Big Day of Giving is May 5th - Schedule your donation now!

Pre-schedule Your Big Day of Giving Gift Early

Big Day of Giving is officially on Thursday, May 5, but you don’t have to wait to make your gift. You can ensure you don’t forget by pre-scheduling today! And best of all, thanks to the RCA Community Fund, donations up to $18,000 will be matched dollar for dollar.

By making a donation through 916 Ink, you are directly empowering local youth through a unique, creative writing program that increases literacy rates, self-confidence, academic engagement, empathy, and communication skills.

In 2021, 916 Ink published 200 books containing the works of 4,500 students in the Sacramento region. With your help, we can expand our effective programs and serve hundreds more youth throughout the region!

Much of our funding comes from Big Day of Giving, so if you believe in a Sacramento where all children have equal access to culturally-relevant, creative opportunities to increase their self-confidence, please consider pre-scheduling your donation

"Write Your Way" is Back! Free One-Day Workshops

We’re happy to announce that our FREE one-day workshops are back for spring. Write Your Way allows youth in grades 6-12 to explore specific genres with guest artists who are experts on the topic.

This semester, we’re back in person at the Imaginarium for workshops on Writing for Change and Science Fiction. Workshops include multiple writing prompts, and strictly positive feedback.

Spring Write Your Way Workshops

• Writing for Change: Saturday 4/30, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. in the Imaginarium

• Science Fiction: Saturday 5/07, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the Imaginarium

We hope to see your writer there!

Amplify! Summer Camp Registration is Open!

Parents & Guardians,

Help your student improve their writing and reading skills while having fun!

This year 916 Ink will offer both in-person and virtual camp options

Tuition for each camp is $250 per student

Scholarships are available based on location and household income. Begin registration process to find out if you may qualify

Volunteering with Read On!

It's been one year since we launched the Read On! tutoring program, and so much has happened since then.

For one: we have doubled the schools we're working with! We launched the pilot with partnerships at HW Harkness and Ethel Phillips Elementary; this year we are thrilled to add Caroline Wenzel and Bret Harte to the roster.

It's obvious to anyone working with young people that the pandemic has presented new challenges. Literacy was already an issue in Sacramento, and the problem is definitely worsening in the COVID-19 era. The need is not shrinking. We're glad to be able to step in where we are called.

And it's working. Every one of the students we worked with last year improved their reading. Most got up to grade level, and the rest were not far behind. These young readers worked SO hard and we are deeply proud of them!

The Read On! program relies on our volunteer tutors. This year, to meet the needs of the 80 striving readers who are looking forward to working with 916 Ink this school year, we need 120 volunteers! Might you be among them?

“Give it a try! The program makes it easy, it's fun to do, and the kids love it. We laugh a lot, and you get to see the kids progress - it's very rewarding.” - Volunteer Tutor Cindy Domasky

What does volunteering entail? We ask for a semester-long commitment, so that students can build a relationship with a tutor. You'll work with one student, one-on-one, over Zoom, for 3 hours a week (although there's some wiggle room there).

1. To get started, you'll click this link to fill in the application form.

2. Then, you'll complete a Live Scan background check and sign the volunteer code of conduct.

3. Next, you'll complete the online self-paced training (approximately 3 hours).

4. Then, it's time to attend a live training (approximately 1.5 hours).

5. And now you're ready to be paired with a student and get started!

Get started by clicking the link here to fill in the initial application.

"Sounds like you know way more about storytelling than you thought."

Olivia Monahan is a Sacramento-based journalist and editor-at-large for the Sacramento Voices project of The Sacramento Bee. Her work focuses on elevating stories and writers from communities normally underserved by mainstream media. She was also a guest artist for Amplify! Creative Writing Summer Camp, working with our young writers on nonfiction storytelling. As summer comes to a close, she wanted to share her own story about her experience in the Ink classroom:

A group of students sign a poster to thank the RCA Community Fund for their generous support of the 2021 Amplify! Creative Writing Summer Camp.

We go back and forth in the class with a lot of different things. We talk about history, and storytelling, the importance of controlling your own narrative, oppressive systems who kept us from that, and how no one else can tell your story the way you do. You know. All that learny stuff.

Part of the class we take some time to write a pitch. For them to tell me a story and tell me why that story is important to them. 

I let them write for about 10 minutes, and then we go around and read the pitches. A few kids volunteered. The rest I warned I was gonna call on ‘em, and I did. Eventually.

There were two holdouts. One who was too afraid to speak and didn't really talk at all. One who thought I wasn't going to like their story and it was too personal. So I told them, cool, I'm not gonna force you to tell your story. And we kept it pushing with the lesson. 

