After two decades of nurturing young writers from a whimsical robot shop in Ann Arbor, the nonprofit 826michigan is relocating its headquarters to Ypsilanti in a move aimed at deepening impact and expanding access to literacy education. The nonprofit will now be housed inside Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) College of Education as it pursues a goal of "25,000 new writers by 2030."

"This move is hopefully a signal to the Ypsi community that there is a clear focus on our Ypsi students, while we continue to reach students in Ann Arbor and Detroit," says 826michigan Executive Director Megan Shuchman. "As we work toward our goal, we will continue listening to the community and find new ways to specialize our programming for the groups we work with."

The move to Ypsilanti marks a strategic expansion for 826michigan, aligning its physical presence with the communities it serves most and bringing its programs into even closer collaboration with local educators and families. As 826michigan pursues the "ambitious and audacious" goal of reaching 25,000 new young writers over the next five years, Shuchman hopes for a large percentage of those new writers to be Ypsi students.

"We have been hearing from teachers, families, and community partners that we should bring more of our work in closer proximity to them," Shuchman says. "That, plus our desire to deepen our partnership with EMU, made this move feel like a natural progression and a perfect fit. It really feels right on all ends."

826michigan is already laying the groundwork for innovative collaboration in its new home, including a growing partnership with the College of Education’s Special Education program. This connection will allow aspiring educators to gain hands-on experience supporting diverse learners through creative literacy work. Shuchman also raises the possibility of future projects with YpsiWrites, which 826michigan helped to co-found alongside the Ypsilanti District Library and EMU. 

"Our North Star is serving our K-12 students, and both 826 and EMU are deeply dedicated to that," Shuchman says. "When we sprinkle in our 826 magic on top of that, there’s so much potential."

While 826michigan’s previous home – Liberty Street Robot Supply and Repair at 115 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor – will close, the store lives on digitally at onwardrobots.com. 

"It’s a scary time to be running a small nonprofit, and it speaks to the strength of our community how many people have been reaching out wanting to know how to help out," says Shuchman. "I hope that we can all continue to be reminded of all the ways we have strength in coming together for our young people."

Photo by Doug Coombe.