Once Upon a School

Who We Are

Once Upon a Schho an online initiative developed in response to author and philanthropist Dave Eggers' 2008 TED Prize wish to inspire and collect the stories of private citizens engaged in their local public schools. 

"There's something different and incredibly powerful and engaging directly with real teachers and real kids."

- Dave Eggers

Dave is an author who wanted to support local public schools by providing after school tutoring. 

He created 826 Valencia, a writing center that pairs students with volunteers. 

By sharing his idea, Dave inspired others to engage with their local public schools. 

Get inspired!

Make it happen!

Tell the Story!

Get started!

1. Come up with an idea

• What can you teach someone?
• What's something new you could expose these kids to?
• What do teachers in your area need help with?

2. Explore others peoples stories on the site for inspiration

3. Find a teacher in your area that needs what you have to offer

4. Connect with the teacher and plan your project

5. Do the Project!

Be sure to take:

• Notes
• Pictures
• Video
• Anything that could make your story come to life

6. Post it to www.onceuponaschool.org

Your story will inspire countless others 

Schools need you

Teachers need you

Students and parents need you

"Some kids don't know how good they are, how smart and how much they have to say. You can tell them. You can shine that light on them one human interaction at a time."

- Dave Eggers