At the end of the class, I tied it all back together. Them not wanting to tell their stories is fine. Maybe it's not time. Maybe they're not ready. But one day, someone is going to need to hear it. Someone is going to feel less alone because of their story. So I hope one day they share it.

 As they wound down, and I told em to move about the cabin, the quiet one came up to me. The one who was too shy to look at me when I talked to him and definitely wouldn't read his story aloud.

 "Can I show you my drawings?" he said. Timidly. A big ringed sketchbook in his hand.

 "Of course."

 So we sat for a few extra minutes as he flipped through each page. How he wasn't sure how to handle emotions sometimes so he would draw people with masks on. How he wasn't really sure how to tell a story, but he wanted to get rid of anxiety and he thought this would help.

 "You definitely know how to tell a story. Art is storytelling. Every line you draw tells a story." I told him.

 "I did write one thing. On the bookmark I drew. Want to see?"

He takes me to his desk, where a small bookmark, carefully folded into shape on lined paper sits. A pink flamingo is drawn on it. Below it, Japanese letters.

 "What does it say?" I ask him.

 Without speaking a word, he unfolds the paper and shows me the translation.

 "Wholeness is about more than the physical. It is about the wholeness of our whole self."

 "Did you write that?" I ask him.

 "Yeah."

 "Why a pink flamingo?"

 "They're weird," he barely whispered, "and people look at them strangely because of their color and their stance. But. They're beautiful. People just don't understand them."

 And he looked up at me.

 And I looked back at him.

 "Sounds like you know way more about storytelling than you thought."

 And he smiled. You know, even through a mask you can tell when someone smiles at you, and he definitely smiled. And he hugged his notebook a little tighter.

Students Are Writing in the Imaginarium Again...

Students are writing in the Imaginarium again.

It feels so good, so affirming, so hopeful to say that. It seems like a lifetime since our doors have been swung open in this way. Amplify Summer Camp is well underway and although some things may look different, the heart of the work remains the same - thanks to a whole lot of hard work from Ink staff and generous support from the RCA Community Fund.

On Monday, an Amplify student learns the method by which we will write our book together. On Tuesday, we further explore the stages of the Hero’s Journey through the development of a group story. Throughout the week they write fiction and poetry and creative nonfiction, whatever it is that they need to say. They are treated to activities from several members of our guest artist family such as Freestyle Rapping, Editorial Journalism, Podcasting, and a host of other topics. By Friday, they feel that they have known each other for years AND they cannot believe how fast the time has flown.

The staff knows about this phenomenon; we call it “Ink Time.” Driven by this incredible team’s commitment to the mission, we simply never stop. We showed resilience and dedication by pivoting to online programming during the shelter-in-place order and we are doing so again as we plan our return to modified and safe in-person programs. As summer draws to a close we are busy planning for the upcoming school year, in which we will launch SIXTY-FIVE Find Your Voice workshop series, begin our first full year of Read On! tutoring, and reengage with the community we have missed so much.

On September 16 (916 Ink’s 10th Birthday), we will host a free literacy fair for families. On October 15, we will host our largest fundraiser of the year, InkStravaganza (formerly Hot Literary Nights). We hope to see you soon, at Write Night , signing your student up for our drop in after school programs (registration opening soon for Fall), or at one of our upcoming community events!

Bringing Youth Authors Together, Six Feet Apart

A student autographs their poster.

New Board Member Mimi Warshaw hosts the "Refueling Stop."

Board Member Lynn Lizarraga gives a hearty hello!

Our Inkers were all smiles!

A student from Amplify! Summer Camps is excited to get her tote bag of goodies.

This student's proud parent snaps a picture.

Board Member Dr. Beatrice Tetteh hands this student their poster to sign.

Two students smile proudly!

Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Councilmember Jay Schenirer dropped by!

Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Councilmember Jay Schenirer, and Bina Lefkovitz pose with their brand-new "Poetic Licenses."

Every Find Your Voice creative writing program ends in celebration — it's built into the experience, an essential final step after twelve weeks of thinking, sharing, and growing as a group of writers. At the program’s culminating book release party, Inkers can hold their program’s professionally designed anthology and see their names printed inside: real-life authors, with a copyright notice and everything—this is the real deal.

Equally significant, these new authors can read their work for a room of parents and peers and walk back to their seat as applause surrounds them. But when 916 Ink transitioned to virtual learning in 2020, we were faced with new struggles: How could we continue this tradition when our workshops and anthologies now existed in a digital space? How could we bring young authors together while keeping them six feet apart?

