That relationship is a two-way street. Principal Roma Groves-Waters brings invaluable insights to our board of directors, enriching our organization with her expertise and perspective.

During the COVID pandemic, that relationship proved to be more fruitful and beneficial than ever! With so many of her children and families being cut off from in-school instruction, Mrs. Groves-Waters was confident that Children Rising would step in with much-needed learning resources. “The parents were concerned and loved that they had another resource to rely on to help their kids learn.”

Educators faced rapid changes, including the need to bridge the digital gap practically overnight.  Oakland Unified School District provided thousands of students and their families with hotspots and chrome books. Despite the hurdles COVID presented, this technological shift in thinking opened doors to unprecedented ways of supporting child learning. Children Rising leveraged this new opportunity to connect with children and their families in new and better ways.

Children Rising pivoted our programs as quickly and effectively as possible.

• Online tutoring in reading and math provided children with much-needed support to get back to grade level.
• Online book reading by our library services team shared stories with children who were unable to visit a library.
• School library book circulation and Grab-and-Go Book Giveaways put books in the hands of eager young readers.