Free Writing, Tutoring & Publishing Programs

Model and Strategy

“...the norms and notions of what just is isn’t always just-ice.” - Amanda Gorman, Poet, Board Member, 826 National Public education—core to democracy—has failed to deliver justice. We must reclaim writing education to achieve just and equitable outcomes for all students. In 2011—10 years ago—the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported 75% of 12th-graders (and 90% of Black and Latinx 12th-graders) were writing below grade-level. Newer national data isn’t available; writing skills aren’t a priority. Here in SF, less than 30% of SFUSD Black and Latinx students tested English Language Arts-proficient in 2019, compared to 78% of white students. The pandemic has exacerbated these inequities. Writing is critical for success. It spans all subject areas, reinforces learning, improves literacy, and fosters wellness. Writing is agency—a chance to name and influence our world—a tool for self-expression and critical thinking. Effective writing instruction is especially critical for low-income students of color whose voices are absent from the dominant narrative. Our project helps students build writing skills, fosters wellness, and uplifts youth voices for a more just world.

Impact

Address lost classroom time with hybrid in-person and online summer and after-school writing programs, so they are prepared to transition back to onsite school learning.

Decrease the average SFUSD adult/student ratio in the classroom from 1:25 to 1:2.

Serve 35% more elementary school students with a focus on students living in communities most impacted by COVID-19 (Black, Latinx, newcomer, special education, English Learner, unhoused, foster care).

Raise writing fluency and proficiency.

Increase students’ social-emotional development by building pride, confidence, and self-advocacy skills through student-centered writing curricula, personalized writing support, and family engagement.

Collaborate with community partners on new writing and publishing projects that amplify students’ voices on issues that matter to them (racial justice, health and wellness, environmental stewardship, etc.)

Launch new publishing platforms (e.g., zines, vlogs, BART ads) where students can reach new audiences, change the dominant narrative, and build empathy across communities.

Develop and pilot a model that will bring 826’s proven writing instruction strategies to schools throughout San Francisco and beyond.

826 Valencia