After another semester of Zoom workshops due to COVID-19, 916 Ink answered these questions by throwing our first-ever drive-thru celebration, “Call to Adventure,” in March. The event posed challenges of its own, but it ultimately highlighted the joy of creativity, collaboration, and community among staff and students alike. Though separated by masks and tinted windows, the smiles from young authors shined through and reminded us of the importance of empowering youth and cheering on every story, even from afar.

After months of planning, collaborating, and delegating, we had four hours to celebrate over 90 youth authors from ten fall programs, and we wanted to transform our venue — the nondescript Maple Community Center parking lot — with as much whimsy as possible. Rolling with a tongue-in-cheek road trip theme, we welcomed every car-ful of authors with music, cheers, and an enthusiastic clanging of green cowbells before ushering them toward the unique destinations on their journey across the pavement...

First, make sure to grab your personal tote filled with writerly road trip goodies including a postcard prompt, writing passport, and printed zine filled with group stories from fall programs. Next, it’s time to drive to the DMV (Department of Meter and Verse, of course) and hop out of the car to take a photo for your very own Poetic License, which will be laminated and cut to fit in your wallet in case of any future writing emergency. After you’ve had your photo taken, drive to the cacti and retro gas pump at the Refueling Station to grab your mid-trip snacks, and then pull up to the tropical Souvenir Station to receive your 916 Ink T-shirt and certificate that you can show off to friends and family after your vacation. Finally, make sure to autograph the poster of your anthology to leave your mark before driving off into the sunset (i.e., balloon arch) — remember, your adventure with writing is just beginning!

Despite the silliness of inflatable palm trees and punny IDs, we witnessed authentic pride and excitement from fall writers (some new to Ink, some veteran authors) as they greeted their workshop facilitators in person for the very first time. Although 916 Ink has embraced virtual programming and the opportunities it provides — integrating multimodal elements into workshops and expanding our reach with new students from across the state and even country — forming relationships across a screen will always feel different than sharing smiles “irl,” where no one can turn off their camera or open a new tab. With every certificate grabbed through a car window and every poster autographed in metallic Sharpie, we saw youth from third grade all the way through high school transform from writers to authors before us, beaming with the self-confidence that difference makes.

The setting may have changed, but celebration continues at 916 Ink wherever we can create it.

A Day in the Life of a Wordslinger: "My First Workshop"

Running my first workshop, on Zoom, felt like swimming in a deep lake—joyous and free, as swimming always is, yet slightly terrifying, when I imagined what might rise up from beneath. Giant squids don’t live in Zoom, fortunately. But other (less slimy) problems can come out of nowhere, often in ways one wouldn’t expect.

My first workshop, with the incredible middle-school students of Author’s Lab and my wonderful collaborator, Isabel, fell victim to a few surprises. Initially, Isabel and I found that our microphones were running in different timezones. Her words took a long ten seconds to reach me, and vice versa, leaving the class in an echoey Abbott & Costello routine. Our Wifi joined in on the fun, lagging gleefully in the middle of discussions and feedback time.  We weren’t sure what to do—would the students stay patient with us?

Here I was privy for the first time to the loving community that 916 Ink writers know so well. While Isabel and I dealt with our Internet issues and figured out what to do next, many of our students unmuted themselves and said, with a mix of amusement and compassion, “It’s okay! Zoom isn’t anyone’s fault.” Others wrote, “Be patient, everyone,” in the chat, or private-messaged me, the nervous newcomer, to say “Don’t worry! You’re doing a great job.” Having seen in my middle school how students can sometimes act toward distressed or muddled teachers, I found their support not only heart-warming, but remarkable.

We dealt with the lag and mutant microphones and turned, finally, to writing. Of course, brilliant stories and kind thoughts could only leave me with a brighter smile. One standout was a story about a dwarf heading off to battle. He spoke in a booming Scottish accent—performed well, I thought, by the reader—and tossed axes at cave walls like a drunk man with a dartboard.

Near the end of class, I read my story, and demanded that the students “lavish me with praise” as a fellow Wordslinger likes to put it. And lavish they did; not since elementary school do I recall feeling so supported in my writing. Sadly, the clock soon turned to 5:00. I waved goodbye, left the Zoom, and promptly called my mom to tell her about the class.

An Unexpected Love Story: Breaking Up with Regret

Dean Balila met with me virtually to explain a bit of his creative process, inspiration, and his wisdom on how to avoid regret. Dean is a senior at Walnutwood High School and this past fall was his first experience with 916 Ink. As we constructed the group story (always a part of a 916 Ink workshop), Dean began creating concept art based on the characters we wrote about digitally, using Procreate on his iPad, and the illustrations are visually stunning. But that’s not all. He reveals more on his secret muse —love.

