Summerat 826

School might let out for the summer, but the learning doesn’t stop at 826 Valencia! To us, summer means sticky popsicle juice running down your fingers while you furiously finish your story, poem, or ode. That’s why we offer a variety of programs to reduce summer learning loss and keep students writing and thinking creatively—and it’s also why we serve snacks.
Scroll down to enroll in Summer 2023 programs!

We offer Exploring Words Summer Camp to third- through fifth-grade students enrolled in our school-year programs.

The camp focuses on team-building and creative writing, with a unique curriculum that pairs daily writing prompts with collaborative activities and community excursions, in an atmosphere filled with rigor and fun.
While we only have space for current students at the moment, new families may submit an interest form to be placed on our waitlist.
We created Exploring Leadership Summer Camp for middle school students enrolled in our school-year programs.

The camp focuses on developing middle school students as youth leaders. Students also explore college and career pathways through field trips to learn about different workplaces ranging from Pinterest to Arizmendi Bakery.
If interested, complete and submit this form.
This summer I learned how we can help each other, that writing and reading is helpful, and to listen to new ideas.
— Joanna H., age 12, Exploring Leadership Summer CampEach year, we offer a three-week intensive writing camp for high school students called the Young Authors’ Workshop.

In this fun and rigorous program, students join us for fifteen full days of writing together, led by guest speakers who are poets, journalists, oral historians, and artists. Every year, we see students grow their confidence and skills throughout the writing and editing process as they become a strong community of writers.
Applications are open at this link!
Our Tenderloin Center continues to hum throughout the day all summer long with visits from partner organizations and neighboring summer camps.

On a visit to the 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center over the summer, students work on everything from poetry to podcasts to guided meditations, and continue to build their skills with the support of our tutors.
Learn about our summer 2023 Tenderloin programs here and sign up here!