826 Valencia Favorite 

826 Valencia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages six to eighteen with their creative and expository writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Their services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

Their main goals are to close the academic achievement gap for under-served youth in the Bay Area, provide the tools and resources necessary for success in school and beyond, connect caring adults to young people in need of individualized support, and make the path to college and career less of a leap. With this in mind, they offer a range of programs, all free of charge, for students, classrooms, and schools in the Bay Area. Their project-based approach allows students ownership over the writing process and strengthens their ability to express themselves clearly and in their own voice. By making writing fun, by demystifying the process, and by creating gorgeous books, magazines, and newspapers that honor their work, they inspire young people to gain critical skills and write with confidence.

826 Valencia was founded in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari. Read more about the history of the organization http://826valencia.org/about/history/
Dave Eggers also tells the story about 826′s inspiration, early beginnings, and ensuing momentum in a TED Talks video http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_...