About us
Young people write the future at 826NYC. Our programs unleash imagination, build core skills, and uplift the voices of our young authors.
Our Mission
Our mission is to encourage the exploration of endless possibilities through the power of writing. Undefined by circumstance, our students build the skills to boldly write their own paths forward. We support new and exciting approaches to writing and inspire student engagement. And we foster generations of creative writers and thinkers, who together will define a better future.
Core Values
We write a better tomorrow, today.
We write a path forward, committing to a future where diverse young people’s voices are heard, their stories are shared, and a culture of lifelong learning helps us all thrive. And we’re building it every day.
We celebrate diversity and respect differences.
Our work is rooted in our diverse community and centers on ideals of justice and liberation. Our lives and the world are better when we have representation and contributions from every corner of NYC.
We believe that there’s no such thing as a final draft.
We strive to create the best versions of our writing, and the best versions of ourselves. We are comfortable with change, embrace the unknown, and adapt to new challenges.
We are creative & curious, perpetual knowledge seekers.
We build the muscles of imagination to tell new and better stories every day. We believe it’s never too late to embrace new ideas and try on new forms of self-expression, and to bring joy to our work.
We provide the page, youth provide the stories.
We build our programs around the understanding that our young people are brilliant, capable, and ambitious. We hold space for students to be their most authentic selves, from brainstorm to publication.
We expand the bookshelf.
We are our students’ biggest fans, and we believe they deserve a spot on your bookshelf. We defy the literary gatekeepers, celebrate the diverse voices of NYC youth, and believe in the importance of their stories.
Why 826NYC?
Creative writing is under-represented in schools. Educators report that they do not receive enough training in teaching writing in general, let alone creative writing. At 826NYC we believe writing is the other side of the literacy coin. Creative writing doesn’t just spark imagination, self-growth, and empowerment. It also creates engagement in reading.
We believe that writing is power. When young people can express themselves in writing, whether it is fantastical tales of talking turkeys or true stories of social injustice, they are writing the future.
Our Staff
Helping a new generation of young students become young Writers.
Rebecca Darugar
Executive Director
Rebecca Darugar
Executive Director
Rebecca Darugar is a nonprofit leader and educator, with an extensive career in New York City-based nonprofits. Rebecca joined the 826NYC team in 2013 as its Programs & Volunteer Coordinator, later becoming the Director of Education and eventually the Executive Director. Rebecca previously held positions at The Opportunity Network, GO Project, and the New York Public Library. They have a background in education and youth development, working both in the classroom and in out-of-school-time programming. They also have experience leading organizational change through strategic planning and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Scripps College and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California.
Naomi Solomon
Director of Education
Naomi Solomon
Director of Education
Naomi Solomon joined the 826NYC team as Director of Education in December 2020, after several years of intermittent workshop volunteering and cape-making. Prior to her current role at 826NYC, she spent 10 years working in NYC youth development organizations that amplify youth creativity and leadership, including roles at Mouse, Girls Write Now, Global Kids, and Posse New York. Naomi holds a BA in Literature and an MA in Youth Studies, and is passionate about public education, youth leadership, good books, and Oxford commas. Email Naomi at naomi@826nyc.org. — Photo by Aslan Chalom
Danny Kim
Volunteer and Programs Manager
Danny Kim
Volunteer and Programs Manager
Danny joined the 826NYC team as the Volunteer and Programs Manager in June 2023. Prior to joining the team, he worked with youth to develop their leadership and craft their voices through media and film projects as a part of organizations like Global Action Project, Tribeca Film Institute, and BRIC Arts Media. Danny received a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington and an MA in Media Studies from The New School. He has a passion for storytelling in many different forms, including experimental filmmaking, multimedia performance, and intergenerational oral history.
Summer Medina
Senior Volunteer and Programs Coordinator
Summer Medina
Senior Volunteer and Programs Coordinator
Summer Medina has worked in non-profit and education over the last decade. She joined 826NYC in 2019 as an AmeriCorps VISTA, and served as Community Engagement Strategist for two years before transitioning to their current role as Senior Volunteer & Programs Coordinator. This includes running part of Write After School and Teen Writers’ Collective! She received her BA at CUNY Queens College in English & Media Studies, and earned their MFA in Creative Writing from Stony Brook University. She is currently writing two novels, and probably their third book of poetry.
Email Summer at summer@826nyc.org. — Photo by Aslan Chalom.
