Field Trips
826 Seattle is pleased to offer dynamic, writing-based field trips to our center throughout the academic year. Our space is a creative and inspiring place for teachers to bring their students to improve their writing during the school day. As with all of our services, field trips are offered free of charge to schools.
Greetings, Teachers! We’re currently accepting field trip requests for the 2011-2012 school year.
Please note: Our writing center can accommodate one class of no more than 30 students at a time. Filling out the form does not guarantee you a field trip spot. We will contact you to begin the scheduling process once we receive your request. In the interest of clear and timely communication between the 826 Seattle field trip coordinator and classroom teachers, we ask that each teacher fill out and submit their own Field Trip Interest Form rather than assign this task to a volunteer or other classroom teacher. If you have questions, don't hesitate to send us an email.
This year’s field trip offerings include:
Mr. Geoduck Publishing
Recommended for Grades 1*–3
1 weekday session (Tuesdays), 10:00am – 12:00pm
In our most popular field trip, students are charged with the task of writing a story as a group that will please the grouchy Pacific Northwest publisher, Mr. Geoduck. Mr. Geoduck is never seen but rather admonishes the students from behind a curtain in his quest for exciting writing, active verbs and interesting characters. Harriet, Mr. Geoduck’s harried hairy helping hand (who strangely resembles a fur-covered oven mitt) pops out from behind the curtain to collect stories and artwork from the class. The group finishes its portion of the story on a ‘cliffhanger” and then individual students are invited to write a unique ending. Mr. Geoduck gives feedback on each individual ending and each student takes home a bound book of their story. This field trip teaches students about collaboration, self-editing, the bookmaking process, and elements of successful storytelling.
*Because we strive for all students to feel confident and successful during the independent writing portion of this field trip, this class is not recommended for 1st grade classes until the second semester.
Strange Adventures in Infinite Space
Recommended for Grades 4–8
1 weekday session (Wednesdays), 10:00am – 12:00pm
It is the computer program WorldWide Telescope that anchors this field trip as classes soar through outer space together. During their voyage, students make stops throughout the cosmos. The young writers describe their journeys, create new traveling companions, record field notes, send postcards home, invent poetry, and brave the excitement and terror of unexpected emergencies. This intergalactic trip is most suited for upper elementary and middle school space travelers. Learn more about our WorldWide Telescope Program here! This field trip has more availability than any other. Requesting this trip over others increases your chances of being accepted.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Recommended for grades 4-8
1 weekday session (Thursdays), 10:00am – 12:00pm
This classic young readers' genre has returned with whole classes creating the beginnings of an adventure story and then breaking into subgroups to invent a variety of pathways to the story’s eventual ending. During this field trip, students explore the effect that characters’ choices have on course of a story - the class dividing and writing as the plot thickens. Each young author writes an original ending and takes home a bound copy of the class’s story with all of its adventure pathways.
The Space Adventure Comic Book (Sorry, this field trip is full for the 2011-2012 year)
Recommended for grades 4-8
1 weekday session (Thursdays), 10:00 – 12:00pm
During this field trip, students work with a talented local comic book artist as well as a lead 826 Seattle teacher to learn the fundamentals of creating a graphic story. Original space adventure stories are crafted using powerful words and expressive pictures that create complex characters who find themselves in thrilling (and spacey) adventures. At the end of this workshop students will walk away with their very own Space Adventure Comic Book.
FAQs
Where are you located?
Map and directions to 826 Seattle
How can I prepare my students for a field trip to 826 Seattle?
We recommend you use our pre-field trip guides to help your class prepare for their upcoming visit to 826 Seattle. By reviewing the included activities with students, it allows for a much richer experiecne as they arrive somewhat familiar with some of the terminology and necessary structure and behaviors that comes with writing a collaborative story. PDF files of our field trip guides are available for you to download below.
Downloadable Pre-Field Trip Guides for Teachers
Geoduck Publishing
Strange Adventures in Infinite Space
Choose Your Own Adventure
Space Adventure Comic Book
Also, it is a tremendous help to our volunteer field trip staff to have your students equipped with clearly visible name tags.
Where can we eat lunch?
We do not have an eating area in our writing center, so you will need to make other arrangements for lunch. Some teachers contact the Greenwood Public Library, which is only two blocks away, to reserve a conference room where their students may eat. Others go to the Greenwood Park, which is a ten minute walk from our location.
Greenwood Public Library
8016 Greenwood Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98103-4282
(206) 684-4086
Greenwood Park
715 N 85th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
I hear you have a store. Will the store be open during the time of our field trip?
The Greenwood Space Travel Supply Store Co. does not open until noon. We would appreciate it if you would prepare your class for the fact that they will walk through the store but will not be able to shop on the day of the field trip. We always encourage students to return with their families at a later time.
Field Trip Registration Policy
How do I register to bring my class to an 826 Seattle Field Trip?
Teachers must fill out and submit a Field Trip Interest Form—it only takes a minute. With the goal of clear and timely communication between the 826 Seattle field trip coordinator and classroom teachers, we ask that each teacher fill out and submit their own Field Trip Interest Form rather than assign this task to a volunteer or other classroom teacher.
Due to the volume of responses, the Field Trip Interest Form is only “live” on our website during the following time frames.
- June 1 – June 15 for 1st Semester Field Trips
- December 1 – December 15 for 2nd Semester Field Trips
Mark your calendars!
Does everyone who submits a Field Trip Interest Form receive a field trip date?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. While we love seeing all the requests, we receive many more for our field trips than we have the capacity to fulfill. Therefore, all field trips are scheduled using a lottery system. Teachers will receive email notification regarding the status of their request within two weeks of submitting a Field Trip Interest Form. If your class does not receive a date, you will automatically be placed on a wait list. If your class does receive a field trip date, we will request an emailed confirmation as well as a refundable registration deposit of $100* from the teacher within 2 additional weeks. If we do not hear back from you, we will assume you no longer want to be scheduled for a field trip and we will offer this spot to a wait-listed classroom.
* Teachers from public schools with a free and reduced lunch percentage of greater than 35% are automatically exempted from the requirement of submitting a refundable registration deposit.
How many students can you serve?
Our writing center is only able to accommodate one classroom (approximately 25-30 students) per field trip.
What if we arrive late?
Our field trips are delivered by a dedicated group of volunteers who generously donate time out of their personal and work lives. Should your class arrive late for a field trip, they will receive a shorter program, ending at the scheduled time. We will make every effort to bind and distribute student books, before you depart. However, if this is not possible, we will make arrangements with you for pick up at a later time.
Deposit Information
How does the deposit work?
A refundable deposit of $100 is required for each field trip (exception noted above). Once you receive email notification that your class has been conditionally scheduled for a field trip, you will be instructed to confirm your acceptance and to remit your refundable reservation deposit within a two-week period. We must receive your deposit before we will unconditionally schedule your class. Upon its receipt, your deposit check will be held for you until your class has come to the field trip and you have completed a post field trip survey. We will return your deposit per your instructions once we receive your post-field trip survey. Your feedback is essential for us to continue to improve our services as well as to report back to granting agencies and individual donors.
Can I lose my deposit?
Your deposit will be returned to you once we have received your post field trip survey. Should you fail to show up for a scheduled and confirmed field trip OR cancel the field trip less than 2 weeks prior to the scheduled date, or if we do not receive a post field trip survey from you within 4 weeks of your scheduled field trip, we will process your deposit check into our general operating fund.
What if I want to donate my deposit to 826 Seattle?
All of our programs are offered for free, however we gratefully accept donations from individuals and organizations.