Where do an enchanted forest, writing, and tutoring all come together? At 826 Valencia’s new center in Mission Bay, of course!
In the spring of 2019, we’ll open a third writing center in the Mission Bay neighborhood, where we project 1,000 under-resourced students will be living within blocks of our new home. And remaining true to our 826 style, the space will be a combination of a storefront, serving as a portal to the community, and a writing center to welcome (and inspire!) students as they work on multiple writing projects.
And why Mission Bay? We’re headed to this exciting and evolving neighborhood thanks to an invite from the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), who asked us to be their educational partner in their new low-income housing development. This project got us really excited, especially after learning that Mission Bay is being built with a focus on economic diversity, with 30% of all new development in the area being affordable housing for families.
Our building, at 1300 Fourth Street, consists of 100% affordable housing units, with 20% of the units reserved for formerly homeless families. 826 Valencia will be right there on the ground floor—literally!—offering our unique model of writing, tutoring, and publishing to the students who live there.
The first program we’ll offer at this new center will be After-School Tutoring serving students ages 8-18. As we get to know the Mission Bay community, our programming will grow to respond to their needs. The center’s location will also allow us to serve schools in the nearby Bayview and Potrero neighborhoods.
And what about the store? What will it sell? Woodland Creature Outfitters, Ltd. will sell anything you might need while exploring an enchanted forest, like some much-needed unicorn horn polish to keep your unicorn shining brightly. That and publications by our amazing students, of course.
Thanks to strong partnerships and the ongoing, generous support of our community, we’re on solid track to open our Mission Bay Center doors in early 2019. And to make this big dream happen, we’ll need more supporters, partners, and volunteers. So help us spread the word and let everyone know that we’ll soon set sail on this new adventure, headed to an enchanted forest.
For more information, reach out to missionbay@826valencia.org with any ideas, tips, or ways you’d like to help.
Video by David Rathod.