Amani Nephew
Programs Coordinator
Amani Nephew
Programs Coordinator
Amani joined the team at 826NYC as the Program Coordinators in August 2022. After relocating from South Florida in 2017, she has been working for the non-profit CAMBA for the past 7 years. Most recently, she was the Internship Developer for the Learning to Work Program at Brooklyn Bridge Academy High School. She holds a BA in English from Florida International University. With a love of drawing and art design, she plans to go back to school for graphic design and hopefully step into animation. In her free time you can find her diving into anything arts and crafts related, or demolishing the stage with her Karaoke skills. Email Amani at amani@826nyc.org.
Janna Cisterino
Senior Development and Communications Manager
Janna Cisterino
Senior Development and Communications Manager
Janna joined the 826NYC team in September 2021. She’s worked in fundraising for nonprofit organizations serving low-income communities in NYC for over a decade. In her free time, you might find her curled up with a good book or shooting a game of pool. E-mail Janna at janna@826nyc.org. Photo by Aslan Chalom.
Chris Eckert
Store and Operations Manager
Chris Eckert
Store and Operations Manager
Chris joined 826NYC as Store Manager in 2016, after a decade of volunteering in the store, in the education programs, and in the capacity of someone who was willing to blow up 200 balloons or get hit in the head with a steel chair for a student’s film. When he is not managing BSSCo. he tutors, writes, and strives to straddle the fine line between curating and hoarding regarding a personal library. Those are his actual glasses. Photo by Aslan Chalom.
Stella Raffle-Wax
Senior Store & Communications Associate
Stella Raffle-Wax
Senior Store & Communications Associate
Stella Raffle-Wax is a Brooklyn native who grew up going to the Superhero Supply Store. She started at 826NYC as a volunteer during the virtual school year, joined the staff in 2021, and now works as the Senior Store and Communications Associate. She holds a BA in Politics & Human Rights from Marymount Manhattan College, and has previously worked in Youth Development as a staff member at URJ Crane Lake Camp. She’s eaten the Ben & Jerry’s Vermonster twice, and in her spare time, you’ll find her tending to her farm in Stardew Valley, or adventuring as a gnome bard in her Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Hunter Julo
Store Associate
Hunter Julo
Store Associate
Hunter joined 826NYC as a Store Associate in February of 2024. They are a writer, editor, and barista from Kansas City currently based in Brooklyn. Prior to working at 826NYC, Hunter graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Creative Writing where they studied creative nonfiction, fiction, and playwriting. Aside from writing, Hunter is passionate about vintage clothing, good coffee, and Moonstruck (1987). They can often be found listening to live music, at the movie theater, or completing a New York Times crossword puzzle.
Maryann Aita
Teaching Artist
Maryann Aita
Teaching Artist
Maryann is thrilled to be teaching creative writing at 826NYC! She works across genres and with students of all ages. Maryann has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from New York University and master of fine arts in writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She’s also pursuing a master’s in mental health counseling at Hunter College. Originally from Montana, she now lives in New York City with three cats. In her free time, Maryann loves writing, running, and learning to play piano.
J’miah Baird
Teaching Artist
J’miah Baird
Teaching Artist
Kwesi Jamiah Baird (J’miah) is a Brooklyn born and raised spoken word poet-actor-artist. He graduated from Brooklyn College with a BFA in Acting. J’miah has performed in theatrical productions as well as open mics. He loves anime and his favorite color is turquoise.
María Barrios
Teaching Artist
María Barrios
Teaching Artist
María Alejandra Barrios is a Pushcart-nominated writer born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She has an MA in Creative Writing from The University of Manchester and currently lives in Brooklyn. Her stories have been published in places such as Hobart Pulp, Reservoir Journal, Cosmonauts Avenue, Jellyfish Review, Lost Balloon, Shenandoah Literary, Vol.1 Brooklyn, El Malpensante, Moon City Review, Fractured Lit, and SmokeLong Quarterly. Her work is forthcoming in Pidgeonholes and The Offing. She was the 2020 SmokeLong Flash Fiction Fellow and her work has been supported by organizations such as Vermont Studio Center, Caldera Arts Center, and the New Orleans Writing Residency.
Amanda Dettmann
Teaching Artist
Amanda Dettmann
Teaching Artist
Amanda Dettmann is a poet, teacher, and performer from Maine who’s taught writing to students all over the world, including in Italy, Nicaragua, and New York. Her work can be found in her poetry book Untranslatable Honeyed Bruises as well as The Emerson Review, The Amistad, South Florida Poetry Journal, The Oakland Review, and The National Poetry Quarterly, among others. She is currently crossing off her bookstore bucket list and calling Brooklyn her second home of crazy stories and sprained subway ankles.
Dominique Doonquah
Teaching Artist
Dominique Doonquah
Teaching Artist
Dominique Doonquah is a writer and educator from Kingston, Jamaica currently living in Brooklyn, NY. Her writing explores ancestry, nature, and gender. Dominique believes deeply in the power of art and art-making to facilitate self and social transformation. In their free time, they love to cook, bike, and play outside with their dog, Ziggy.
