Our Vision
In the next 20 years, every under-resourced student in San Francisco will have the writing skills and publishing platforms they need to use their voice for a positive impact.
Our financial documents are available on request.
826 Valencia equips students with writing skills to create change.
We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting under-resourced students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
Our services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.
7%
growth in writing proficiency
88%
of students transformed their relationship to writing
5,491
published student authors
Why writing?
Writing is Agency
Writing skills are fundamental to success, but many young people lack confidence for various reasons, including the challenge of learning English as a second language, financial and housing instability, and a lack of one-on-one attention during the school day. When our students strengthen their writing skills, they can access opportunities, tell their stories, and create a more just and equitable future.
Creativity
Writing teaches students to use their imaginations and find inspiration anywhere.Empathy and Community
Writing builds understanding across differences. It connects people around shared experiences and amplifies marginalized voices.Critical Thinking
Writing helps students process the world around them, reflect on life experiences, and make thoughtful decisions.School Success
Writing is the foundation of literacy. It enables students to meet Common Core requirements, achieve academic goals, and prepare for college and beyond.Career Success
Writing enables students to thrive in any career path by generating and communicating innovative ideas.Youth Advocacy
Writing allows young people to contribute to the national dialogue and build a better, more inclusive society.
Find us in
A Neighborhood Near You
826 Valencia is named for the street address of our first Writing Center in San Francisco. We’ve grown to include three Writing Centers and provide programming in a dozen public schools across the city.
Introducing
The 826 Valencia story
2002
Our journey begins
Our co-founders, Nínive Calegari and Dave Eggers, lease a space on Valencia Street and put out a sign that read, “Free Tutoring. Mops. A Pufferfish.”
2005
People start to take notice
We publish the first 826 Quarterly, award our first college scholarship, receive California’s Excellence in Education Award from Senator Barbara Boxer, and open a Writers’ Room at Everett Middle School.
2008
We grow nationwide
We launch 826 National to support a growing network of youth writing and publishing centers.
2012
Time flies
We celebrate our 10th anniversary with a year of celebrations, including a Write-a-thon and a “best of” edition of the 826 Quarterly.
2016
We grow in San Francisco
We open our Tenderloin Center and serve more students than ever before thanks to new summer programs, partnerships, a growing staff, and volunteers.
2019
We grow in San Francisco (again)
We open our Mission Bay Center to serve students living in affordable housing buildings in the neighborhood and partner with three new elementary schools in Potrero Hill and the Bayview.
2022
20 years? Already??
We celebrate our 20th anniversary with thousands of community members at a Block Party on Valencia St., and our students write speculative fiction all year long, dreaming up the future of San Francisco.
Meet the staff and advisors who make it all possible
Find your place at 826 Valencia
826 Valencia is a collaborative workplace focused on fun, inclusivity, and the creative process. We’re always looking for new employees and interns to join our team.
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