826 Valencia facts for kids
826 Valencia is a special non-profit group in San Francisco, California. It helps kids and young adults (like you!) become better writers. It also helps teachers make writing fun for their students. This group was so successful that it led to the creation of 826 National, which has similar centers all over the United States.
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About 826 Valencia
826 Valencia got its name from its street address. It was started in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and experienced teacher Nínive Calegari. Both of them loved books and education.
The group has three main locations. Each place has a writing lab where students can work. There's also a cool store at the front that helps pay for the programs. Plus, they have two extra classrooms in nearby middle schools.
Many people help out at 826 Valencia. Over 1,400 volunteers give their time for free. These volunteers include authors, magazine creators, and even filmmakers! Because of them, all the help 826 Valencia offers is free for students.
826 Valencia has grown over the years. They opened a second spot in the Tenderloin area in 2016. Then, a third location opened in the Mission Bay neighborhood in 2019.
What 826 Valencia Offers
826 Valencia has many programs to help young writers. These include:
- Programs that go into schools.
- Fun workshops for different kinds of writing.
- Field trips to inspire creativity.
- After-school tutoring to help with homework and writing projects.
- Helping students publish their own books!
The Pirate Supply Store
When you visit 826 Valencia, you'll find San Francisco's "only independent pirate supply store"! This store is the front door to the writing center. It looks and feels like a real pirate shop.
You can buy pirate clothes, eyepatches, compasses, and spyglasses. They also sell pirate dice, skull flags, and secret treasures. Handmade signs around the store offer funny advice, like "Uses for Lard" or "Guidelines for New Shipmates." Sometimes, visitors even get a surprise "mopping"!
Besides pirate gear, the store sells books. You can find old issues of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern and books published by McSweeney's. They also sell books written by 826 Valencia students. These student books often have special introductions and drawings. Famous people like former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and actor Robin Williams have helped with them.
The Pirate Supply Store started because of a need. The founders wanted to open a writing center. But city rules said businesses in that area had to be retail stores or catering. So, in 2002, they opened the Pirate Supply Store. It became the "official" business front for the writing center. It also helps bring in money to support the free tutoring programs.
The Building's Mural
Author Dave Eggers asked cartoonist Chris Ware to design a special painting for the outside of the 826 Valencia building. This large painting is called a mural.
The mural shows how humans and their ways of talking and writing have grown over time. It's about 13 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Artists carefully put it on the building exactly how Chris Ware wanted it.
Chris Ware said he didn't want the mural to just make people "feel good." He wanted it to be something people in the neighborhood could look at every day without getting tired of it. He hoped it would show respect for their intelligence and not force any "message" on them.
826 National and Beyond
826 Valencia was so successful that it inspired many other similar projects. These are called 'chapters' and are found across the US. In 2004, 826 National was created. This group helps support all the different 826 chapters.
Today, there are nine main chapters that are part of 826 National:
- 826 Valencia in San Francisco
- 826NYC in Brooklyn, New York
- 826LA in Los Angeles, California
- 826CHI in Chicago, Illinois
- 826michigan (serving Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Ypsilanti), Michigan
- 826 Boston in Boston, Massachusetts
- 826DC in Washington, DC
- 826 New Orleans in Louisiana
- 826 MSP in Minneapolis, Minnesota
826 Valencia has also inspired similar writing centers in other countries. In 2018, many of these groups from around the world formed a network. It's called the International Alliance of Youth Writing Centres. More groups have joined since then!
Other Inspired Projects
Many other places have started similar writing centers, both in the United States and around the world. These groups all share the goal of helping young people with their writing.
- United States:
- The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas (formerly 826 Seattle)
- Desert Island Supply Co., Birmingham, AL
- Canada:
- Story Planet, Toronto
- United Kingdom:
- The Ministry of Stories, London
- Grimm & Co, Rotherham, Yorkshire
- Australia:
- Story Factory, Sydney
- 100 Story Building, Melbourne
- Ireland:
- Fighting Words, Dublin
- Sweden:
- Berättarministeret (Ministry of Tales)
- France:
- Labo des Histoires, Paris
- Netherlands:
- Noordje, Amsterdam
In 2010, Dave Eggers also started ScholarMatch. This is another non-profit group. It helps connect people who want to donate money with students. This makes college more affordable for students.
