Dave Eggers took home a piece of this year’s TED Prize, winning $100,000 and a wish. In his acceptance speech, he speaks about 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing workshop and tutoring center in San Francisco started by Eggers and run by various writers, educators, and do-gooders. He frequently mentions the transformative effect the organization has had not only on the children, but the community as well.

There’s something about the kids finishing their homework in a given day, working one on one, getting all this attention. They finish their homework, they go home — they’re finished. They don’t stall. They don’t do their homework in front of the TV. They’re allowed to go home 5:30, enjoy their family, enjoy other hobbies, get outside, play and that makes a happy family. A bunch of happy families in a neighborhood is a happy community. A bunch of happy communities tied together is a happy city and a happy world, right? So, the key to it all is homework.

His wish? Once Upon a School:

I wish that you–you personally and every creative individual and organization you know–will find a way to directly engage with a public school in your area and that you’ll then tell the story of how you got involved, so that within one year we have 1,000 examples of innovative public-private partnerships.

The other two TED Prize winners were Neil Turok (Finding the next Einstein in Africa) and Karen Armstrong (Help bring compassion back to religion).

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