After six weeks, 826 Valencia’s Summer Series for English language learners came to an exciting and memorable conclusion on Friday, July 31. The program ended with a celebration in Dolores Park, where families, tutors, volunteers, and 826 and Mission Learning Center staff gathered to cheer on the students as they graduated. Each student received a graduation certificate, a box of school supplies, and two chapbooks atop the wooden ship at the playground. The chapbooks—a dictionary of new terms and a collection of short stories called Why People Can’t Fly—featured pieces by every student in the program.

With a new knowledge about San Francisco geography and culture, space, myths, legends, and cartooning, the group of imaginative young writers ended the program with new friends, stories, and ideas. Each student accomplished magnificent work, from writing letters and recipes to performing their own plays, all with the one-on-one support of amazing, dedicated volunteer tutors. As the school year approaches, the students are ready to meet the challenges of writing and reading with a renewed enthusiasm and a fresh perspective after an action-packed summer of cool activities and creative writing.