826 Valencia

We recently spoke with San Francisco’s first Youth Poet Laureate and Vice Laureate, Karan Gupta and Aisha McCulloch, about their experience participating in the Youth Poet Laureate program, their journey as writers, and their plans and hopes for the future. These two young writers share a deep appreciation for the creative process and for engaging with their communities, and we’re excited to share their stories with you. Watch the full video on our YouTube channel via the link in bio. 🎥: Maya Pisciotto and Fabian Aguirre @theunderstory . . . . . Alt text: Video featuring San Francisco’s Youth Poet Laureate and Vice Laureate speaking and performing poetry. The two young poets are shown reading on stage, speaking in interview-style shots, and sharing their work in indoor community spaces alongside the rest of the San Francisco Youth Poet Laureate cohort and staff.

We followed our friend Julio around the other day as he installed the new “BART Lines: 826 Valencia“ car cards on trains around the system! This partnership between the agency and local literary nonprofit @826valencia brings a selection of BART-themed 826 Valencia student poems and short stories to BART’s five Short Story Dispensers (locations below) and online at bart.short-edition.com. Four pieces are also being featured in advertising spaces on BART train cars to bring joy and wonder to customers’ rides. More than 100 students ranging in age from 9 to 18 participated in the project, which was developed by 826 Valencia and centers BART as both inspiration and subject. The resulting poems and short stories capture young writers’ perspectives on transit, community, and everyday Bay Area life. BART previously partnered with 826 Valencia for the BART Lines: Teen Poetry Contest in 2024. For many students, this will be the first time their work is formally published outside of 826 Valencia. BART’s free Short Story Dispensers are located at the following stations: Balboa Park Downtown Berkeley Fruitvale Pleasant Hill San Leandro (new!) To read a BART Lines: 826 Valencia work, simply wave your hand over the 5-minute (or “Local Authors”) button, and a story will be dispensed on eco-friendly, recyclable paper. “At 826 Valencia, we believe our students write a better future for all of us,” said Bita Nazarian, Executive Director of 826 Valencia. “Through this partnership with BART, we’re celebrating the creativity and insight of our future leaders as they reflect on what it means to move through the Bay Area. Their stories transform everyday commutes into moments of connection, wonder, and belonging. Since its first day of service, BART has viewed its stations and trains as shared civic spaces. Arts and literary programs help transform wait times into meaningful moments, highlight local talent, and create a more welcoming, human-centered environment for riders. By supporting community voices, especially young riders, BART aims to strengthen connection, creativity, and a sense of belonging across the spectrum of communit

Ahoy, book lovers! 🏴‍☠️ 📚 The third installment of our Book of the Month series is proud to present: The 826 Valencia Quarterly, volume 33. This anthology is a gem-filled treasure chest of poetry, personal essays, letters, odes, and stories from students across all our programs. Within these pages, they chart courses through family, friendship, identity, memory, culture, cats, burritos, basketball dreams, and everything in between. Some titles we love: 🌍 Why I Want to Get to Africa 🧋 My Boba Family 🌅 Summertime Nostalgia 🐈 My Friend Who Is a Cat Named Dog 🏀 Before Becoming an NBA Legend 🫧 Museum of Smells 🍕 Arizmendi’s Amazing Pizza Visit the 826 Valencia Store at the link in our bio to get a copy! 🖌️ Book cover illustration by Michael Wertz @wertzateria 🎨 Design by Lucy Gosline-Ratliff @lucygoslineart and Tony Manalo 📸 Photo by Janel Kajisa . . . . . Alt text: Image of the 826 Valencia Quarterly, volume 33, book cover with a photo of a student performing on stage. The featured excerpt from “Summertime Nostalgia,” by Mei C. (age 15), reads: We stargazed on slip n’ slides / Laughing about the things only best friends know / While mosquitoes bit us to the bone / We were sisters from different blood / Had an untouchable bond that strung our hearts together / We cried in each other’s arms while the sun embraced our bodies

Thank you to @ritualcoffee @ritualvalencia for graciously hosting us for the second year this April at their Mission location! For a somewhat rainy hour, our students took over the cozy coffee shop to share their latest poetry and writing with the community. (Turn the sound on to listen to student Antonella Y., age 11, perform her piece, “Felice, the Fox.”) Their words filled the space with warmth and joy, making it the perfect way to cap our Poetry Month festivities, if you ask us. 🎉 📝 . . . . . Alt text: Video of a student reading her piece at Ritual Coffee Roasters, plus images of other students performing their pieces and polishing them beforehand, and an image of two students holding Ritual Coffee Roasters cups with the special 826 Valencia coffee sleeve featuring student writing.

