We love answering questions. If you don't find the information you need on this page, please use this form to ask.
Teachers | Parents and Students | Volunteers | Other
I teach at a Bay Area school, and think your program sounds great. How can I get my students involved with 826?
Here are just a few ways that you can encourage your students to get involved with 826:
I teach at a Bay Area school and would like to bring my class to 826. What information do you need in order for me to organize a visit?
Our various field trips are described on our field trips page. You can request a field trip online. We’ll need to know the grade and subject you teach, the date you’d like to bring your students in, and which field trip would be the best fit for your class. If you have any further questions, you may contact Jory John.
My class is working on a special writing project. How can I get 826 volunteers to come to my class to help out?
You can fill out our request form with the name of your school, the grade and subject you teach, the kind of writing project your students will be working on, and the days and times that would best meet you needs. Then we’ll help you with a formal invitation to tutors and make sure that there are enough volunteers in your classroom for the project. Please email Erin Neeley for additional questions.
What is 826 Valencia’s Teacher of the Month Award?
Each month we give a $1500 award to a Bay Area teacher who shows a combination of dedication and innovation, and an overall commitment to challenging students to excel. There are so many students who have had their minds set aglow by a teacher’s own zest for life and learning, and we’d like to do a very small part in rewarding them.
How do I nominate a teacher for the award?
Teachers must be nominated by one previous and one current student, and one adult over 21 years old, but the nomination may be in any form—letters of support, pictures, videotapes, anything, as long as we have specific examples of the teacher’s impact. Potential award winners need to have been in the classroom for four full years. Please include both the nominator's and nominatee's name, phone number, and email.
Nominations should be sent to:
826 Teacher of the Month Award
attn: Jory John
826 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA
94110
I am a Bay Area high school teacher. Can I apply for the monthly teaching award?
We prefer teachers to be nominated by students, parents, fellow teachers, or administrators.
I’ve heard great things about 826 from other parents. What do I need to do to get my child involved?
Just bring them in! Your child can do anything from creating a book or a zine to getting help with schoolwork. Our tutoring is available to students 6 to 18 and is done on a drop-in basis. We also provide many workshops that are targeted at certain ages. Take a look at our schedule for more information. These workshops require advance sign-up, but they, like our after-school tutoring, are completely free.
When is after-school tutoring?
Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., and by appointment on Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. For more information, contact Jory John at jory@826valencia.com.
How does after-school tutoring work?
When students arrive at 826, we try to learn as much as we can about the work they’ve brought with them, and then match them up with an available tutor. Students are encouraged to bring daily schoolwork as well as personal writing projects, long-term essay projects, ideas for chapbooks, zines, or fiction, or simply the desire to write. If they are working on homework, it helps if the student brings the assignment and any research materials that might be important. We also have tutors to help with English as a second language.
Tutoring is a positive, non-judgmental process. Our focus is on helping children discover their own voice, on their own terms. We’re coaches, not critics. All of our tutors are volunteers, which means that they want to be spending this time here at 826, helping students with their homework and encouraging them to explore writing.
Who are your tutors?
Our tutors are a talented and prepared group of people. We have enlisted close to a 1000 volunteers—including published authors, magazine founders, SAT-preparation course instructors, and documentary filmmakers—to teach workshops and to provide one-on-one tutoring to Bay Area students both during after-school hours and in our many, diverse in-school programs. You can read brief bios of some of these fantastic volunteers.
What kind of workshops do you offer at 826?
We try to offer a broad variety, covering not only fiction and nonfiction writing, but other forms of word-driven creativity, including cartooning, filmmaking, and book making. View our current schedule.
How do I sign up for a workshop?
Go to our workshop calendar and click on the link to the workshop you are interested in. From that pop-up window you can go to an online sign-up form.
You will then receive a confirmation email (or phone call) from us. Please keep in mind that many of our workshops fill up quickly, and registration is on a first come, first served basis.
All workshops require a refundable deposit check of $25. Please make your checks out to "826 Valencia," and write the student’s name and the workshop title on the bottom of the check. Your check will not be deposited unless the student is a no-show or you indicate "donation" on the check.
Feel free to drop it off, or mail it to:
Workshops
826 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA
94110
If you find that you will not be able to attend a workshop after you’ve registered, please email workshops@826valencia.com. We will destroy your check and offer the seat to another student.
I’ve really enjoyed your workshops, and I thought of a new one you can offer. What do I do with my idea for a great workshop?
We’d love to hear from you! Please send your ideas and suggestions for new workshops to workshops@826valencia.com
Do you offer any workshops for adults?
We do! Each month, we offer a three-hour seminar featuring a panel of writers, editors and agents—all volunteering their time—who share their experiences and advice. Each seminar features a particular genre from memoir to travel writing, but all focus on inspiration, self-editing, navigating the publishing world, and everything in between. No details will be spared, all pertinent secrets will be revealed. Take a look at our upcoming seminars.
We do charge for these evenings. All proceeds go directly to student programming at 826 Valencia. For information on how to sign up, click here.
What do volunteers at 826 Valencia do?
Volunteers serve as one-on-one tutors during the after-school tutoring hours in our writing lab, participate in morning field trips hosted here at 826, participate in classroom programs at area schools, and develop and lead evening workshops. We also need volunteers to help with special events, PR, and development. We are always looking for interested and talented people who would like to get involved in any or all of these programs.
How do I become a volunteer?
You can start by filling out the online application. Or, you can come by the pirate store and fill out the application.
After we receive your application, you will be invited to come in for a short interview and orientation.
Once I am a volunteer, how do I keep abreast of upcoming projects and opportunities?
Volunteers receive weekly emails packed with all of the information they need. You may also peruse our events calendar.
How do I sign up for specific projects?
Once you’re a volunteer you’ll receive special instructions on how to sign-up online for the in-schools projects. To volunteer to help with a field trip or drop-in tutoring, email Jory at jory@826valencia.com.
As a volunteer, I’d like to teach a workshop. What do I need to do to make it happen?
You can submit a proposal outlining your idea for the workshop. Once it is approved, we’ll work with you to schedule dates. For more information, email workshops@826valencia.com
What is an 826 intern and how do I apply?
Our interns are volunteers who commit to at least 16 hours a week for a minimum of three months. They work with students in our lab and in schools, help with administrative tasks, and gain valuable experience with educational programming and event planning. Read more about our internship program. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Margaret McCarthy.
How can I, or my organization, donate money to 826 Valencia?
We accept donations both through the mail and online. Any amount is greatly appreciated, and all donations are fully tax deductible.
How can I or my organization make an in-kind donation?
Please email Leigh Lehman at leigh@826valencia.com with the details of what you are interested in contributing. View our wish list.
I live outside the Bay Area, but am interested in 826 Valencia. How can I get involved?
There are 826 chapters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Ann Arbor, and Boston. Get more information about 826 National.