In August 2024, I had the pleasure of leading a workshop at the Hammer Museum for the nonprofit organization 826LA. This organization provides students ages 8-14 with the support they need to discover their voices through writing. I first encountered 826LA during my senior year of high school when I needed assistance with my college essays. Their Time Travel Mart, located near Echo Park on Sunset Blvd, was just a few minutes away from my school.
The Time Travel Mart is a convenience store for time travelers where one can find quality, artisanally crafted goods from the past, present, and future. Not only are these unique items available for purchase in-store and online, but all proceeds from the store help to keep 826LA’s programs free for students. This creative and whimsical storefront is a gateway to the nonprofit’s larger mission: fostering creativity and confidence in young writers.
826LA offers an array of programs designed to inspire students, including In-School and Writers' Rooms, Writers Workshops and, College and Career Access, just to name a few. For over a decade, 826LA has partnered with the Hammer Museum, bringing unique workshops one Sunday morning a month to students in Westwood and its surrounding communities. These workshops create a space where students can freely explore storytelling, poetry, and various other literary forms.
826LA invites teaching artists to lead two-hour workshops, where students engage with new forms of writing or explore familiar styles in innovative ways. Each student leaves with a written creation they can be proud of. The workshop I led focused on writing vignettes—short, descriptive passages that capture a moment in time. Vignettes are often used to develop characters, settings, or moods and can also stand alone as individual pieces.
Titled Vignettes: Style and Vivid Imagery, my workshop drew inspiration from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. This coming-of-age classic, structured as a series of vignettes, tells the story of a young girl growing up in Chicago. Cisneros' lyrical and poetic writing style, rich with vivid imagery, served as a model for the students’ work. My goal was to help students expand their vocabulary and focus on specific details to enhance their storytelling. To bring their stories to life, they also created illustrations to accompany their writing.
Some students wrote vignettes based on their own memories and lived experiences, while others crafted fictionalized vignettes. One student, who went by the name Storm, stood out. At 14 years old, they wrote the most profound vignette about the existential dread of solitude and being. It was moving and exceptional, reminding me of the importance of programs like 826LA that help foster creativity and encourage students like Storm to pursue writing from a place of passion.
As someone who has been shaped by nonprofit organizations like 826LA, I know firsthand how transformative these programs can be. Without spaces like these, where creativity is nurtured and voices are encouraged, I would be a different person today. These organizations provided me with mentorship, inspiration, and a sense of belonging, and I am honored to now be in a position to give back and inspire the next generation of young writers.
That day, I also had the pleasure of meeting Karen Rowley Brooks, a Restorative Justice Teacher for LAUSD. We connected over our shared interest in community-based work and discussed the many different organizations we support and have volunteered for throughout LA. Moments like these reinforce how writing and education can bring people together in powerful ways.
826LA has an incredible mission and makes a meaningful impact on young writers. If their values resonate with you, I encourage you to get involved—whether by attending a workshop, bringing your children to one, or visiting their Time Travel Mart! Supporting this organization means investing in the future of young writers and ensuring that every student has access to a creative space where their voices can be heard.
Carina Tovar is a self-taught artist and writer from Los Angeles, raised in the Westlake area. They earned a B.A. in Anthropology with a concentration in Culture, Language, and Society, and a minor in Chicanx & Latinx Studies from Sacramento State University.
Passionate about arts and education, they have volunteered with organizations like Reading to Kids, 826LA, WriteGirl, and Heart of Los Angeles. Their work experience includes LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and The Autry Museum of the American West. They have also exhibited artwork and continue honing their craft at Art Division.
Currently, Carina is a Visual Arts Instructor at A Place Called Home, where they inspire young students to explore creativity and develop their artistry. Dedicated to fostering community through art and literature, they aim to empower the next generation of creatives through education and mentorship.
