ABOUT

826NYC is thrilled to launch a new youth leadership and writing program, the Teen Fellowship Program, in February 2027. Over the course of a semester (February 1–June 14), Teen Fellows will develop a long-form writing project with the support of a peer cohort and a dedicated writing mentor. Fellows will also engage with the broader 826NYC community as leaders, eventually developing a community event related to youth writing and storytelling.

Teen Fellows are motivated writers, strong collaborators, great communicators, and emerging leaders. They are ready to attend weekly writing and workshopping sessions from February 1–June 14, to work on their writing in between sessions (including during school breaks), and to spend some time getting to know 826NYC’s programs and community. Fellows will receive a stipend of $50 for each weekly session, up to a total of $800 for the semester if they attend all 16 sessions. Dinner will be provided during all sessions that take place at 826NYC, and a snack budget will be provided for all mentor meetings.

WHO CAN APPLY

This fellowship is open to students who meet all of the following criteria:

• Family income is 80% or less of NYC’s area median income. This is $135,680 or less per year for a family of four.
• Currently in grades 9–12 at an NYC public school
• Lives in the five boroughs of New York City
• Has a long-form writing project in mind, at any stage of development from outlined idea to early draft to a later draft. Examples: a chapbook of poetry; the first 75 pages of a novel; an in-depth work of creative nonfiction/memoir; a one-act play (30–60 pages); a short film screenplay (30–60 pages)
• Are organized and proactive in their communication, and capable of scheduling and attending biweekly mentor meetings and keeping track of in-person workshop dates at 826NYC

TIME COMMITMENT

Teen Fellows will:

• Attend weekly sessions from February 1–June 14, 2027.
  >> Half of the sessions will be in-person workshops at 826NYC (372 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn) on Mondays, 5:00–6:30 PM. 
  >> On alternating weeks, Fellows will meet 1:1 with their mentor in a public place of their choosing (e.g. library, coffee shop, etc) at a time that works for Fellows and mentors.
• Spend time outside of sessions working on their writing project
• Spend time outside of sessions observing 826NYC programs and planning a community event

THE WRITING COMPONENT

Teen Fellows must propose a substantial writing project and set clear goals for what progress they will make on this project by the end of the fellowship. In the application, applicants are asked to share:

• An overview of the project they are proposing for this fellowship
• A writing sample—it may be a draft of the proposed project, or if that project is still in the outline stage and no draft is ready to share, a strong piece of writing in a similar genre, format, or topic.
• A clear goal for the writing project—e.g. the first 75 pages of a novel; a poetry chapbook of at least 10 polished pieces; etc.

Teen Fellows will be matched with an 826NYC Teaching Artist as a writing mentor, based on the genre, topic, and/or format of their project. (Ex: If you intend to write a play, you will be matched with a playwright.) In biweekly mentoring sessions, each Fellow will work 1:1 with their Teaching Artist mentor towards their writing goal. Mentoring sessions may include collaborative writing and revision, exploration of mentor texts to deepen understanding of genre or literary devices, discussion of next steps and goals, freewrites, and more.

During group workshop sessions, Fellows will participate in peer feedback exercises, writing and editing activities, and discussions and planning sessions for their community event.

Depending on the final products students are working towards, 826NYC will provide options for publication or production of multimedia works, including creating chapbooks, professionally printed books, and support for digital/multimedia production.

THE LEADERSHIP COMPONENT

By the end of the semester, Teen Fellows will develop and lead a community event. This may be collaborative (with the cohort of Fellows working together), or independently led. It may be an add-on or new element for an existing event at 826NYC or elsewhere in NYC, or a brand-new event. The goals of this event are:

• Find a new way to showcase youth creativity, storytelling, and/or leadership at 826NYC
• Engage members of the 826NYC community as participants and/or audience members
• Demonstrate creativity, originality, and resourcefulness in creating a live space for celebration and community

To prepare for this event, Teen Fellows are required to attend and observe at least 2 workshops for younger youth at 826NYC during after-school or weekend hours, to get to know more about our community and programs. Proposals for events must be approved by 826NYC staff, and staff will provide information about available resources to support these events, scheduling notes, etc.

HOW DOES THE STIPEND WORK, AND WHAT ELSE WILL 826NYC PROVIDE?

There will be a total of 16 weekly sessions that Teen Fellows must attend, with approximately half of these sessions dedicated to workshops with the cohort of Fellows and half dedicated to mentor meetings. For each of the 16 sessions a Fellow attends, they will receive a $50 stipend, up to a total of $800 for the semester if they attend all 16 sessions.

826NYC will also provide: 

• Dinner during Monday evening workshops at 826NYC
• A snack budget for each mentor meeting
• A dedicated Chromebook for Fellows to take home and use for the duration of the Fellowship
• A small budget for events led by Fellows

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out this application, which includes:

• A little information about you
• A description of the writing project you want to work on
• A writing sample
• Some information about your leadership experience
• A letter of recommendation (optional)
• Your parent or guardian’s permission to participate (if you will be under 18 years old as of February 1, 2027)

The deadline to apply is November 17, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted.