By Children Rising
February 2, 2023 | Read More
The Power, Struggle, and Joy of Black Resistance in the Fight for Equality Special Contribution by Gwen Stephens, former Succeeding by Reading clinic coordinator and current tutor at Children Rising Each February, we celebrate Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Black Resistance.” Understanding our history—and the role Black resistance has played in our country’s […]
By Eric Steckel
February 1, 2023 | Read More
Jimena’s Recovery from COVID Trauma Aided by Compassionate Tutors You Supported Heartbreaking Shift to Remote Learning The sudden transition to remote learning was shocking to children, educators, and caregivers everywhere. It created a “perfect storm” of lost learning time with devastating, sometimes traumatic effects on many children. “The pandemic hit her (Jimena) hard. When school […]
By Eric Steckel
January 31, 2023 | Read More
Your Support Empowers Him to Succeed with Path2Math and FamilyBridge As a mother, Lashanna was worried when she saw her son Devonte* struggling with math and reading during the COVID pandemic. Desperate for a solution, she enrolled Devonte in Path2Math. Through your support, Devonte has made incredible progress by working with his one-on-one tutor, Mr. […]
By Chelsea Boniak
January 30, 2023 | Read More
Community Gift Program Grant Empowers Children Struggling With Elementary Math Children Rising is pleased to be once again the recipient of a generous grant from the Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) Community Gift Program. The $7,300 award marks the 11th consecutive year LLNS has supported Children Rising STEM programs. Support this year goes toward […]
By Jim Wambach
January 26, 2023 | Read More
Volunteer Today and You Will Uplift An Eager-to-learn Child “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”—Dr. Seuss Thank you, Children Rising tutors! You care an awful lot! This year, it became clear the COVID pandemic has devastatingly stalled and eroded children’s academic skills. The children […]
By Jim Wambach
December 26, 2022 | Read More
But Children Rising makes it simple and full of love In 2022, over 250 eager young children received crucial, timely academic support from caring members of the Children Rising community. Children struggling in reading and math were able to rise above the challenges they faced in school to reach their God-given potential. Thank you for […]
By Children Rising
December 12, 2022 | Read More
How to Make Sure Your Holiday Giving Provides a Full Heart and Tax Advantages Guest Blog By Jose F. Campos AIF®, EA, CIMA®, CFP®, Managing Partner (CA Insurance Lic#0K64850) As the holiday season fills us with hope and joy for the coming year, many Americans think of ways they can use their personal wealth to […]
By Jim Wambach
November 18, 2022 | Read More
Empowering Parents to Play an Essential Role in Their Child’s Accelerated Learning The Nation’s Report Card revealed a sobering fact about the impact of the COVID pandemic. According to the recent National Assessment of Educational Progress report, not only have nine-year-olds between 2020 and 2022 reported significant declines in reading and math. What is worse, […]
By Eric Steckel
November 10, 2022 | Read More
Improving and Expanding Services to Children, Youth, and Families At the beginning of the school year, Children Rising welcomed two new members to our program team—Pia Dandan, Program Manager for Succeeding by Reading, and Tai Dillard, Program Director of our all-new program FamilyBridge. We also welcomed Sophia Hutson Wambach as our new Manager of Volunteer […]
By Eric Steckel
October 27, 2022 | Read More
You Helped Him Gain Confidence In His Career Decision Isaiah Jackson, a recent high school graduate, joined CareerBridge after a chance meeting with Program Director Margena Wade-Green. He spent the summer at his dream internship with the Crockett Fire Department. “I like to help people,” he explained. One of the CareerBridge mentors had a brother […]
By Eric Steckel
October 25, 2022 | Read More
Family Engagement Enables David and Diego to Succeed in Reading David and Diego, twin brothers in second grade last year, are an “entertaining” pair. They are active, play soccer, and love exploring the local parks. They also enjoy more quiet pursuits like painting and history. However, despite loving books, they struggled with reading. In fall […]
By Eric Steckel
October 21, 2022 | Read More
Your Support Meant She, Mr. Gabe, & Her Family Worked on Math Together It all started with determination. “When I am bored, I like to do math or pretend I am in school,” Jeyla said. The ability to learn processes, and the determination to master them, served her well during the COVID pandemic. However, when […]
