The Next Chapter

Big Class Founders Circle

Support the future of writing and literacy in New Orleans

Big Class is writing the next chapter of support for New Orleans young writers, and we need your help. Join us in building a Youth Writing Center that will enable Big Class to serve over

3500 students annually through our innovative approach to writing and literacy.

I n y o u r Pa c k e t

O u r M i s s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O u r V i s i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O u r P r o g r a m s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 2 6 N a t i o n a l C h a p t e r D e v e l o p m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . .

A s s e s s i n g N e e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O U R N E X T C H A P T E R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

S u p p o r t t h e c a m p a i g n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

C o m m u n i t y V o i c e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F o u n d e r s ’ C i r c l e C a r d & E n v e l o p e . . . . e n c l o s e d

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Big Class has been a grassroots organization since our founding in 2010, serving more than 2,000 students through the support of more than 300 volunteers. As of January 2015, Big Class is a 501(c)(3) non-profit preparing to build New Orleans’ Youth Writing Center, grow our staff accordingly, and become a chapter of 826 National. This crucial infrastructure growth will enable us to serve at least 3,500 students annually by the 2017-2018 school year.

We hope you will be inspired by our vision for New Orleans’ young writers and become a supporting member of our Founders’ Circle.

Our Mssion Big Class cultivates and supports the voices of New Orleans’ writers ages 6-18 through creative collaborations with schools and communities.

Our Vision

A New Orleans where young writers thrive.

New Orleans youth engage in Big Class’s dynamic, innovative writing programs at The Big Class

Studio, in collaboration with other organizations, and in schools around

the city. Our programs are all project- based, volunteer supported, and driven by student voice.

O u r A p p r o a c h : Big Class offers a variety of free, innovative programs that provide under-resourced students, aged 6-18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills. We also aim to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. Our services are structured with the understand-ing that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice.

Our Programs

WORKSHOPSBig Class’s workshops are

an invitation to explore the potential of the written word,

all while fostering creativity and strengthening academic skills.

IN-SCHOOL PROJECTSBig Class Projects are collaborations with public schools and teachers around New Orleans. Projects are supported by a

dedicated group of volunteer tutors, artists, copy editors, and designers who engage with students over several weeks or

months, working towards a final writing project that is shared with the community in a public reading and celebration.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMSBig Class runs The Pizza Poetry Project every April, hosts field trips to our space, partners with other organizations for special

programs, visits festivals around the city, and creates oppor-tunities for youth and audience engagement in public places

around New Orleans.

WRITERS’ ROOM AT SYLVANIE WILLIAMS

COLLEGE PREP ELEMENTARYThe Big Class Writers’ Room at Sylvanie Williams College Prep is a dedicated room for writers in 1st to 6th grade to improve

their communicative and expressive abilities through volunteer support and publishing.

YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCILThe Big Class Youth Advisory Council advances creative

knowledge, develops leadership skills, and inspires lifelong writing through multi-disciplinary collaborative projects and

mentorship.

OPEN STUDIO/BIG CLASS @ AKILI

At The Big Class Studio and Akili Academy, Big Class provides space

after school to inspire learning, foster creativity, and help students

understand and complete their homework each day.

Assessing needAccording to the Lindy Boggs Center for Community Literacy, 39% of New Orleans residents aged 16 or older possess literacy skills below the 5th grade level. Likewise, almost 40% of 4th graders in the city fail the state English Language Arts standardized test annually.

There is an urgent need for the programs of Big Class. With rigorous, authentic literacy experiences as foundational principals, Big Class programs are uniquely suited for the demands of 21st century learning. There are no other city-wide writing organizations for youth ages 6-18, no other organizations that work in schools while maintaining a committed “third space,” and no other organizations that mobilize volunteers in the service of writing. At our current capacity, we are turning down teacher requests for our in-school programs and family requests for our community-based after-school and summer programs.

our city is hungry for these opportunities to write, and eager to help young writers. Chapter Development with 8 2 6 NationalSince our founding, Big Class has been inspired by the 826 model of youth writing centers that has seen success with 32,000 students annually in seven American cities, and inspired organizations all over the world. In September 2014 Big Class was accepted into 826 National’s Chapter Development Process. This formalized a partnership that will allow Big Class to receive strategic support from an accomplished national literacy organization while developing as as an independent 501c3 responding to New Orleans’ unique local needs.

Our Programs

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Our Next ChapterB i g C l a s s i s d e v e l o p i n g i t s Y o u t h W r i t i n g C e n t e r i n C e n t r a l

C i t y , s c h e d u l e d t o o p e n i n S u m m e r 2 0 1 6 . T h i s c e n t e r w i l l h e l p t h o u s a n d s o f N e w O r l e a n s y o u n g p e o p l e e x p r e s s t h e m s e l v e s w i t h

s k i l l a n d c o n f i d e n c e , p r e p a r i n g t h e m f o r e x t r a o r d i n a r y f u t u r e s .

Why a Haunting Supply Co.?Our Youth Writing Center storefront, The New Orleans

Haunting Supply Co. will supply the ghostly denizens of the Crescent City with souls, human disguises, t-shirts, and other goods and services for the non-corporeal.

Behind the store will be the writing lab.

Following 826’s award-winning model, the storefront provides a creative portal to programming for youth, an innovative platform for accessibility to Big Class’s services, a dependable and unique revenue stream for the organization, and a myriad of opportunities to increase our profile with families, volunteers and

supporters.

To open our Youth Writing Center, Big Class’s goal is to raise $ 200,000 by September 2016

A CHALLENGE GRANT FROM OUR FRIENDS AT 826:If we raise $10,000 in individual donations by December 31st, 2015, 826 National has pledged to match us dollar for dollar,

contributing an additional $10,000 to our Youth Writing Center.

To learn more Visit bigclass.org.

Questions? Contact Doug Keller, Executive Director of Big Class at

doug@bigclass.org or 504-308-1423

J o i n o u r F o u n d e r s ’ C i r c l eD e v e l o p i n g o u r F o u n d e r s ’ C i r c l e i s c r u c i a l t o b u i l d i n g a n d

s u s t a i n i n g B i g C l a s s ’ s Y o u t h W r i t i n g C e n t e r . M a k e a d o n a t i o n t o d a y t o j o i n a n d y o u ’ l l b e a c k n o w l e d g e d i n a s p e c i a l

i n s t a l l a t i o n a t t h e Y o u t h W r i t i n g C e n t e r .

F i l l o u t t h e e n c l o s e d F o u n d e r s ’ C i r c l e c a r d a n d s e n d i t o u r w a y w i t h t h e e n c l o s e d e n v e l o p e .

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532 Louisa St. New Orleans, LA 70117(504) 308-1423 info@bigclass.org bigclass.org

“Everyone is special at

Big Class in their own way. No one

writes the same story as anyone else,

and no one talks the same, but at Big

Class everyone gets treated the same

way. That is why Big Class is my own

place.” - Christian, age 11.

Big Class Open Studio and

Workshop Student

“I bel ieve my daughter has become more comfortable in everyday situations because

she’s had an out let to express her creative mind. Big Class real ly chal lenges her.” - Martha, Big Class Workshop Parent

“Working with Big Class was one of the best experiences

of not only my teaching career, but my life. I am grateful beyond belief that

it happened. I want it to happen for as many kids as possible.”

- Kyley Pulphus, Big Class Project Teacher

“At Big Class, there is integrity and openness that is contagious, and this goes hand and hand with a real work ethic around the daunting challenge of writing well.” -Rebecca Snedeker, Big Class Workshop Leader and author of Unfathomable City:

A New Orleans Atlas