{{short description|Educational nonprofit organization}} [[Image:826 Valencia sign.jpg|thumb|826 Valencia sign under a mural designed by cartoonist [[Chris Ware]]]] [[Image:826 Valencia inside.jpg|thumb|Inside]]
'''826 Valencia''' is a non-profit organization in the [[Mission District]] of [[San Francisco]], California, United States, dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. It was the basis for the [[826 National]] organization, which has centers on the [[United States]] with the same goal.
==Overview== Named for its street address, 826 Valencia was founded in 2002 by author [[Dave Eggers]] and veteran teacher [[Nínive Clements Calegari|Nínive Calegari]], who both have ties to the literary and educational community. 826 consists of three centers, each encompassing a writing lab, a street-front student-friendly store that partially funds the programs, and two satellite classrooms in nearby middle schools. The organization is named after the street address of the first center.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://826valencia.org/history|title=826 Valencia: History|website=www826valencia.org|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref>
Over 1,400 volunteers—including published authors, magazine founders, SAT-course instructors, and documentary filmmakers—have donated their time to work with thousands of students. These volunteers allow 826 Valencia to offer all of its services for free.<ref name=miller>{{cite news|first=Claire Cain|last=Miller|title=A Genius at Tutoring|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0107/110_print.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225125351/http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0107/110_print.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 25, 2007|work=Forbes|date=January 7, 2008|access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref>
826 Valencia opened a second location in the [[Tenderloin, San Francisco|Tenderloin]] in 2016<ref>{{cite news |first=Jessica |last=Zack |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/books/article/Beyond-the-bean-Coffee-importer-s-conscience-12526358.php |title=Beyond the bean: Coffee importer's conscience fuels Eggers' adventure story |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=January 29, 2018 |orig-year=January 25, 2018 }}</ref> and another in the [[Mission Bay, San Francisco|Mission Bay]] neighborhood in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/In-SF-s-Mission-Bay-the-surprise-and-draw-13657106.php|title=In SF's Mission Bay, the surprise — and draw for writing center — is the kids - SFChronicle.com|date=2019-03-02|website=www.sfchronicle.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref>
==Programming== 826 Valencia's programming includes-in-schools programs, workshops, field trips, after school tutoring and student publishing.
==Pirate supply store== [[File:I'm a pirate and I'm with Coco.jpg|alt=|thumb|The storefront for 826 Valencia's pirate supply store with a sign reading "I'm a pirate and [[I'm with Coco]]!"]] 826 Valencia runs San Francisco's "only independent pirate supply store". The store is the front entrance of the tutoring center and has the look and feel of an authentic [[pirate]] shop.<ref name=ganahl>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/A-heartwarming-work-of-literary-altruism-Author-2788150.php|title=A heartwarming work of literary altruism|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=March 24, 2013|date=August 2, 2002|first=Jane|last= Ganahl}}</ref> It sells pirate clothing, [[eyepatch]]es, [[compass]]es, spyglasses, pirate [[dice]], [[Jolly Roger|skull flags]], and secret treasures. It features handmade signs, scattered around the store, offering tongue-in-cheek wisdom, such as "Uses for Lard" (#5: "Lard Fights") and "Guidelines for New Shipmates" (#4: "No forgetting to swab"). Unsuspecting visitors are sometimes treated to surprise "moppings."
Shoppers can also find back issues of [[Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern|''McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'']], books published by [[McSweeney's]], and literary compilations written by 826 Valencia students. The books of student writing published by 826 Valencia include forewords, illustrations and interviews from public figures such as Former San Francisco mayor [[Gavin Newsom]] and actor [[Robin Williams]].
The Pirate Supply Store was originally created through necessity. After being turned down for regular use of church basements and school facilities, the founders discovered an empty store on [[Valencia Street]]. City ordinances required businesses in that area of the city to be either retail or catering, so the Pirate Supply Store was opened in 2002 as the "legitimate" business front for the writing center. It also helps fund the tutoring program.<ref>{{cite news |first=Andrea |last=Valencia |url=https://missionlocal.org/2014/07/826-valencia-is-expanding/ |title=826 Valencia is Expanding |newspaper=Mission Local |date=July 11, 2014 }}</ref>
==Mural== Dave Eggers commissioned cartoonist [[Chris Ware]] to design the mural for the facade of 826 Valencia's building.<ref name="mural-eye">{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=David|title=Chris Ware's new mural tells the story of the human race|url=http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=87&fid=460|publisher=Eye Magazine|access-date=27 May 2011|year=2001}}</ref> The mural depicts "the parallel development of humans and their efforts at and motivations for communication, spoken and written."<ref name="mural-826">{{cite web|title=Our Façade |url=http://www.826valencia.org/store/facade.html |publisher=826 Valencia |access-date=27 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727142455/http://www.826valencia.org/store/facade.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref> The 3.9m x 6m mural was applied by artisans to Ware's specifications.<ref name="mural-eye"/> Describing the work, Ware said "I didn’t want it to make anyone 'feel good', especially in that typically muralistic 'hands across the water' sort of way,"..."I especially wanted it to be something that people living in the neighbourhood could look at day after day and hopefully not tire of too quickly. I really hoped whomever might happen to come across it would find something that showed a respect for their intelligence, and didn’t force-feed them any 'message'."<ref name="mural-eye"/>
==Influence==
{{Main|826 National}}
826 Valencia has inspired a number of other projects across the US, known as 'chapters'. In late 2004, just before the founding of four new chapters, [[826 National]] was launched as an umbrella organization that provides logistical support to its chapters.<ref name=dunkelberger>{{cite news|first=Diane |last=Dunkelberger |title=Conquest of the Word Masters |url=http://www.826valencia.org/press/2006_12.html |work=Benefit Magazine |date=December 1, 2006 |access-date=March 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080620171707/http://www.826valencia.org/press/2006_12.html |archive-date=June 20, 2008 }}</ref>
There are now nine chapters that make up 826 National: 826 Valencia, [[826NYC]] in [[Brooklyn]], [[826LA]] in [[Los Angeles]], [[826 Chicago|826CHI]] in [[Chicago]], [[826michigan]] (serving [[Ann Arbor]], [[Detroit]], and [[Ypsilanti]]), [[826 Boston]] in [[Boston]], [[826DC]] in [[Washington, DC]], [[826 New Orleans]], and most recently, [[826 MSP]] in Minneapolis.
