Back to School!
On Monday, August 12th, we resumed programming at 11 Title 1 schools within the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), where we provide daily support throughout the entire school year. Additionally, on Monday, August 26th, our programs at the Simpson Center for Girls in downtown Oakland also restarted. We provide hundreds of hours of quality, research-based programming to each participant, serving nearly 1,350+ youth annually, both in OUSD schools and in our center.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!2023 – 2024 School Sites
Elementary: Allendale, Bella Vista, Bridges Academy at Melrose, Burckhalter, Horace Mann, International Community School (ICS), La Escuelita, Think College Now (TCN)
Middle: Elmhurst United, Life Academy, West Oakland
In addition to the school sites we serve, our downtown Oakland Simpson Center for Girls draws students from more than 15 middle schools and more than 45 high schools across Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
Learn more about our programs and what they prioritize!
Elementary School Programs:
TK-5th: programs provide youth with a strong literacy foundation and include enrichment like art and sports, sparking interest in STEAM, and introducing healthy living.
Our elementary programs provide foundational academic support with an intensive focus on literacy and engagement/interest-building in STEAM based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) subject areas. In these formative years, girls begin navigating their relationships with others—teachers, peers, family members and various social groups—that can inform their attitudes toward others throughout their lives. Our staff work to encourage healthy relationships, healthy living practices, and begin to foster leadership development skills within elementary school curricula.
Our Literacy Intervention Program has experienced success year after year in helping students achieve reading fluency and grade-level literacy. So much so, that some schools have requested literacy programming for elementary boys as well. Research shows that reading at grade level by third grade is a key indicator of future academic success, making intervention in the first years of schooling critical. We partner with Title I schools to identify students needing assistance with literacy proficiency and then use research-based methods to support student success.
Middle School Programs:
6th – 8th: All STARS – Develops capabilities in tech, leadership, health behaviors, values and clarification.
6th – 8th: We Lead- builds leadership skills.
Rising 8th: Eureka! – inspires interest in STEAM, college and non-traditional careers.
In middle school, girls begin developing their self-image, defining their beliefs, and thinking about their future in the context of what they’re learning in school and in relation to the outside world. We support middle school girls by providing a wide range of physical and intellectual stimuli to build their self-confidence and ensure their journeys of self-discovery progress and develop positively and safely.
Research shows that as girls enter middle school, their interest in STEAM drastically declines in comparison to boys, and girls are subsequently vastly under-represented in STEAM careers. We provide a continuum of engaging and inspiring curricula to encourage and maintain girls’ interest in STEAM.
High School Programs:
9th: We Lead – builds leadership skills.
9th – 12th: Eureka! – inspires interest in STEAM, college and non-traditional careers.
11th – 12th: Girls CAN! – college readiness and access support for girls and their families.
9th – 12th: ACT “Achieving Change Together” – girls-lead community advocacy.
9th – 12th: HEART “Helping Everyone Achieve Respect Together” – reproductive health education.
9th – 12th: HER “Healthy Evolving Relationships” – healthy relationships education.
10th – 12th: Academic Assistance – tutoring and academic assistance from volunteers and staff.
In high school, youth are experimenting with pushing boundaries, they’re dealing with new emotions, novel situations and extreme social pressure, while also working to establish their own identities. Programming works with youth on their social and emotional development, in addition to college and career readiness, providing guidance on making responsible decisions, forming positive relationships as well as a positive sense of self. We work alongside girls to build a strong foundation from which participants feel supported and prepared to launch into adulthood.
Despite their potential, girls from under-resourced communities are historically less likely to attend college and pursue leadership positions due to systemic economic, gender and racial inequities. Our programming helps girls overcome these barriers by first providing an equitable environment and then by providing resources and tools for success. College tours, SAT prep, internships, assistance with the college application process, and advocacy and leadership projects enable girls to recognize themselves as scholars, leaders, and agents of change. Our girls see first-hand that their own skillsets can take them where they want to go.