A Park Slope Superhero shop is hiding its identity with a secret room full of creative writing.

The Brooklyn Superhero supply Co., a quirky store selling novelty crime-fighting gear and accessories from capes to superpowers, is dedicated to supporting students, ages 6-18, with their writing skills. However, behind a secret door in the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. lurks a hidden gateway to 826NYC, a non-profit that encourages the exploration of creative writing. 

“826NYC is an organization that promotes creative writing skills and confidence in youth voice through an imaginative and intensely personal writing programs,” says Executive Director Joshua Mandelbaum.

The program offers after-school homework help, collaborative storytelling programs and gives the ability for students to publish books and become authors. 

With help of over 400 volunteers the program invites schools from all five boroughs to support new and exciting approached to writing and inspire student engagement.

“I want every student that we work with to know that they have a voice. They have an imagination. And the stories they have to tell whether fictional or real, are important and deserve to be heard,” says Mandelbaum.

The mission aims to foster generations of creative writers and thinkers, who together will define a better future.

With the reopening of businesses that shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. is open on weekends from 12 p.m.-5 p.m.selling its famous capes, superpowers and more. You can also find them online at https://superherosupplies.com/

826NYC's Write Away Workshops and Write After School programs, along with their offerings for educators, will be hosted virtually through the fall. For more information visit, https://826nyc.org/programs/