Every April, we have the honor of partnering with some of our friends and community members who believe in the power of youth voice. They help us spread our students’ writing far and wide, transforming their words into moments of connection across San Francisco. Please join us in saying thank you to our collaborators this year: 🍕 @delfinarestaurant ☕️ @ritualcoffee / @ritualvalencia 🚊 @sfbayarearapidtransit 🎺 @bird.beckett 👁️ @booksmithsf 🌆 @citylightsbooks 🐈‍⬛ @fabulosa_books 🍏 @greenapplebooks / @greenapplebooksonthepark 🎤 @medicinefornightmares We’re grateful to our Poetry Month partners for opening their doors and their spaces to our young storytellers. Some of these student pieces are still out in the wild. If you spot one, snap a photo and tag us! 🫶 . . . . . Alt text: A photo of a paper mug with an 826 Valencia coffee sleeve featuring student writing, a pizza box with an 826 Valencia sticker featuring student pizza poetry, a photo of a bookshop staircase with walls displaying 826 Valencia posters with student work, and an advertisement spot in a train car featuring BART-inspired writing from an 826 Valencia student.

What does it feel like to become San Francisco’s first Youth Poet Laureate? Karan Gupta reflected on what this moment means to him: “To be selected as the San Francisco youth poet laureate feels surreal. I grew up watching the city continuously change around me, and now I have the opportunity to name that change. I'm grateful for the inspiration and guidance from the cohort experience; getting to collaborate with so many gifted young writers was creatively energizing. I'm truly honored and excited to represent this city's youth, which is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.” 🏃‍➡️ We're currently in the home stretch of an ambitious fundraising goal to support 826 Valencia's growth and sustainability—aiming to raise $1M by June 30 so we can continue to expand and deepen our support for young writers like Karan. If you can chip in today, your gift will be doubled! Show your support at the link in our bio. 🎨 Portrait by KL Murphy . . . . . Alt text: Illustration of San Francisco Youth Poet Laureate, Karan Gupta, alongside the logos of the collaborating partners of the San Francisco Youth Poet Laureate program, and an excerpt from Gupta's poem, "Acquiescence: The Basics," which includes the lines: I quietly yield the pavement: / a passive withdrawal grafted onto my footsteps, / an appeasement to history scrawled on signs above water fountains.

Last week, we held our annual fundraising gala, the 826 Valencia Bookeaters’ Bash, 🎊 where our students took the stage to share their work: imaginative musings about BART (@sfbayarearapidtransit ), a daring proposal for Alcatraz Island, and an evocative poem reflecting on freedom and identity. We were pleased to welcome Academy Award–nominated actor Delroy Lindo, who joined us this year to share why he supports storytelling and writing: “Because, as we know, creativity and the creative process are healing agents.” ✨ We also connected with our community of supporters and champions of youth voice. Thank you to our sponsors, host committee, to everyone who joined, and to those who cheered us on from afar so our students can write on Every Page and Every Stage. 💪 As we enter the final phase of our $25M Growth & Sustainability Campaign, we’re working to ensure young storytellers across San Francisco can thrive for years to come. Learn more about how you can help us reach our goal by June 30 at the link in bio! 📸: Yanit Mehta (@spacebongos ) . . . . . Alt text: Images of the San Francisco Youth Poet Laureate and Vice Laureate, 826 Valencia students (and a former student) performing on stage, and Delroy Lindo speaking on stage, at the 826 Valencia Bookeaters’ Bash, plus sponsorship recognition images for Cisco, Mission North, Dolby, Dropbox, Crankstart, Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, Rivendell Bicycle Works, Heroshop SF, Red Wing Equipment, WRNS Studio, Chronicle Books, Morgan Lewis, Five Star Bank, Auteur Wines, Babylon Burning, Socola Chocolatier, Brucato Spirits, and City Arts & Lectures.

Big news! 🌟 We're more than 95% of the way to our goal of raising $25M to ensure our growth and sustainability. We're setting out to raise the final $1M by June 30. In the face of challenging times for our city, our nation, and our young people, every gift to 826 Valencia right now is a joyful investment in what’s possible: our students’ words bridging divides, advocating for what’s right, and shaping our future on every page and every stage. And right now, every dollar you give will be matched! There are cool perks for giving, too. Learn more and give today at the link in bio. . . . . . Alt text: Promotional poster for 826 Valencia with the text "Almost There. Join us in the final phase of our campaign: $1M by June 30.” Decorative elements include illustrated students, the Golden Gate Bridge, and floating stars.

