Calm down, we are going to tell you!

Named for the street address of our first Writing Center in San Francisco, 826 Valencia was founded in 2002 by educator Nínive Calegari and author Dave Eggers. 826 Valencia has grown to include three Centers—our flagship location in the Mission District, a Center in the Tenderloin neighborhood, and a Center in an affordable housing building in Mission Bay.

We also provide programming in classrooms at over ten schools around the city. Each of our Writing Centers is fronted by a whimsical store that invites students into a world where imagination reigns. We sell our students’ publications at the stores and all proceeds go right back into our programs, which are offered free of charge. With the support of community volunteers and donors, we are able to serve thousands of students in San Francisco a year.

Due to the success of our model, a separate organization called 826 National was founded in 2008 to help other cities launch their own writing and tutoring centers. We are now one of nine official 826 chapters in the United States, inspiring many other like-minded groups around the world.