By Alexandra Fradelizio | m/Oppenheim Media Writer
The nonprofit writing and tutoring center 826 Valencia in San Francisco has supported students in recognizing the importance of their voice as writers and thinkers within their communities.
Co-founded by acclaimed author Dave Eggers in 2002, 826 Valencia provides a platform for under-served students aged six to eighteen to express their thoughts and experiences through the written word.
Photographer: David Elliot for AirBnb magazine
“Ultimately, we’re trying to transform students’ relationship to writing,” explained the organization’s executive director Bita Nazarian.
“We acknowledge that students have a lot to say and that their individual voices are important.”
Through the help of volunteer tutors, 826 Valencia aims to not only improve the creativity skills of students, but also encourages children to cultivate pride in their writing that can be applied to any aspect of their lives.
The organization implements one-on-one tutoring sessions between volunteers and students that targets the range of needs for each individual child. Throughout the tutoring process, students are encouraged to write their own creative pieces which are eventually published by 826 Valencia in books and podcasts.
Nazarian, who joined 826 Valencia as its executive director in 2013, saw firsthand the impact 826 Valencia made on students who faced academic struggles. Previously an 8th grade teacher and principal at one of the lowest performing schools in San Francisco, Nazarian saw “the impact of the school’s culture transform” with the introduction of 826 Valencia’s satellite program.
“There is tremendous need for our programming,” she explained. “We are continuing to increase our impact and blueprint in the city of San Francisco.”
In addition to its landmark location within the Mission District, the organization has an outlet in the Tenderloin District as well as an upcoming location in Mission Bay in order to extend services to students who do not have access to funded, educational programs.
While 826 Valencia aims to extend services to all low-income students within San Francisco, the organization’s national program, entitled 826 National, implemented chapters in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. The national program intends to double the number of students served nationwide by adding three more chapters within the next five years, with New Orleans constituting as one of these new locations.
In addition to the tutoring centers, 826 Valencia houses two unique bookstores: the Pirate Supply Store in the Mission District, and the King Carl’s Emporium in its Tenderloin location.
The stores not only serve as platforms for students to showcase and publish their works but they also promote the value of writing and thinking creatively.
“The stores are the biggest moniker of our brand,” said Nazarian. “They are a beacon for the creativity that we hope to inspire in our students.”
Overall, 826 Valencia runs on the generosity of volunteers and donors alike who believe in the purpose of writing as a way in which one’s individual voice can be both acknowledged and heard.
“We want to provide a unique place for students to learn and to be creative,” explained Nazarian.
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To learn more about 826 Valencia and to volunteer, visit their website.