It’s Poem in Your Pocket Day! 👖 📝 Our Tenderloin students from our In-School programs at Tenderloin Community School and Bessie Carmichael Elementary recently wrote poems to encourage adoption, inspired by the @sanfranciscospca 's online descriptions of their tail-waggers and whisker-twitchers. 🐈 This poetry collection is forthcoming in our spring publications! Our student Harleen B.-R., age 10, painted an irresistible picture of Cat Coco. If you love the poem, pocket it and share it with a friend! . . . . . Alt text: A poem titled “Cat Coco,” featuring an illustrated cat with a chef's hat. The poem reads: Hot Coco, hot Coco / Not that coco, Cat Coco / Striped like a zebra, but brown / An adventurous kitten / Although he can’t see very well / Cute, yes, mischievous, maybe / He finds it a bit hard to move around / He never backs down from a challenge / Despite his name / His fur swirls like tiramisu / When you stare into his eyes / Circles of cappuccino are / what you will see / Tiramisu cat, tiramisu cat / Though your name is Coco / Where is your mother? / Where did she go?

Join us for “Breathing the Soil,” an original performance by students in our Acting for Critical Transformations Project at Downtown High School, presented in partnership with the American Conservatory Theater. Catch a performance on Friday, 05/15 or Saturday, 05/16. This event is free to the public. Get your tickets at the link in bio! 🎭 🌱 . . . . . Alt text: Official poster for "Breathing the Soil." The illustration shows individuals lifting a large seed with butterflies around them, against an orange sky with logos for A.C.T. and 826 Valencia. Details include: At The Strand Theatre, 1127 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Live performances on May 15 at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and May 16 at 1:30 p.m. Limited audience capacity. RSVP for free tickets.

Today is Independent Bookstore Day, an opportunity to show appreciation to these magical spaces and remember why they matter: independent bookstores connect us through stories, spark curiosity, and bring communities together. Stop by any of these bookstores, and you will find an 826 Valencia student poem on their walls, displays, or community boards! 🎺 Bird & Beckett (@bird.beckett ) 👁️ Booksmith (@booksmithsf ) 🌆 City Lights (@citylightsbooks ) 🐈‍⬛ Fabulosa Books (@fabulosa_books ) 🍏 Green Apple Books (both on Clement and on 9th Ave.) (@greenapplebooks ) (@greenapplebooksonthepark ) 🎤 Medicine for Nightmares (@medicinefornightmares ) We’re grateful for these bookstores and their championing of youth voice. If you enjoy seeing any of these student pieces out in the wild, feel free to post a picture and tag us! 🫶 . . . . . Alt text: Image of a bookstore featuring signage that reads "Via Ferlinghetti." Shelves filled with a variety of books are visible. A sign reads "We Love Books," and a photograph of Lawrence Ferlinghetti standing in front of a “Banned Books” sign is displayed above the shelves. An illustrated cat reading a book is in the lower corner, alongside the text that reads “Independent Bookstore Day.” The text above the photo reads “826 Valencia,” alongside an illustrated open book. The image is covered in light illustrated confetti.

Meet our March Teacher of the Month, Ms. Charity Ramilo! 🍎 She is a third-grade teacher at Bessie Carmichael School / Filipino Education Center, where she takes the time to learn each student’s specific accommodations, unique learning styles, personal interests, and home context. Ms. Ramilo incorporates her students’ interests into her curriculum, creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment! 🧑‍🏫 Know a teacher who goes above and beyond for their students? Consider nominating them for this award! Learn more about our Teachers of the Month at the link in bio. . . . . . Alt Text: This image shows a photo of Charity Ramilo and an 826 Valencia staff member standing indoors at the 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center, smiling and holding Ms. Ramilo’s Teacher of the Month certificate with her name on it. The text above the photo reads "March Teacher of the Month," with illustrated stars and the 826 Valencia logo in the top right corner. A quote reads, “Ms. Ramilo passionately dedicates herself to preserving Filipino culture and language within both the school and the SOMA community. She plays a pivotal role in the World Language Elementary School (WLES) program at Bessie,” attributed to Bessie Carmichael School / Filipino Education Center. The image includes a stylized speech bubble and an illustration of a seahorse.