By Jim Wambach
October 19, 2022 | Read More
Caregivers Develop Skills, Confidence, and Tools to Advocate for Their Kids Families come in many forms. If there is one thing I can confidently say, caregivers—whether they are Mom and Dad, Grandma or Grandpa, or Aunt or Uncle—have a unique vision of what’s best for the children in their care. Who better understands the needs […]
By Eric Steckel
September 21, 2022 | Read More
Q&A With Rebecca Buckley, Director of Succeeding by Reading Over the past year, the debate over the “science of reading” has erupted nationwide. In reality, the recent discussion continues the decades-long “literacy wars.” If you have a child in elementary school who is just learning to read, you may wonder what the debate is about […]
By Eric Steckel
September 16, 2022 | Read More
Let Education Be the Great Includer Yesterday marked the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. It began in 1968 to celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of those who came to the country from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Today we continue to celebrate those contributions, but […]
By Eric Steckel
September 1, 2022 | Read More
3 Ways You Can Enable an Eager Young Reader September is here, and we are eager to celebrate National Literacy Month and UNESCO International Literacy Day on September 8th. This year’s theme is “Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces.” The focus globally will be on rethinking the fundamental importance of literacy learning spaces to build resilience and […]
By Eric Steckel
August 12, 2022 | Read More
Caring volunteers opened the magic of reading to thousands of children There is something truly magical about a child picking the perfect book off of the library shelf. The anticipation builds, and their curious minds wonder where the storyteller will take them. And when it’s time to check the book out, they know they have […]
By Jim Wambach
July 19, 2022 | Read More
Children Rising Math and Reading Tutors Support Initiative To Place 250,000 Tutors The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced a series of initiatives to help students make up for lost learning time and succeed in school and in life. The White House calls on schools to use the $122 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to […]
By Eric Steckel
July 7, 2022 | Read More
Community Impact Grant Empowers Children Struggling With Elementary Math Children Rising is pleased to be the recipient of a generous grant from Cisco Foundation’s San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grant Program. The $75,000 award marks the third consecutive year Cisco has supported Children Rising’s Path2Math program, addressing low childhood numeracy in under-resourced, Title 1 […]
By Eric Steckel
July 5, 2022 | Read More
Servant Leadership Inspires Her Pursuit of Medical Degree 2018 Eddie Scholarship winner Haifa Algabri is destined for a career in health sciences. She graduated from Mills College in May with a double major in biopsychology and public health and has ambitions to become a physician. A devout Muslim who immigrated from Yemen, she is the […]
By Eric Steckel
June 30, 2022 | Read More
You Made Math “Easy” For an Eager Child Maliha* was low on confidence in reading and math. And confidence makes such a difference in a child’s ability to learn difficult math concepts. It is also something that can be difficult to recover once it is lost. Like 60% of elementary school children in California, […]
By Jim Wambach
June 29, 2022 | Read More
“Ensure that every Oakland child is an ‘on-time’ reader provided with full LITERACY: a fundamental civil right, a powerful protection from the school to prison pipeline, and the cornerstone for a life of choice and fulfillment.” – Kareem Weaver, Co-Founder, FULCRUM EVERY child should be able to read with confidence and read to learn—this is […]
By Children Rising
June 29, 2022 | Read More
Your Support Helps Her Learn to Read Jeannette Brantley came to Children Rising in 2019 as a volunteer tutor, looking to offer something back to her Oakland community. That year of tutoring was the first round of her “initiation into the Children Rising community.” Jeannette joined the Succeeding by Reading staff as Associate Program Coordinator […]
By Eric Steckel
June 23, 2022 | Read More
