Fellow educators, civic leaders, and friends:

Have you heard of 826 Valencia? (www.826valencia.org)
While I am only in the beginning stages of my work as Poet Laureate of York, Pennsylvania, I look at something like 826 Valencia (drop in tutoring, a community writing center, scheduled workshops for young writers, poetry readings, author visits, etc.) and wonder if something like this -- something that can have a lasting impact on the young people of York and surrounding areas -- should be/can be the eventual long term goal of my laureateship.
In my wildest daydreams, interested folks from York, Lancaster, and Harrisburg would join forces and secure funding to offer our communities a REAL alternative to what's currently available to kids after school. The competition is fierce. The lure of walking the streets, getting high, watching television, going online, getting drunk, instant messaging, texting, gaming, and simply doing nothing is relentless and powerful.
It almost sounds ludicrous to suggest that "...what these kids need is a place to write!"
But set aside the pessimism for just a moment, and imagine creating a place that somehow manages to work. A place where kids take pride in themselves and their ideas. A place where they find respect...and safety...and genuine interest in their ideas. A place where they find their voice.
Sounds idealistic, I know. And it's sad that it sounds so out of the question.
So, this is just a tiny seed of an idea. I toss it out there, hoping it may land somewhere it can grow a bit. Perhaps sprout roots one day. I'm not suggesting that we are ready to start something on the same scale as 826. But I do feel an obligation to speak out from this Poet Laureate's perch. I do want to start talking about what kids have, what they want, and what they need. Maybe someone will hear something I mutter and take an interest. And maybe that will grow into a project, or a program. Or a movement . And maybe that will benefit one child. Or a group of children. Or a family. Or a group of families.
I look forward to participating in this conversation...
Regards,
Bill Diskin
Poet Laureate of York, PA

From the 826 Valencia web site:
Simply put, 826 Valencia helps students, ages 8–18, to develop their writing skills. Whether the students are working in the realm of fiction, nonfiction, or English as a second language, we are here to help them explore their love of writing. We offer free drop-in tutoring, workshops, and storytelling. We also help students create their own story collections, zines, and other publications.
Our method is simple: we assign free tutors so that the students can get one-on-one help. It’s our belief that great leaps in English skills and comprehension can be made within hours if students are given concentrated help from knowledgeable tutors.
In addition to drop-in tutoring, we offer a number of in-depth workshops, in which professionals teach a variety of topics to the students interested in learning additional skills. These include, but are not limited to: creative writing, journalism, film, design, photo manipulation, comics, and publishing to the Web.
826 Valencia’s facilities are available as a free publishing resource, and our volunteers are available to assist with school and extracurricular student publications.
We hope to support area teachers in getting their students excited about writing, while also helping students learn how to better express their ideas through the written word. We encourage teachers to bring their classes in for field trips, invite us to visit their schools, and urge students needing extra help to come by during our drop-in hours.

www.826valencia.org