Amy Dupcak
Teaching Artist
Amy Dupcak
Teaching Artist
Amy Dupcak is a writer, editor, tutor, and longtime writing instructor who loves working with kids and teens. She’s the author of the short story collection Dust and co-editor of the anthology Words After Dark. Her writing has also been published in Entropy, Phoebe, Sonora Review, Hypertext, Pangyrus, District Lit, Passengers, and other journals. She earned her MFA in Fiction from The New School and studied fiction and poetry during undergrad at Sarah Lawrence. Aside from reading and writing, she loves playing chess, drinking tea, making playlists, and taking photos of street art on long, aimless walks.
Daniel Goulden
Teaching Artist
Daniel Goulden
Teaching Artist
Daniel Goulden is a writer, teacher, and climate organizer living in Brooklyn NY. They love biking, cooking, baking bread, brewing kombucha and telling absolutely terrible jokes. They’re working on a novel based on the life of Zeppo Marx and can’t wait for you to read it!
Di Jayawickrema
Teaching Artist
Di Jayawickrema
Teaching Artist
Di Jayawickrema is a writer, educator, and Sri Lankan New Yorker. Her cross-genre writing has appeared in New Delta Review, The Pinch, Wildness, Entropy, and elsewhere. A Kundiman fellow, and a VONA and Tin House alumnus, her writing has been nominated for Best of the Net and anthologized in Best Microfiction. She is also an Editor for fiction at The Offing and for features at The Rumpus. When she’s not working with words, you can find her hunting down a new hole-in-the-wall restaurant, park, beach, music venue, and everything else our city has to offer!
Nicholas Martinez
Teaching Artist
Nicholas Martinez
Teaching Artist
Nicholas C. Martinez is an adjunct lecturer of Journalism and English at the City University of New York’s Borough of Manhattan Community College. He is also an alumni of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism (now known as the Craig Newmark School of Journalism) and CUNY’s Brooklyn College, where he received his Masters in Journalism and a double Bachelor’s in English and Education. His writing has been published in The New York Times, Local Blog, amNY and The New York Daily News. Nicholas has been a journalism professor at Fordham University and Baruch College. As a journalist, he worked as a news production associate at NBC News, as a social media coordinator for the Adidas Grand Prix, produced local news STEM-focused news stories for NYC Department of Education, served as a videographer for the American Red Cross, and produced stories across digital platforms for various news organizations including Computer Shopper, Brooklyn Based and LaughSpin. In his free time, Nicholas is an avid reader, a creative and nonfiction writer, a hobbyist musician, a video gamer, and a Dungeons and Dragons player and game master.
Nandi Maunder
Teaching Artist
Nandi Maunder
Teaching Artist
Nandi Maunder is a current first year graduate student at Columbia University’s Fiction Writing program. She was 2023 – 2024 U.S. Fulbright student to South Africa. She is a graduate of San Diego State University, where she earned her degree in English Literature and Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as a certificate in Children’s Literature. Hailing from Oakland, California, Nandi has been involved with theater and creative writing for most of her life.
Reuben Sack
Teaching Artist
Reuben Sack
Teaching Artist
Reuben Sack is a multi-genre writer, teacher and ghostwriter. His children’s fiction includes a dozen novels in the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery series for Simon and Schuster, and a Batman picture book for Penguin Random House/DC Comics. Reuben teaches creative writing to kids of all ages in schools across NYC and beyond. At the college level, he has guest lectured at Full Sail University Film School and Hunter College School of Education. Reuben is also a dedicated gardener who can often be found outside discussing new story ideas with his plants.
Tony Pepperoni
Hero Pigeon
Tony Pepperoni
Hero Pigeon
Tony Pepperoni, born on 8/26, is a hero pigeon and 826NYC’s official unofficial mascot. With a deep commitment to creative writing, justice, and pizza, Tony is a friend and protector to all who pass through 826NYC’s secret door. A conflicted optimist, Tony’s favorite 826NYC publication is It Could Have Been Way Worse than It Was. Tony is a proud graduate of Brooklyn College.
826 Founders
Dave Eggers
Nínive Calegari
826NYC Founders
Scott Seeley
Joan Kim
Board of Directors
President
David Tuffy
Vice President
Ted Wolff
Secretary
Christian Rongavilla
Treasurer
Richard Kando
Members
Michael Colagiovanni
Liza Demby
Jamal Edwards
Simone Fraser
Michelle McGovern
Aransas Savas
Danielle Sinay
Andrew Sparkler
Alyson Stone
David Trahan
Sam Valenti IV
Kathryn Yontef
826 Network