Children Rising Programs Contribute to Recovery From Unfinished Learning Tutoring, and in particular, high-dosage tutoring, has emerged as one of the leading solutions to overcoming unprecedented levels of unfinished learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteer tutoring programs like Succeeding by Reading and Path2Math provide opportunities for community members to step in, be part […]
By Eric Steckel
May 19, 2022 | Read More
We like to say that Hope for Children Now is more than just a fundraiser. After being unable to meet in person for the past three years, this year’s gala felt more like a celebration than ever before. It was wonderful to gather with friends, hear from the families and tutors of children we serve, […]
By Eric Steckel
April 22, 2022 | Read More
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they have the heart.” – Elizabeth Andrew This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week. As an organization, volunteer tutors and mentors are the beating heart of all that we do for children and youth in our community. For over 20 years we have provided opportunities for loving, caring […]
By Jim Wambach
April 20, 2022 | Read More
“If there is one thing educators can agree on, it’s this: children do better in school when their parents get involved in their learning.”— William Bennett Imagine you’re a third-grade teacher trying to teach a third-grade curriculum while 67% of your class are two or more grade levels behind in their reading skills. On top […]
By Eric Steckel
April 7, 2022 | Read More
At-home Literacy Tools Support Family Learning Sometimes, kids just need a boost of POWER—Practice Opportunities With Emerging Readers—to get them back to grade level in reading. A compact box, packed full of early-reader books and literacy materials for eager young learners, POWER Packs are a new tool that Children Rising developed this year. They are […]
By Eric Steckel
March 31, 2022 | Read More
Program Provided 15 Years of Nourishing Meals to Families at Home Children need nourishing food to grow and learn. Unfortunately, many kids in our community go home to empty cupboards on the weekends. In 2006, Children Rising listened to the needs of our school partners and launched Health4Kids. A unique partnership with the Alameda County […]
By Eric Steckel
March 30, 2022 | Read More
Flexibility Helps Busy Family Find Time for Online Math Tutoring Nyjah’s* house is full! His mother, Tabetha, is constantly on the go, taking Nyjah and his six brothers and stepbrothers to and from school and after-school care while working full time. It’s the life of a working mother. Nyjah is an active second-grader who loves […]
By Chelsea Boniak
February 16, 2022 | Read More
Local Fund Supports Child Learning in Oakland’s Under-resourced Neighborhood Schools Children Rising is pleased to be the recipient of a generous grant from the Younger Family Fund to support and expand our proven one-on-one tutoring programs. This is the second $25,000 gift of a three-year commitment to Children Rising. We are so honored and thankful […]
By Jim Wambach
February 3, 2022 | Read More
“If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times.” – John O’Donohue I’ve often spoken about how wonderful the Children Rising community is—and it is indeed remarkable—but I’ve never really defined it. The Children […]
By Eric Steckel
February 1, 2022 | Read More
Gracie Wilson is a long, long way from home. A 2021 graduate of Cal State East Bay, she took her first post-college job as a resident life manager at the University of Texas at Dallas, assisting peer advisors on campus. She can trace this job back to her days as an eager young CareerBridge intern. […]
By Eric Steckel
January 27, 2022 | Read More
Few children have overcome the challenges Abraham Wordsworth faced. Born in Liberia in 1996 amid a violent civil war, Abraham was just six months old when his Aunt Theresa fled with him and his two older cousins to nearby Ivory Coast. After spending his early childhood in a refugee camp, Abraham’s family finally relocated to […]
By Eric Steckel
January 20, 2022 | Read More
Enthusiasm and Compassion Fuels Summer Learning When Randy Roth founded Children Rising in 2001, his vision was “to prepare today’s youth for a life of serving others and contributing positively to their communities.” This year, we watched that vision spring to life in a profound and touching way. Last spring, as COVID continued to disrupt […]
By Jim Wambach
January 15, 2022 | Read More
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Martin Luther King Jr. Today we celebrate the life, the […]
By Chelsea Boniak
January 12, 2022 | Read More