826 Valencia has also inspired similar projects in several countries. In 2018, twenty of these organisations from around the world formed the informal International Alliance of Youth Writing Centres, which has since welcomed many more into the ranks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youthwriting.org/about |publisher=The International Alliance of Youth Writing Centres |title=About |access-date=July 18, 2023}}</ref>
=== United States === * [[826NYC]], New York – opened 2004 * [[826LA]], Los Angeles – opened 2005 * [[The Greater Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas]] (formerly 826 Seattle), Seattle – Opened 2005, rebranded in 2014 * 826 Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan – opened 2005 * 826CHI, Chicago – opened 2005 * 826 Boston, Boston – opened 2007 * 826DC, Washington, D.C. – opened 2010, changed location and theme 2015 * Desert Island Supply Co., Birmingham, AL – opened 2012<ref name=Watkins>{{cite news|first=Mia | last=Watkins |title=Desert Island Supply Co. offers a cozy writing haven to Birmingham area youth |url=http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2015/03/desert_island_supply_co_serves.html|work=AL.com|date=March 18, 2015|access-date=March 21, 2018}}</ref> * 826 New Orleans, New Orleans – opened 2018 * 826 MSP, Minneapolis – opened 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.826msp.org/our-history|title=826 MSP: Our History|access-date=November 27, 2019}}</ref> inducted into the 826 network in 2019<ref>{{cite web|url=https://826national.org/welcome-826-msp|title=Welcome 826 MSP|date=July 31, 2019|access-date=November 27, 2019}}</ref>
=== Canada === * Story Planet, Toronto – opened 2011
=== Italy === * La Grande Fabbrica delle Parole, Milano (MI) – opened 2009 * Porto delle Storie, Campi Bisenzio (FI) – opened 2014 * Fronte del Borgo, Torino (TO) – opened 2016<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://specialmente.bmw.it/2018/04/12/2890/|title=La nuova stagione di Fronte del Borgo si apre con tante novità e un team ancora più forte e pieno di entusiasmo! – SpecialMente|date=2018-04-12|work=SpecialMente|access-date=2018-06-20|language=it-IT}}</ref>
=== United Kingdom === * The Ministry of Stories, London – opened 2010<ref name=stratton>{{cite news|first=Allegra | last=Stratton |title=Nick Hornby opens Ministry of Stories to get Britain's kids writing again|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/nov/18/nick-hornby-ministry-stories|work=The Guardian|date=November 18, 2010|access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref><ref name=hosken>{{cite news|first=Andrew | last=Hosken |title=Ministry of Stories opens behind monster shop facade |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9210000/9210541.stm|work=BBC|date=November 19, 2010|access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref> * Grimm & Co, Rotherham, Yorkshire – founded 2014 * Little Green Pig, Brighton and Hove – founded 2008 * The Super Power Agency, Edinburgh – founded 2016 * The Story Works, Dorset * Fighting Words NI, Belfast – founded 2015
=== Australia === * [[Story Factory]], Sydney – founded 2011 * 100 Story Building, Melbourne – founded 2010; centre opened 2012
=== Sweden === * Berättarministeret (Ministry of Tales) – founded in 2011 with several locations in the [[Stockholm]] area, and since 2017 one location in [[Gothenburg]]
=== Ireland === * Fighting Words, Dublin – opened 2009<ref name=day>{{cite news|first=Elizabeth | last=Day |title=Roddy Doyle: the joy of teaching children to write|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/mar/11/roddy-doyle-fighting-words-project|work=The Guardian|date=March 11, 2012|access-date=March 24, 2013}}</ref>
=== Austria === * W*ORT, Lustenau – opened 2014
=== France === * Labo des Histoires, Paris – opened 2011
=== Netherlands === * Noordje, Amsterdam
=== Other === In April 2010, as an extension of the 826 Valencia scholarship program, Eggers launched [[ScholarMatch]], a nonprofit organization that connects donors with students to make college more affordable.
==References== {{reflist|2}}
== External links == * [http://www.826valencia.org/ 826 Valencia] * [http://www.826valencia.org/store/ Pirate Store main page] * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/unaesthetic/2207771948/ Chris Ware's mural for 826 Valencia's facade] * [http://www.826valencia.tumblr.com/ 826 Valencia's blog] {{coord|37.759665|-122.421509|region:US_type:landmark|display=title}}
{{Dave Eggers|state=expanded}}
[[Category:826 National]] [[Category:Landmarks in San Francisco]] [[Category:Mission District, San Francisco]] [[Category:San Francisco Bay Area literature]] [[Category:Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco]] [[Category:2002 establishments in California]]