Executive Summary

826 Valencia’s community is BIPOC students from under-resourced San Francisco neighborhoods, their families, volunteers, teachers, donors, and partner organizations. 826 serves these students through individualized writing instruction in schools and in our centers. We know that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

826 Valencia was founded in 2002 by acclaimed author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari explicitly to address educational inequities. 826 addresses these inequities while also providing a creative environment that cultivates imagination and wonder.

826’s free programs for K-12 students include in-classroom writing support, writing workshops, podcasting field trips, after-school tutoring, summer camps, college/career readiness, and youth leadership development. Our students become published authors whose voices reach audiences worldwide through beautiful, professionally designed books, Soundcloud podcasts, and other publications. 826 programs also support teachers, who are often over-taxed and struggle to find time to teach writing.

The organization and its leadership reflect the students they serve. Executive Director Bita Nazarian is a first generation, BIPOC, female leader. 71% of the leadership team are BIPOC, two are veteran teachers, and one is a former volunteer. 59% of 826’s Board of Directors are BIPOC and two are program alumni, and we have an eight-member alumni board. Almost three quarters of staff are BIPOC.

The vision of 826 Valencia is to close the educational gap for students of color, support writing instruction city-wide, elevate student voices, and joyfully transform students’ relationship to writing.

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