Local Foundation Supports Children in Oakland’s Under-resourced Neighborhood Schools The Callison foundation has recently awarded Children Rising a generous $25,000 grant. The funding will help support Succeeding by Reading, our proven one-on-one interventional literacy tutoring program. We are so honored and thankful to have once again received this funding. Support from amazing local corporations and […]
By Eric Steckel
December 14, 2021 | Read More
Over the years, Children Rising has been blessed with a passionate, dedicated, diverse board of directors. The combined skill sets and unique perspectives each and every board member brings to the organization have guided us and made us stronger. A board of directors is an ever-evolving group. Each year, we say farewell as board members’ […]
By Jim Wambach
December 9, 2021 | Read More
“A good teacher is like a candle—it consumes itself to light the way for others.” — Mustafa Kemal Atatürk As we count down the closing days of 2021, I feel a profound sense of hope, confidence, and momentum in our community schools. That comes in no small part from your eagerness to support children, youth, […]
By Jim Wambach
November 25, 2021 | Read More
Blessings from our family to yours! This week, we celebrate a uniquely American holiday. It is a favorite of mine for many reasons. We share the joy and comfort of family, gathering together to express gratitude for all of the gifts we have received. It is also a reminder of the welcoming our forefathers received […]
By Children Rising
November 1, 2021 | Read More
Special Contribution by Randy Roth, founder and former Executive Director at Children Rising “Seek the shalom (peace and prosperity) of the city to which I have carried you.” — Jeremiah 29:7 When I reflect on 20 years of nurturing and empowering children in our community to rise to their God-given potential, I can’t help but […]
By Eric Steckel
October 20, 2021 | Read More
Internship with Bessie Coleman Aviation Allstars Opens a World of Aviation Careers Margena Wade-Green, CareerBridge Program Director, has a keen eye and unbridled enthusiasm for untapped opportunities. It materialized this past summer as a unique aviation internship in which nine of our CareerBridge Academy students participated. For the past five years, CareerBridge has partnered with […]
By Children Rising
October 18, 2021 | Read More
Former principal remembers the early days of Faith Network Special Contribution by Roberta Teller, former principal at Burbank Elementary School 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Children Rising! As we celebrate this very special milestone, we caught up with Roberta Teller, former principal at Luther Burbank Elementary School, and the very first school to partner […]
By Eric Steckel
October 15, 2021 | Read More
One-on-One Attention Helps Child Focus, Develop Self-confidence Mikayla*, one of the first children to enroll in Children Rising’s Path2Math online tutoring program, is like so many second-grade girls. She has a collection of stuffed animals — and unicorns — loves playing with her cousins and friends, and adores Elsa from the movie Frozen. Like so […]
By Chelsea Boniak
October 5, 2021 | Read More
Local corporation supports initiatives to eliminate inequities and address needs of racial and ethnic minority groups Children Rising is pleased to be the recipient of a generous $30,000 grant from the Safeway Foundation that will provide much-needed assistance to children and youth in our community impacted by social and racial inequity. The grant is made […]
By Jim Wambach
October 1, 2021 | Read More
80% of Second-graders in Children Rising Schools are Two or More Grade Levels Behind It has been a turbulent 18 months, so full of challenges and opportunities. The global pandemic had a galvanizing effect in many ways. We saw the Oakland Undivided Campaign virtually eliminate the digital divide in Oakland Unified School District. Children Rising […]
By Jim Wambach
September 24, 2021 | Read More
“We already know that when students learn to read, they can read to learn anything and that this is a gateway skill that can carry them to any point in their life, career, and in their journey.” — Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Low childhood literacy rates have been a challenge for educators […]
By Chelsea Boniak
September 14, 2021 | Read More
Nourishing Neighbors Program helps children and families struggling with food insecurity Children Rising is pleased to be the recipient of a generous grant from Safeway Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors that will help provide much-needed assistance to the children in our community impacted by food insecurity. Many hunger relief organizations continue to be overloaded by increased hunger […]