Tell me a little bit more about your creative process.  

Usually, I want it to be a romantic story, so I start thinking of ways where I can have romance. It doesn’t have to be between like two people, just something where there is love.  

When did you begin experimenting with artwork online, like the artwork you created for our recently published Walnutwood High School Zine, “Lost Stories of the Walnutwood Tree”? 

I started drawing when I was really young and started digital drawing when I was in 7th grade. I’ve used a lot of art programs. I take a lot of inspiration from manga and other online web comics whenever I draw... I just like the aesthetic of it. 

In thinking about your experience with 916 Ink, do the writing prompts help you express yourself? I recall you not opening up initially, but eventually sharing more and more.  

I do good with other kids, but when I have to be creative and show it off to people, I get really embarrassed and anxious. 

But you didn’t let that stop you from creating, correct? What do you think that driving force that pushes you through the feeling of anxiety to continue creating is... 

I don’t want to regret not doing it later.  

---

What an empowering message Dean instills in both youth and adult writers alike, that despite anxiety and vulnerability, we can press on, without regret. Excerpts from a short story written by him entitled “Brewing Feelings” and artwork from our group story “The Tragic Pasts” is included below. While working with Dean this past fall, I am reminded of the courage needed for all of us to tell our stories, without pause, without repression, and without regret.  

From “Brewing Feelings”  

Kit sat at the edge of the porcelain tub; his bruised face cushioned between strong, trembling hands. Every dab of cotton and antiseptic stung but he did not move, not since he had been ushered down.  It terrified him; the festering feeling deep in his chest, that crawled up his throat. It was foreign and uncomfortable, but he couldn’t tell Thomas that; couldn’t tell him that his gentle hands were too much, or that his care confused him more than it comforted him.                         

He had been scared then, at how absolute it all seemed. Never had he imagined the intricacy of love and the complicated feelings that came with it. Being together was the one thing he could treasure to himself, without the eyes of his father watching him. Without the judgement of his brothers. Kit could understand what love truly meant in those arms. 

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If you’re invested in Dean’s artwork and storytelling, click the link here and prepare to be inspired!   

A Closer Read: What's the new "Read On!" program all about?

It’s Monday morning and I’m ready for my first Read On! session of the week. In a few minutes I’ll hear a student reading, words of encouragement and support from a volunteer tutor, and laughter all while the tune from Tutoring with the Lightning Squad (by the Success for All Foundation) plays in the background.

Backing up a little bit, 916 Ink launched Read On! in September 2020 to help close the reading gap and curb student learning loss exacerbated by the pandemic. Since launching in the fall, the program has served 11 students at 2 schools and conducted 150 tutoring sessions with an average attendance rate of 90%. This has translated to students decreasing their reading gaps; a few of the students are very close to reading at grade level. The growth we are seeing with students isn’t just at Read On! Teachers are seeing it in the classroom and families are seeing it at home too. One parent shared, "I really appreciate the help given to my child for her to have more fluent and better reading."

At the heart of the program are the Read On! volunteer tutors and the time/energy they dedicate each week to meet with their students. Not only are the volunteers helping their students develop reading skills, they are supporting each student’s social-emotional needs/learning. Every student-tutor relationship begins with a “Get to Know You” lesson where the student and tutor complete relationship building activities - including a creative writing activity à la “Choose Your Own Adventure.” Students and tutors get other structured relationship building opportunities like responding to monthly creative writing prompts. This past month student-tutor pairs wrote stories about the day in the life of a snowman and trips to the North Pole.

The relationship building doesn’t stop there. Students and tutors are encouraged to take the first few minutes of every session and check in with one another about how their day/week has been or if there is anything new to report. This time is crucial for setting the tone of the lesson. The end of a session ends much in the same way as it began, but this time checking in with how the student felt about the lesson including the student’s thoughts on accomplishments, things they are proud of, and areas of growth. Some students will also take this time to tell jokes, share stories, or even show off things they are proud of (during the holidays students were very excited to show off their Christmas trees). It is these beginning/ending session moments where a student can really feel seen and heard by their tutor - this other caring adult in their life.

While Read On! is still in its pilot phase (thanks to the incredible support of the Arata Brothers Trust, with additional support from Social Venture Partners), the program has plenty of room to grow and develop. Frankly some days feel far from perfect because they are plagued by tech challenges. However, I cannot help but be astonished with what Read On! has become and able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. None of this would be possible of course without support of the amazing funders, community volunteers, partner schools, families, and the 916 Ink staff. I cannot wait to see the continued impact Read On! will have on its participating students, schools, and communities.

