If the World Only Knew: What Sixty-Six High School Students Believe 826 Valencia's 2015 Young Authors' Book Project

This essay collection is a product of 826 Valencia’s Young Authors’ Book Project — an annual program that partners with a San Francisco high school to publish an anthology of student work. Here, students from Mission High School reflect on their beliefs and where they came from — the people who imparted them, the times when they were most necessary, and the ways in which the world has tested them. The collection is a testament to the power of personal conviction, and a powerful case for why young peoples’ voices should be heard, and believed. The collection features a foreword by Glynn Washington, host of the acclaimed Oakland-based radio show Snap Judgement.

Mission High School is a public high school in the Mission District in San Francisco with a diverse student body and a strong focus on equity, inclusion, and Anti-Racist Teachings. Molly Parent has been coordinating educational programs to support youth with their creative and expository writing skills at 826 Valencia since 2012. Prior to joining the team at 826, she was a bookseller at Green Apple Books in San Francisco. She lives in San Francisco. Glynn Washington is the host and executive producer of Snap Judgment, a radio show on NPR broadcast out of Oakland, California. Before creating the Snap Judgment radio show, Glynn worked as an educator, diplomat, community activist, actor, political strategist, fist-shaker, mountain-hollerer, and foot stomper.