By Jim Wambach
August 24, 2021 | Read More
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) When Oakland Unified School District opened its doors two weeks ago, it felt like a day to rejoice. For some students — many of whom have […]
By Chelsea Boniak
July 15, 2021 | Read More
Local corporation supports children in Oakland’s under-resourced neighborhood schools This past month, The Clorox Company Foundation awarded Children Rising a $10,000 grant to support our proven one-on-one interventional literacy and math tutoring programs. We are so honored and thankful to have once again received this funding. Support from amazing local corporations and foundations enables children […]
By Jim Wambach
July 13, 2021 | Read More
“The Internet is not a luxury, it is a necessity.” – President Barack Obama Over the last six months, Children Rising has launched online versions of our proven reading and math tutoring clinics. This greatly enhances our ability to support elementary school children who have fallen even further behind in their reading and math abilities […]
By Eric Steckel
July 9, 2021 | Read More
Summer tutoring sessions should get him back to grade level Over the course of the school year, we have been monitoring and sharing the progress of Nakoa*, one of our eager Path2Math students. Nakoa first enrolled in Path2Math as a second-grader in the 2019-2020 school year. He had been making significant progress in his math […]
By Eric Steckel
July 6, 2021 | Read More
Eager student overcoming COVID-related learning loss with online tutor Carlos has a smile and infectious personality that lights up a Zoom meeting room. He is an eager second-grader who enjoys learning. However, Carlos has struggled with distance learning since schools closed last March. To help overcome his learning loss, teachers enrolled him in Succeeding by […]
By Jim Wambach
July 3, 2021 | Read More
We wish everyone a very happy Independence Day. As we celebrate this Fourth of July weekend, we are reminded of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, and honor the sacrifices made by our founding fathers. We are truly blessed to live in a free and democratic country. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that […]
By Jim Wambach
July 1, 2021 | Read More
Access to Technology ensures that all children in Oakland have a fair and equitable chance to succeed in school On June 30th, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and its Oakland Undivided partners announced the celebration and expansion of their vision for closing the digital divide and achieving lasting educational equity. Children Rising could not be […]
By Children Rising
June 17, 2021 | Read More
Perspectives by Margena Wade-Green, Program Director Path2Math and CareerBridge Throughout my life, my family celebrated Independence Day on June 19th — Juneteenth as it came to be known. For so many of my forefathers, it was June 19, 1865 when they were granted their freedom. It was the day that Union soldiers read the Emancipation […]
By Eric Steckel
June 1, 2021 | Read More
Since taking office in 2015, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has focused her efforts on improving education in our community schools. It has been central to her vision for the future of Oakland. Children Rising was honored to welcome Mayor Schaaf, who once again shared her thoughts during our Hope for Children Now LIVE gala. […]
By Children Rising
May 31, 2021 | Read More
Today we once again honor all those who gave their lives in active service to our country. Thank you. You are not forgotten. We also want to reflect on all of those we have lost throughout this most difficult year. So many front-line workers — doctors, nurses, teachers, grocery store clerks, and more — heroically […]
By Eric Steckel
May 27, 2021 | Read More
Rita Moreno is a national treasure. She has won Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony awards as an actress, singer, and performer. Although she has been in the limelight for nearly 70 years, her story is a uniquely American one. And Children Rising was honored to have Rita as our special guest at Hope for Children […]
By Jim Wambach
May 20, 2021 | Read More
Building Bridges of Hope in Oakland This past weekend, we hosted the 2021 Hope for Children Now LIVE gala. Whether you were able to join us live, were a sponsor of our gala, or contributed in other ways, we are overjoyed and grateful to you. Thanks to you, we exceeded our financial goals and are […]
By Jim Wambach
May 5, 2021 | Read More
“Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its shalom you will find your shalom.” — Jeremiah 29:7 This year marks a milestone for Children Rising. It was 20 years ago that the members of First Covenant Church, inspired by Jeremiah 29:7, […]
By Eric Steckel
April 5, 2021 | Read More
Children love a good story, something that lets their imagination soar! Despite constraints imposed by distance learning, our Succeeding by Reading Library Services Program has continued to open the doors of reading to the kids in our community. Here are a few ways they have shared the joy of reading. Grab-and-Go Book Giveaway – We […]
By Eric Steckel
April 1, 2021 | Read More
Opportunities to innovate in support of student learning Succeeding by Reading Anywhere – Children Rising’s one-on-one, online literacy tutoring program – officially launched the first week of January, and expanded in February to serve seven schools. We are delighted to once again work with children so eager to learn to read. The launch comes after […]
By Jim Wambach
March 26, 2021 | Read More
“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” —William James This year marks a milestone. Children Rising celebrates 20 years of coming alongside children at a critical time in their young lives to nurture hope, the courage to dream, and the opportunity to thrive. Randy Roth, our founder, […]
By Eric Steckel
March 25, 2021 | Read More
When shelter in place was ordered and schools closed in March of 2020, distance learning swept into schools across the country. It has been a challenge to completely transform to online instruction, while simultaneously teaching the children. Over time, the teachers who dedicate themselves to our kids have gotten better at distance learning, but there […]
By Children Rising
March 12, 2021 | Read More
This past November, Succeeding by Reading lost a dear member of our team. Marilyn Williams was a gifted volunteer tutor in our literacy program for over 10 years. She was part of a tight-knit tutor team serving at Markham Elementary School in East Oakland, and she delighted in working with our higher-need students. All Marilyn’s […]
By Jim Wambach
February 22, 2021 | Read More
“I think what motivates people is not great hate, but great love for other people.” — Dr Huey P. Newton Each February we celebrate Black History Month. As we pause to reflect upon the rich, vibrant, and foundational role of Black people in our nation’s history, this year I feel a sense of urgency, coupled […]
By Chelsea Boniak
February 5, 2021 | Read More
Time or money? How often do we have plenty of both? I remember my days as a recent college graduate. It was the middle of an economic recession, and I struggled to find a job. I had plenty of time on my hands, and what I really wanted to do was travel. Unfortunately, I had […]
By Chelsea Boniak
February 3, 2021 | Read More
“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion and… your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” — 2 Corinthians 9:11 Rays of light often come at unexpected times, creating rainbows of hope and promise. We see it each time a child learns a new reading or […]
By Jim Wambach
January 26, 2021 | Read More
Unintended consequences can be a great thing. As Children Rising develops our one-on-one online tutoring resources to address the challenges of distance learning, we are discovering many outcomes that will better support the children and families, and foster holistic relationships. Online tutoring tools are fun and engaging for the children, and they allow us to […]
By Jim Wambach
December 31, 2020 | Read More
Small acts. Big difference. Tonight we say farewell to 2020. It has been a monumental struggle for everyone in our community, to be sure, but it has been especially so for the marginalized in our society. Despite the challenges we have faced together, we move forward into the new year with renewed hope and enthusiasm. […]
By Jim Wambach
December 29, 2020 | Read More
“I guarantee that the seed you plant in love, no matter how small, will grow into a mighty tree of refuge. We all want a future for ourselves and we must now care enough to create, nurture and secure a future for our children.” — Afeni Shakur When the schools suddenly closed in March, 450 […]
By Eric Steckel
December 23, 2020 | Read More
For many youths, high school is a time to try new things, explore the unknown, and look forward to a limitless future. Amber, a junior at Newark Memorial High School, seizes opportunities with the enthusiasm and vigor of youth. In addition to completing a summer internship through CareerBridge, she has participated in Boost@BerkeleyHaas since her […]
