826LA is partnering with Paramount Pictures and the movie IF to celebrate childhood creativity and imagination through three 826 student writing anthologies—Big Book of IFs by young writers from 826LA and 826 Valencia, Big Book of IFs by young writers from 826CHI, 826michigan, 826 MSP, and 826 New Orleans, and Big Book of IFs by young writers from 826 Boston, 826DC, and 826NYC all part of 826National! Blue from “If (Imaginary Friends)” brought joy and excitement to our Echo Park Write On! After School students during a special event, thanks to our partnership with Paramount Pictures. The meet ..read more

In honor of this year’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week, the Volunteer team planned an extra special event, our first-ever Drink & Draw, which occurred on Friday, April 26, from 7:00 – 8:30 PM at both the Echo Park and Mar Vista Writing Labs (at the exact same time!). To express gratitude to our wonderful volunteers, we aimed to create a space where volunteers could socialize, mingle, and enjoy spirits to celebrate their hard work for the year thus far. In providing a low-stakes, relaxing environment where volunteers could draw and tap into their inner artist, we also hoped to break d ..read more

Did you know that many of your favorite Time Travel Mart products and our general design sense–both for the Time Travel Mart and 826LA– originate from the brilliant designer, Stefan Bucher of 344lovesyou.com? We decided to rewind time and ask about how things at 826LA became what they were always meant to be! Thank you for taking the time to chat today.  We’re so proud of the work you’ve created for us!  How did you first get involved with the Mart, and what did that look like? The original creators of the Time Travel Mart, Mac Barnett and Jon Korn, reached out to me way back in the ..read more

The air was filled with excitement and anticipation as guests gathered for the Write Your Own Adventure Gala, a celebration of storytelling, education, and the power of student  voices. Held at SmogShoppe in the Culver City Arts District, the gala brought together supporters, staff, educators, and student authors for an unforgettable evening. Led by our dedicated staff, the gala featured a series of activations designed to showcase the work we do and engage attendees in our mission. Mike Dunbar, Programs & Operations Manager in Mar Vista, led the book-making station, where guests had ..read more

 by Trevor Crown, Senior Manager of Volunteer Innovation & Assessment For the six years before I took on my current role at 826LA, I got to know this organization in the same way you have: as a volunteer. I showed up at Echo Park on Thursday nights during the school year and sat at whichever table Pedro told me to, trying not to shudder visibly if he pointed to Math or Science. Every once in a long while, I felt like a shining beacon of benevolent writerly wisdom, helping a student navigate a paper–not writing it for them, crucially–that would at worst get them a B-plus and at best se ..read more

Calling all adventurers, dreamers, and supporters of young writers! 826LA is proud to present Write Your Own Adventure, a Changing The Story gala, an evening that promises to be as vibrant and inspiring as the stories we aim to create. Set against the backdrop of the bustling Los Angeles cityscape, this gala is not just an event—it’s a celebration of the boundless imagination of LA’s youth. On Thursday, May 2nd, 826LA invites you to join us for an extraordinary evening at SmogShoppe in the Culver City Arts District. Write Your Own Adventure  is more than just a gathering; it’s an opportun ..read more

This past weekend, 826LA hosted its annual Fund Your Future event, a pivotal day dedicated to supporting high school students as they navigate the often daunting path of college scholarship applications. The event was a beacon of hope for many, offering not just guidance but the invaluable one-on-one support of trained volunteers. For many students, the dream of attending college is often overshadowed by financial barriers. However, Fund Your Future sought to change this narrative by equipping students with the tools and resources necessary to secure the financial aid they deserve. Among the d ..read more

826LA hosted its second installment of our hit open mic series on Saturday, Feb. 10 from 3:00 – 4:30 pm, which featured our own Executive Director, Jaime Balboa, as he shared poems from his collection Missing Possibilities. Westside volunteers gathered at our Mar Vista Writing lab alongside 826LA staff members, college corp fellows, interns, and community members. Event attendees shared a mix of their own work, pieces from favorite authors, and journal entries, bonding over their love of storytelling and showing that anyone can take the stage no matter where they are in the writing process!&nb ..read more

It was 2011 and Ashlyn, an illustrator and adventurer, packed up her life in Toronto and moved to Los Angeles. She didn’t know anyone in the city, and thought she’d start volunteering with a local nonprofit organization, called 826LA, inside an old building next to a little garden on Venice Boulevard. Little did she know, her journey would take her through leaps in her creativity and career, enable her to build a community of friends, inspire her to lead her own creative workshops for young students, and, at one of those workshops, meet the love of her life. 13 years later, as Valentine’s Day ..read more

“Art will save us. Expression and getting it out on paper will save us, and that is what 826LA does.” – Emily Barth Isler Jennifer Chen and Emily Barth Isler took the stage Sunday, January 21st at our Echo Park Writing Center to share with our donors, volunteers, and community members the importance of writing as a way to express oneself creatively. Jennifer Chen wrote  Artifacts of an Ex during the height of the pandemic when Asian-American hate cries were at an all-time high, Jennifer was able to escape to a world where Asian American characters are safe, loved, and happy- and the bigge ..read more