Austin Bat Cave

Austin Bat Cave (ABC) was founded in 2005{{cite news |last=Patterson |first=Leigh |title=Emerging Nonprofit Inspires Students |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/austin/austin-daily-texan/2009/08-12/page-8 |url-access=subscription|page=8|access-date=May 1, 2025 |work=The Daily Texan |agency= |date=August 12, 2009|quote=The founders [Heather Davis, Ryan Vaughn and S. Kirk Walsh] thought of names that spoke to Austin and the kids having another universe to enter when writing.}}{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Kimberley |title=A Generation Gets to Talking: Literacy Program the Austin Bat Cave Anthologizes the Words of Local High Schoolers |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/books/2013-01-11/two-sides-to-his-story/ |access-date=May 1, 2025 |work=The Austin Chronicle |date=February 19, 2010}} or 2007{{cite news |last1=Badgley |first1=Shawn |title=Two Sides to His Story: Manuel Gonzales Leads the Nonprofit Austin Bat Cave Into Uncharted Territory While Readying For a Rapid Literary Ascent of His Own |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/books/2013-01-11/two-sides-to-his-story/ |access-date=May 1, 2025 |work=The Austin Chronicle|date=January 11, 2013}} by Heather Davis, Ryan Vaughn and novelist S. Kirk Walsh in Austin, Texas.{{cite news |last1= |first1= |title=Evening with the Authors Oct 1 |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/lockhart/lockhart-post-register/2022/09-08/page-12 |url-access=subscription|page=12|access-date=May 1, 2025 |work=Lockhart Post-Register |agency= |date=September 8, 2022|quote=[Walsh] is the founder of Austin Bat Cave, a writing and tutoring center for kids which 'help young writers to find the power of their voices'.}}{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Katie |title=Nonprofit Austin Bat Cave Teaches Free Writing Classes For Kids |url=https://thedailytexan.com/2015/11/09/nonprofit-austin-bat-cave-teaches-free-writing-classes-for-kids/ |access-date=April 30, 2025 |work=The Daily Texan |date=November 9, 2015}} Having been inspired by 826 Valencia—a San Francisco based project which focused on enhancing literary arts education for children—the ABC founders' stated objective was to empower grade school through high school students to bolster their writing skills. The goal was to inspire the children to take pleasure in becoming lifelong readers and writers. The name Austin Bat Cave was chosen to emphasize the need for aspiring local student writers to figuratively enter into their own 'cave' in order to properly focus on the creative writing process. ABC's original location was a house in Austin's Clarksville Historic District. In 2013, the organization drew up plans to set up Center of the Earth Visitors Center on Austin's Cesar Chavez Street, a storefront modeled after 826 Valencia's pirate supply store, Brooklyn Superhero Supply, and Time Travel Mart in Los Angeles. ABC is an affiliate of 826 National, the nonprofit organization that grew out of 826 Valencia.

ABC's in-school tutoring focuses on absorbing grammar fluency through creative writing,{{cite news |last=Sprayregen |first=Molly |title=Is Teaching Writing as Important as Teaching Reading? |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/pennsylvania/altoona/altoona-mirror/2019/07-18/page-24|url-access=subscription|page=24|access-date=May 1, 2025 |work=Altoona Mirror |agency=Associated Press |date=July 18, 2019|quote=...Ali Haider, executive director of the Austin, Texas-based creative writing center, the Austin Bat Cave.}} rather than the usual emphasis on the rules of grammar and punctuation. Students in the ABC program generate and revise their work, as well as act as their editorial board to put together an anthology for each year. In 2010, anthology content was judged by poets Roger Reeves and Nick Flynn.

In addition to these activities, ABC offers after-school programs. At the Tuesday and Thursday evening and weekend workshops, students get real-world writing experience, such as at the Texas Tribune newsroom.{{cite news |last=Sprayregen |first=Molly |title=Expressive Project: Teaching Writing as Important as Reading |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/brownsville/brownsville-herald/2019/07-29/page-18|url-access=subscription|page=18|access-date=May 1, 2025 |work=The Brownsville Herald |agency=Associated Press |date=July 29, 2019}} They got together with local creatives such as Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff, director Carlos Trevino, poet Jenny Brown, and Jake Silverstein, editor of Texas Monthly. During these sessions, students learn about and work on an aspect of a writer's craft in such diverse areas as journalism and hip-hop song lyrics. Each summer, ABC offers 10-13 weeklong summer camps, many of which are open registration. One of these weeklong camps focused on fiction writing.

ABC offers creative writing classes for adults.{{cite magazine |last=Prewitt |first=Taylor |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Texas Monthly Recommends: Taking an Online Class at Austin Bat Cave |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/texas-monthly-recommends-a-funky-austin-vintage-shop/ |magazine=Texas Monthly |location= |publisher= |access-date=May 6, 2025}} In 2010, the organization initiated its Story Department. Inspired by New York-based nonprofit The Moth, its aim was to draw in people of all ages to participate in their monthly storytelling events, which were to be held in local pubs.

After an initial phase wherein ABC had difficulty holding down an executive director for an extended period of time, Syed Ali Haider was elevated to the position after having previously served as ABC's program director. Claudia Chidester is the president of the board of directors.

ABC's operations are under the advisory of a number of Austin notables, including filmmaker Richard Linklater, Evan Smith of Texas Monthly and James Magnuson of the Michener Center for Writers. Operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, all of ABC's programs are free of charge.{{Cite web|url=https://austinbatcave.org/|title=Homepage|website=austinbatcave.org|access-date=May 25, 2022}}

Numerous volunteers from the arts, education, and activist communities of Austin support ABC's mission statement. Many of these volunteers are affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin. ABC connects a diverse population of young leaders with a community of adult volunteers by providing one-on-one tutoring.

ABC has a strong donor base, which stems from individuals, foundations, and businesses. Supporters include Burdine Johnson Foundation, Legge Lewis Legge, Lewis Carnegie and Home Slice Pizza among hundreds of other donors. ABC is partnered with the Blanton Museum of Art, the Austin Film Society and the Texas Book Festival. The organization received a cash award via the City of Austin's 2023 Creative Space Assistance Program.{{cite web |title=Creative Space Assistance Program |url=https://www.austintexas.gov/creative-space-assistance-program |website=austintexas.gov |publisher=City of Austin |access-date=May 6, 2025}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.austinbatcave.org/}}
• [https://www.facebook.com/AustinBatCave/posts/our-executive-director-syed-ali-haider-spoke-with-kim-barnes-about-what-abc-will/10158514644064046/ Austin Bat Cave's Post] on Facebook

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Category:2000s establishments in Texas

Category:After school programs

Category:Charities based in Texas

Category:Culture of Austin, Texas

Category:Educational charities based in the United States

Category:Educational organizations based in Texas

Category:Educational organizations established in the 2000s

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Austin, Texas

Category:Summer camps in Texas