By Jim Wambach
December 22, 2020 | Read More
2021, building bridges to a better future! As we approach the festive holiday season and tie a ribbon on a most extraordinary year, let’s look forward to 2021 with renewed hope and enthusiasm! Despite the challenges you have faced, you have continued to rally around our little community enablement engine. Your support ensures that every […]
By Chelsea Boniak
December 21, 2020 | Read More
Nurturing and Empowering Generations of Children Thank you for embracing our vision for Oakland. You are empowering thousands of children and youth to build bridges to a better future. Imagine… A city where every child feels loved and safe and has reliable adults who model positive values. A city where every child can develop as […]
By Jim Wambach
December 21, 2020 | Read More
Online tutoring helps children in need of a little extra support In October, we welcomed back our first group of second-graders from Martin Luther King Jr. and Piedmont Avenue Elementary Schools for one-on-one math tutoring! At a time when many students are falling further behind, this is a significant step forward. You have seen how […]
By Jim Wambach
November 26, 2020 | Read More
Happy Thanksgiving from Children Rising Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Being a proud grandfather of 5, I know first hand that the best seat at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day is at the “kid’s table”. Telling wild stories, making silly faces, and hiding vegetables under the table can be much more fun […]
By Jim Wambach
October 29, 2020 | Read More
Empowering children and youth to build bridges to a better future Over the years, you have empowered thousands of eager children and youth in our Oakland community who continue to struggle in school. You have seen how the technology gap, the achievement gap, and the resource gap hinders so many eager young learners. Through your […]
By Eric Steckel
October 19, 2020 | Read More
Using technology to enhance our one-on-one tutoring What’s in a word? Don’t get me started! Last week, our team discussed the language we use to describe and relate our all-new online tutoring programs, Succeeding by Reading Anywhere and Path2Math Anywhere. As we did so, we struggled with the terms “online tutoring,” “remote learning,” and “distance […]
By Jim Wambach
October 13, 2020 | Read More
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” — Coretta Scott King When the schools in Oakland abruptly closed in March, children were confused and isolated. Many parents, out of a job, had serious concerns about supporting their families. Our educators, with a tremendous love for the […]
By Pearl Wang
October 12, 2020 | Read More
When schools closed on March 13th, our Succeeding by Reading Library Services Program immediately pivoted to help the kids as much as possible. The libraries might have been closed, but Ms. Kim and her team provided new books to each student of Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School as parents dropped by to pick up […]
By Eric Steckel
October 9, 2020 | Read More
COVID-19 has disrupted so many aspects of life for children and youth. But try as it might, it couldn’t put a stop to our CareerBridge summer internship program. This year, 20 eager high school students participated in a “distance learning” version of our one-of-a-kind internship. Instead of spending 6 weeks at Caltrans, BART, or our […]
By Eric Steckel
October 8, 2020 | Read More
Student designs spread love, inspiration, encouragement, and a smile CareerBridge is proud to announce Heart2Heart Greeting Cards. Heart2Heart cards are all handmade, original designs by CareerBridge Academy 2020 Entrepreneurial Summer Internship students. There are two delightful, inspirational collections from which to choose: “It’s A New Day” “Happy Days” CareerBridge offers professional development workshops, paid internships […]
By Eric Steckel
October 2, 2020 | Read More
Online math tutoring program to continue Nakoa’s progress Nakoa* is a typical 8-year-old boy living through COVID-19. Outgoing, personable, and a hard worker in school, he wants to learn and succeed. But, like an entire generation of school children, he’s been stuck at home, unable to see his friends, and sorely missing the structure and […]
By Jim Wambach
August 10, 2020 | Read More
The 2020-21 school year is upon us, and it promises to be unlike any other we’ve experienced. Every day I hear from parents of school-aged children anxiously preparing their kids to begin the school year with distance learning. They are struggling to understand how school is going to function, assess their technology and connectedness, coordinate […]
