This September, over a year ahead of schedule, we moved into the location of our future writing center in downtown Oakland, but in order to fill this space with kids, we need your help. 

We're raising $50,000 to make necessary building improvements, plus buy equipment, furniture, computers, and books for our writing and reading sanctuary. This money will also to help us pay teaching artists and program staff to run writing and bookmaking programs in our first year here at 2301 Telegraph.

Photo credit, Slow Clap Productions

Why We're Here

We believe that every Oakland student deserves to excel in literacy and writing. Reading proficiency by third grade is the most important predictor of high-school graduation and career success. In Oakland: 

About Us

Chapter 510 is an 826-inspired, volunteer-powered organization that provides in-school tutoring, creative and expository writing workshops, and publishing opportunities for K-12 students in Oakland.

This September, we found our permanent space at 2301 Telegraph in downtown Oakland, bringing us closer to our vision of building a writing center and community space to serve as a dynamic resource for all students, families, teachers, and volunteers. 

We've got the space. Now we need your help in raising $50,000 to bring in the programming and resources necessary to transform it into an inspiring and inclusive space for Oakland youth.

How Your Support Will Help

Have you ever tried to write a thrilling story about killer robots without paper or a computer? Or learned to love reading without a library full of books to choose from?

Our vision for Chapter 510's writing center is as an inclusive space constantly buzzing with creative inspiration, where students come after school to receive personalized tutoring and where field trippers get so fired up about the books they created in our writing workshops that they run joyous laps round and around their classrooms once they get back to school.

Photo credit, Slow Clap Productions

Jade, MetWest High School student: "When I walked into Chapter 510's new building, I told them they had to open their writing center right away. You should donate to them because it will help give kids like me have a place to go after school to become a better writer."

Your $50,000 will be used in the following ways:

1. Construction: We need $10,000 to make needed improvements to our writing center in January and February, including new floors and ceilings.

2. Equipment: $12,000 will go towards acquiring computers for 35 students; mic + PA for readings; and book-making, printing, and binding equipment.

3. Furniture and fixtures: In order to seat all our young writers during our after-school tutoring, writing and bookmaking workshops, and student reading events, we need $8,000 for tables, chairs, shelves, and light fixtures. 

3. Supplies and books: Another $6,000 will go buy journals, pens, paper, books for our reading library, and many, many after-school snacks (don't ever try to tutor a hungry anybody!).

4. Teaching artists and staff: In order to add programming to our center, and maintain programming with our partner schools, we're asking our community for $14,000 to pay for program staff, including our teaching artists and bookmaker in residence who will help us set up and start programming in our new building

Where We're Going Beyond this Campaign (Two-Year Plan) 

In September, we signed a five year lease with architects Erik Bloom and Todd Bennett of Parcel Projects, and we'll be working in close partnership with them over the next two years to transform our space into a student-led writing and making ecosystem. 

Students will have multiple access points, from reading in our student-curated library, writing with volunteer tutors and teaching artists, bookmaking with professional equipment and supplies, and, for older students, designing and publishing student books to be sold in our retail space and in bookstores throughout Oakland. 

Your support will ensure that Chapter 510, in partnership with OUSD and the Oakland Public Library, continues to act as a catalyst for change in addressing literacy issues in Oakland. 

Wendy Donner, Abundance Foundation: "I give because Chapter 510 is a thoughtful, inspiring community of amazing people. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to bring 510 to youth in Oakland!"

What Your Donation Gets You

Here are other ways you can help us in our mission to support young Oakland writers: 

 - Click the Facebook and Twitter buttons in the upper left to share our campaign. It's free and easy and really does make a difference! Use our hashtag: #MakeBelieveOakland

 - Use other social media outlets? Share our campaign on all of them:  Facebook and Twitter (again), but also Instagram, blogs, emails, secret messages, telepathy, notes in bottles, etc. Get the word out! Here's a link to our campaign page that you can copy, paste, and share: bit.ly/Chapter510Indiegogo 

 - Sign up for our newsletter, follow us on Twitter (@chptr510), and like our Facebook page. 

Keep checking the campaign page. We’ll continue to add updates and new perks, so stay tuned! If you want to contact us with a question or a weird dream you just had, email us at: marya_brennan@chapter510.org. 

Credits

We could not have, in a million-billion years, launched this campaign without:

Crazy-amazing design from E.M. Wolfman Home Repair. Gorgeous video by Slow Clap Productions. Our talented and generous artists Robert Trujillo, Thailan When, Pickypocket Press, and B.Spoke Tailor. Printers Green Copy and Bloom. 

Our Campaign Manager Marya Brennan, and radical youth interns Jade and Kayla.  

And RedBull. And Cheetos. And all our amazing young writers who inspire us to do this insane and wonderful work each and everyday. It's so worth it.