At 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., not far from the Division Blue Line station, is The Boring Store. What is The Boring Store, you might ask?
“The Boring Store, 826CHI’s super-secret, extremely discreet, completely undercover and nearly nonexistent storefront, is quite certainly and most positively NOT a secret agent supply shop that provides aspiring covert agents with a variety of gear to carry out their most important and highly classified missions,” is The Boring Store’s official statement on the matter.
There you have it, not a spy store. Though it might interest you to know that The Boring Store’s most popular item is the Grappling Hook and that 826CHI, a non-profit organization that offers free tutoring to Chicago youth from ages six to 18, is located just behind the storefront. 826CHI is one of seven 826 National Chapters across the United States. Other chapters are located in Los Angeles; New York City; Seattle; San Francisco; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Washington D.C.; and Boston. The program’s first chapter opened in San Francisco in 2002 at 826 Valencia St., thus starting the tradition of each chapter’s name beginning with 826. In addition to offering free tutoring services, they also offer students creative writing workshops, field trips, in-school support, help for English language learners and assistance with student publications.
In his 2008 TED Talks Video “Once Upon a School,” the nonprofit’s founder and critically acclaimed author, Dave Eggers, explained his inspiration and driving force that, 11 years later, would lead to eight 826 National Chapters. Eggers’ mother, sister and many of his friends were teachers, and he often heard their frustrations working in innercity schools, sometimes teaching multiple classes with a total of 100 students or more each year. From that starting point, Eggers and friends in the literary field came up with the idea of 826Valencia and using creative writing and one-on-one attention to provide much needed tutoring.
They hit a snag when they found out the space they planned on turning into 826Valencia was zoned for retail space and they needed to sell something in order to stay there. While renovating, they noticed that the space looked a little like the interior of a pirate ship.
“Someone said, ‘You should sell supplies to the working buccaneers.’ It made everyone laugh and then we thought, ‘there’s a point to that,'” said Eggers in the video.
Since then, 826Valencia’s Pirate Supply store and 826CHI’s (Secret) Spy supply store, along with the other unique 826 stores have become more than novelties required because of zoning, they give each store a fun twist and have helped pay for operational costs.
Director of Operations, Kendra Curry-Khanna, credits the store front as one reason volunteers become interested in 826CHI.
“Our volunteers come to 826CHI for a variety of reasons: an interest in creative writing, a passion for community engagement, a love of youth development or simply their curiosity about the mysterious Boring Store. However, it is our incredible students that have the biggest impact on volunteers: positive attitudes, a willingness to learn and boundless creativity are our, and their, biggest draws.”
This give-and-take between students and volunteers has allowed more than 315 volunteers to support more than 105 hours of free writing programming on an average week at 826CHI, according to the organization. According to Curry-Khanna, these hours of free writing practice “allow (students) to effectively practice critical language and grammar skills, as well as stretch their artistic and creative minds. We work with students to establish a daily habit of writing that is comfortable for them.”
Professor Michele Morano is aware of the benefits 826CHI offers to youth but also to DePaul students. She has worked closely with 826CHI as part of her class Creative Writing and Social Engagment, a hybrid class that requires students to volunteer 25 hours a quarter at 826CHI.
“The whole vibe of the place is creative and fun, and I liked the idea of my students getting back in touch with the childhood pleasure of putting ideas on the page without worrying too much about doing things ‘right,'” Morano said of working with the organization.
Morano isn’t the only one to notice the good that 826Chi is doing. The Library of Congress recently honored the organization with the American Prize for Literacy, which recognizes groups that employ innovative teaching tactics and inspire a love of reading and writing.
This love of reading and writing has led to the production of two compendiums of student writings so far, with the third out this year. More impressive than any prize is the level of passion and skill and sometimes the plain silliness that is unmistakable in 826CHI’s publication of youth work. If you want to see what 826CHI has been working on lately, picking up their latest publication is a good start; you could also volunteer some of your time and maybe get inspired in return. The organization’s website is 826chi.org and opportunities can be found under the volunteer calendar.