By Jim Wambach
July 21, 2020 | Read More
Perspectives Article by Jim Wambach, Executive Director “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” — Barack Obama At the end of March, someone asked how they could cancel their 90-day trial of […]
By Eric Steckel
July 14, 2020 | Read More
For many students, a trip up to the blackboard is a fate worse than death. For shy and reserved Jocelyn*, speaking English as a second language compounded matters. Even when she felt she knew the answer, she did not know how to articulate her thoughts or explain how she came to an answer. “She was […]
By Eric Steckel
July 7, 2020 | Read More
When working with struggling students, timing is crucial. In Juliana’s* case, we experienced both good and bad timing, seasoned by a team of caring adults who would not quit on a young girl determined to learn to read. Three years ago, when Juliana was in first grade, her teacher referred her to Gwen Stephens, Succeeding […]
By Eric Steckel
June 26, 2020 | Read More
As we continue to navigate the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been hearing from so many of you, our Children Rising family. We all feel the urgent need to support students who may have fallen even further behind over the past three months due to the closure of schools in mid-March. Now more […]
By Jim Wambach
June 19, 2020 | Read More
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.” – Delivered […]
By Jim Wambach
June 9, 2020 | Read More
A Statement from Children Rising on Racial Justice The murder of George Floyd on May 25th at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer was heinous and intolerable. It has exposed a centuries-old wound, once again shining a spotlight on racial injustice in our nation. Children Rising stands in strong support of racial justice. We […]
By Jim Wambach
May 30, 2020 | Read More
Your unwavering support will nurture and equip vulnerable children to rise above! On behalf of Children Rising, I want to thank you for supporting Hope for Children Now 2020. You stepped up in a big way, and we are both humble and grateful for your response. I remember the first gala planning we held just […]
By Pearl Wang
May 14, 2020 | Read More
Dear Children Rising community, I’m so thankful to all of you. Because of you and your efforts, we not only reached our fundraising goal of $10,000, we exceeded it by over $1000! As our first virtual 5k event ever, we weren’t sure how it would turn out, but we knew our community would show up […]
By Jim Wambach
May 5, 2020 | Read More
Unleashing the power of people to transform their communities Dear Friends, The COVID-19 pandemic has spared no one. It’s far-reaching impact has created unprecedented challenges and hardships. But despite the uncertainty and anxiety we all may feel, one thing has been truly inspiring: How the entire East Bay community has come together to provide for […]
By Pearl Wang
May 1, 2020 | Read More
Nominate your favorite teacher to be highlighted by GO Public Schools It’s the first of May! It’s a bright, lovely day in the East Bay. And we’re kicking off National Teacher Appreciation Month by celebrating School Principals’ Day. In this period of social distancing and school closures, we want to applaud the hard work of […]
By Jim Wambach
April 21, 2020 | Read More
Last month, I shared the poem that has captured the hearts of all of us at Children Rising. “The Rose That Grew In Concrete” marvels at the beauty that can spring forth in the midst of difficult, urban conditions. Every one of the children we are privileged to work with is like a precious rose […]
By Jim Wambach
March 31, 2020 | Read More
Dear Friends, We send warm greetings to you. We pray that everyone is sheltering in place and staying healthy during this unprecedented and challenging time. Throughout this health crisis, Children Rising is steadfastly focused on nurturing and equipping the vulnerable children in our community – students whose academic growth is being so disrupted this year. […]
By Jim Wambach
March 20, 2020 | Read More
Caring for the children in our community Dear Friends, As we all navigate the challenges and stress of this uncertain time, our hearts go out to the vulnerable members of our community most affected by the global health crisis. We pray for those who have fallen ill. We humbly thank the brave front-line caregivers who […]
By Jim Wambach
March 11, 2020 | Read More
Perspectives Article by Jim Wambach, Executive Director “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” — Fred Rogers […]