Reading Recommendations for Inauguration Day

How are you participating in this historic day? One great way for youth to engage is by reading books with themes around democracy or activism. Here are a few we recommend as entry points into the political process.

Constitution Illustrated, by Robert Sikoryak 

This book by Robert Sikoryak gives a pop culture take on the constitution, including characters from Homer Simpson to Spiderman. It lays out the different sections of the constitution with different characters to make the material more recognizable.

Unrig: How to Fix our Broken Democracy, by Daniel G. Newman with art by George O'Connor 

Illustrated in a similar style to a Marvel comic book, this book as an introduction to activism for young readers. I chose this selection because I believe it is important for them to understand that in a democracy they get to choose who their officials are. As well, this is an empowering book to guide readers to an understanding of how to protest, letting them know that it is okay to fight for a matter you believe is for the greater good.  

Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America, by Tommy Jenkins, illus. by Kati Lacker

This comic allows the reader to get an in-depth view of what the election process is like in the United States. This book allows the reader to get an understanding of what the Electoral College is, how it works, and how that makes us different compared to other countries around the world. Also, the books give the reader the feeling of reading a Garfield comic strip filled with humor and whimsy. Easy to follow and straightforward a great choice for a young reader.  

March by John Lewis  (Author), Andrew Aydin  (Author), Nate Powell  (Illustrator) 

This book is about the late John Lewis discussing his time as an activist, advocate, and the impact he had on the world. He was known for his march on the Edmen Petus Bridge where he encountered mistreatment at the hands of the police. This book is drawn the way Mr. Lewis's career unfolded, hard lines representing the turmoil that he had to endure in the earlier years moving into the soft lines to present progression since then but the dark color scheme reminds you that there is work still to be done. The book is an effective lesson in activism and provides the reader with an inspiring message about courage and perseverance.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy (Author), Elizabeth Baddeley (Illustrator)

A book about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her incredible career. It discusses her upbringing in New York, to becoming only the second woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court. She inspired generations of people to fight for what they believe in. She was a person who throughout her entire life fought for what was fair and just, a warrior for civil rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and immigration rights. She is one of our true American heroes.  

916 Ink Photo Contest

Does your child want to show their love of 916 Ink… and be entered to win some fabulous prizes?

Announcing the 916 Ink Photo Contest!

How to win: Just send us your pictures! Five entries will be randomly selected to win a prize bag, each with a $10 Starbucks card and 916 Ink goodies (only one prize per participant). 

1. Ask your parent or guardian for help and permission. Have them take a picture with a smartphone or digital camera. If you don’t have access to a smartphone or digital camera, your laptop camera can work, but isn’t ideal.

2. Pick a background that is fairly neutral and clear of clutter.

3. Show us through the picture that you are participating in 916 Ink! Maybe wear a 916 Ink shirt, hold a pencil and have a notebook in front of you, or have your laptop/device nearby.

4. Make sure to smile! We LOVE to see smiling faces on our social media and in our newsletters.

5. Have your parent or guardian email it to allison@916ink.org by January 29 to be entered to win!

 Winners will be notified via email, but follow us on social media to spot your winning photo on our page!

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitter

Can’t wait to see those smiles!

"916 Ink Was a Safe Place": One Student's Story

As we continue into month 10 of this pandemic, our young people are struggling more than ever. Studies show that youth are experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression during this extended period of disconnection. In addition, we are just beginning to understand the depth of the learning loss and academic challenges these young people will face. At 916 Ink, we never stopped successfully delivering creative writing instruction to students that helps them navigate difficult social-emotional terrain and stay engaged with academic attitudes. The long-term benefits of 916 Ink can be significant and life changing.

916 Ink alum Angelica Vera-Franco knows something about that. Angelica told us that when she first got involved with 916 Ink as a 9th grade student at Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, “I didn't think I had anything good to say."

However, she quickly fell in love with writing with 916 Ink. “It was a break from everything, and I got to let out everything I had in my mind. It was a safe place." When Angelica began experiencing mental health struggles, writing was there for her as a positive outlet. She learned that she could pour her feelings onto the page and help her process.

“916 Ink helped me believe that my voice does matter. And that what I do have to say can be expressed in a poem or on paper.”

Angelica kept coming back to 916 Ink at her school for each of the four years she attended. Now she's in her first year at Sac State, studying biology. She still writes nearly every day. She says that the writing skills and habits that she learned through 916 Ink help her work through her feelings and unwind from the stress of her studies.

This work will be even more critical in the coming months.

Your tax-deductible, year-end gift will help ensure that we are able to continue providing workshops to the students who need them most. Will you help with a donation now? Thank you for supporting and helping students like Angelica thrive!