room at the Margarita Muñiz Academy in September 2024. Margarita Muñiz Academy opened in 2012 as the district’s first dual language high school. Modeled on the success of the Rafael Hernández School, the Muñiz offers college preparatory, culturally relevant two-way bilingual curriculum that provides students with the 21st century skills necessary for success in higher education and beyond. Students can take classes and complete assignments in both English and Spanish. The Muñiz has three critical platforms for dual language learning that share the core value of social justice through authentic connections to the community: expeditionary learning, the arts, and technology. Find out more about the Writers’ Room in English and Spanish here.
