826CHI

09/02/2026

The school year is here! So are we.

826CHI programs are back in classrooms and community spaces across Chicago this fall - new students walking in for the first time, ready to write something that’s actually theirs.

08/31/2026

Today is the last day to give to 826CHI’s Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign!

Every dollar raised goes toward free creative writing and publishing programs for Chicago students. Every story that gets written this school year starts from this foundation.

Don’t miss it >> https://bit.ly/storystartshere

08/28/2026

Four days left! 826CHI’s Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign closes August 31. We’re raising $26,000 to expand free writing programs for Chicago students heading into a new school year.

Give today >> https://bit.ly/storystartshere

08/26/2026

It’s 8/26, so you know we had to celebrate.

Today we are celebrating the nearly 900 young writers who wrote with us last year, to the teaching artists and educators who made space for all those ideas, and to everyone who believes young people deserve to be taken seriously as writers.

There were poems. There were speeches. There were stories built through game design. There were big questions, strange ideas, serious ideas, and plenty of blank pages that didn’t stay blank for long.

And we’re ready to do it all again.

Our Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign is raising $26,000 by August 31 to help us start the school year strong and continue our free creative writing and publishing programs for Chicago students.

Today seems like an especially good day for a gift of $8.26, $26, $82.60, or whatever amount works for you.

Celebrate 826 Day with us: https://bit.ly/storystartshere

08/26/2026

This 826 Day, we’re remembering Dolly Parton and the extraordinary life she spent telling stories, opening doors, and reminding people of the importance of being completely yourself.

Dolly understood the power of a good story. She built a career by telling her own with humor, honesty, heart, and a voice that was unmistakably hers. Just as importantly, she spent decades helping young people discover stories of their own.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, she put hundreds of millions of books into the hands of children, making literacy and the joy of reading more accessible to families around the world. She understood that giving a child a book is also an invitation to imagine, to be curious, and to discover possibilities beyond what they already know.

But perhaps one of her greatest lessons was the example she set herself. Dolly believed that success should never require becoming less unique. She was joyful, outspoken, creative, generous, funny, and entirely her own person, and she encouraged generations of people to dream big while embracing & celebrating exactly who they were.

For an organization that believes deeply in the power of young people’s voices, there is so much in that legacy to admire.

We’re grateful for the songs and stories, of course, but also for the books, the generosity, the imagination, and a lifetime spent making the world a little bigger for young people and us all.

Thank you, Dolly.

Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.

Dolly is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years Carl Thomas Dean (1942 – 2025), her mother Avie Lee Caroline Owens (1923 – 2003), and father, Robert Lee Parton, Sr. (1921 – 2000).

A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family. Dolly Parton’s legacy is one of love, compassion, and resilience. With a seven-decade career, she inspired multiple generations of artists and fans with her music and an unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. Her songs will continue to resonate with people of all ages, and her philanthropic work will have a lasting impact.

At Dolly’s request, a small, private service will be held for immediate family. Dolly’s fans and friends from around the world are encouraged to pay tribute to Dolly on social media by tagging or by leaving a message at www.dollyparton.com

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at www.imaginationlibrary.com

08/24/2026

Every student who publishes through 826CHI gets to hold something at the end of the year that proves they did it: a book with their name on the cover.

That moment is worth protecting. The Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign runs through August 31.

Help a Chicago student get there >> https://bit.ly/storystartshere

08/20/2026

It’s Thursday. It’s August. It’s hot. There’s ice cream. How does the story end?

Hopefully with a stop at Jeni’s Wicker Park sometime between 4–7 PM.

Drop in whenever it works for you, grab a scoop (or two), and 25% of your purchase will support 826CHI and free writing and publishing programs for Chicago’s young writers.

No essay required. Just ice cream.

Tonight | Stop by anytime from 4–7 PM
Jeni’s Wicker Park | 1505 N. Milwaukee Ave.

We can't wait to see you there!

08/17/2026

We’ve found a pretty sweet way to support Chicago’s young writers.

This Thursday, stop by Jeni’s in Wicker Park between 4–7 PM, grab some ice cream, and 25% of your purchase will come back to 826CHI.

We’re in the middle of our Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign, raising $26,000 by the end of August to support free writing and publishing programs for young people in Chicago. So come have a scoop, say hi, and help us start the school year strong.

Thursday, August 20 from 4–7 PM
Jeni’s Wicker Park, 1505 N. Milwaukee Ave.

See you there. 🍦

08/14/2026

Writing is about a lot more than what ends up on the page.

When young people have the space to explore their own ideas and experiences through writing, they're also building confidence, creativity, communication skills, persistence, and empathy.

That's a big part of why we do what we do at 826CHI.

We want students to become stronger writers, of course. But we also want them to trust their ideas, take creative risks, think about the world around them, and know that what they have to say matters.

As we head into a new school year, our Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign is raising $26,000 by August 31 to help us continue and expand free creative writing and publishing opportunities for our young people in Chicago.

Help us start the school year strong and make room for more young people to write what's next.

Show your support today at: https://bit.ly/storystartshere

08/12/2026

Happy International Youth Day!

We spend a lot of time at 826CHI talking about the importance of giving young people opportunities to write and publish their work. Here's a cool example of where those opportunities can lead.

These photos are from The International Library of Young Authors, which brings together books written by young people from around the world. Look closely and you'll find books by 826CHI students on the shelves.

We love knowing that stories written by young people here in Chicago have a home alongside the work of young authors from around the world.

As we celebrate International Youth Day, we're also kicking off a new school year and our Every Story Starts Somewhere campaign. We're raising $26,000 by August 31 to keep our creative writing and publishing programs free and give more young people the chance to write, create, and see their own words in print.

Help us make room for the stories that haven't been written yet.

Donate today: bit.ly/storystartshere