Blog

CareerBridge Students Thrive in Distance Summer Internships

By Eric Steckel
October 9, 2020

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.

You helped eager youth learn vital career and life lessons through CareerBridge.

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 other community partners, CareerBridge students participated in online workshops focusing on diverse workplace topics such as finance, accounting, product development, marketing, leadership, and more. They applied what they learned and created their very own business — Heart2Heart, “Greeting Cards to Inspire.” Despite never being in the same place at the same time, they set up a business, designed a line of greeting cards, and brought them to market, all in a summer!

“It was a challenge, but we knew it was an important skill they needed to learn, especially in these times of distance learning and distance employment,” said Margena Wade-Green, CareerBridge program director.
“These skills will help them adapt to their future endeavors, distance or not. The students thrived using tools like Zoom, collaborating as teams, and discovering new uses for our resources. They learned how to react under difficult circumstances. These are vital career and life lessons, and we couldn’t be prouder of our team.”

A few of our interns shared their experiences and observations.

Community partners and businesses are providing summer internship oportunities, paving the way for Malik to pursue a career in architectural engineering.

Malik

I’m a rising junior at Jesse Bethel HS and recently joined the Caltrans internship with CareerBridge. I will be an architectural engineer in the future, but until I started working with CareerBridge, I wasn’t sure where to begin. It helped me understand that there are many places to start and many different jobs from which to choose. That helped me focus my vision for the future. This summer has been challenging, but I was able to keep busy and continue learning with CareerBridge. Communication has been the biggest challenge. I’m usually a very social person, but distancing has given me some trouble. I am really glad all of the interns have such a wide set of communication skills and accountability. Each one of us strived to make this year’s internship succeed, pushing past wifi, time management, and family issues. CareerBridge has taught me that with hard work and dedication, I can accomplish anything. My journey these past weeks has been very fruitful, and I am very thankful.

“It helped me understand that there are many places to start and many different jobs from which to choose. That helped me focus my vision for the future.” – Malik

Sabine

You are helping Sabine find a career that speaks to her and that she loves.

My CareerBridge summer internship experience has been really great. Even through Zoom, and the uncertainty COVID-19 has brought to our lives, I made a lot of real connections, and learned so much. CareerBridge taught me financial literacy, professionalism, the importance of equal opportunity, conflict resolution, marketing, leadership, and so much more. These skills are extremely important in college and choosing a career, and I’m really glad I got the opportunity to learn in such a helpful environment. Ms. Margena, Ms. Michelle, Ms. Meca, and all the other interns are such amazing people I’m blessed to have spent time with and discussed important topics with. Through my time at CareerBridge, I realized the importance of finding a career that speaks to me and that I love. I also learned many skills I need in order to get the job of my dreams, which I will always be thankful for.

“Through my time at CareerBridge, I realized the importance of finding a career that speaks to me and that I love.” – Sabine

Daniel

Your support of the CareerBridge summer internship program will help Daniel realize his ambition to be a software engineer.

My summer internship experience with CareerBridge has been astonishing so far. I received a lot of support from the staff and my fellow colleagues. This was my very first internship/job, and I struggled to find the right balance between work life and my personal life. Working from home gave me a lot of flexibility, although I often got interrupted by my family members. At the same time, I was able to become more disciplined. My favorite part of the internship was working with real professionals. They gave many insights into what it’s like to work at a particular department at Caltrans. We covered many topics, in particular social justice. I believe it’s important due to the current situation our country and the world is facing. I really appreciate CareerBridge for this opportunity because it exposed me to opportunities in the workforce. I hope to realize my ambition to be a software engineer in the future.

“My favorite part of the internship was working with real professionals. They gave many insights into what it’s like to work at a particular department at Caltrans.” – Daniel

Your support of CareerBridge has made it possible for 20 eager youth to learn vital career and life lessons. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication. If you want to support CareerBridge, here are a few ways you can help an enterprising youth!

YES, I CAN help an enterprising youth learn vital career and life lessons.

 I want to order Heart2Heart Greeting Cards!

 I want help fund Children Rising online tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year.

Perspectives

By Children Rising
March 1, 2018

by Jim Wambach, Executive Director

It’s not what is poured into a student, but what is planted. – Linda Conway

He who opens a school door, closes a prison. – Victor Hugo

Dear Community,

Many of you have done so much to help “at-promise” children in the East Bay. Though Children Rising prefers not to label them “at risk”, these children, whether in elementary school or high school, do indeed face severe challenges – challenges that many of us understand, but often are not able to relate to in the same deeply personal and connected fashion that we might reserve for a family member. 

As you have read from Bronwyn Harris’ story of one Oakland child, the children whom Children Rising works with are truly at risk for a life of poverty, violence, prison and/or premature death. Their “at-promise” status is denied them simply because they were born to or live in a neighborhood that is substantially under-resourced and, in many cases, undervalued by our society. This tragedy is occurring EVERY day, and it insidiously drains the hope from thousands of wonderful children right here in our own backyard.

For these children, there are critical and very real crossroads in their young lives. We must act now – and with the outrage and sense of urgency we have for our own children. We must feel that outrage to the point of doing whatever is necessary to make sure children in our community, when faced with such adversity, are given the love, guidance, and support to stay off the path leading to despair and tragedy, and remain on – or rejoin – the path leading to promise and hope.

What can we do to help more children become “at-promise” instead of leaving them “at risk?”

Make it a top priority to let your neighbors and friends know there is an opportunity to make a real and lasting difference in a child’s life – and how much each passing day matters. We can monetarily and prayerfully support more volunteers – increasing the community’s engagement and commitment to help children realize their potential and follow a path of love and hope – the hope of a rich and fulfilling life and the ability to one day give back to and strengthen their community.

For the children,

Jim

At the Crossroads of “Promise” and “Risk”

By Children Rising
February 28, 2018

by Bronwyn Harris, teacher and author

I taught third grade in the Oakland Unified School District for eight years. I was passionate about my work, and dearly loved the children in my classes. Each one of them had so much promise.

However, I was teaching in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Oakland, a neighborhood that the police called “The Killing Zone.” What I discovered is that nearly every one of those promising students was also very much at risk.

I knew that Jorge was a special kid from the moment I met him. Introspective and intelligent, he was the “adult” in his family from a very young age. His mother was young when he was born and already had a substance abuse problem, something that he tried his best to come to terms with while continuing to love her.

Along with his self-awareness came Jorge’s pleas for help. He asked for help in every way he knew how: directly, with philosophical questions, by acting out, and more. The school just didn’t have any resources for him.

Today, Jorge is in prison. This was totally preventable with the right support.

Jorge was a very intelligent child but, as with many kids at my school, he was drastically behind academically for a variety of reasons. He had so much chaos at home that he wasn’t able to focus on homework or studying, and his internal struggles came with him to school. His parents had their own struggles, and his grandmother was illiterate. He just didn’t have any support. With academic tutoring, counseling, and a community to care about him and miss him when he didn’t show up, Jorge wouldn’t have joined a gang and he wouldn’t now be a felon.

When we volunteer, when we tutor, when we mentor, we support children at the crossroads of “promise” and “risk”, surrounding them with a caring community during critical periods in their lives. In doing so, we enable children like Jorge to reclaim and realize their potential.

Bronwyn Harris is the author of Literally Unbelievable: Stories from an East Oakland Classroom. The stories in her book come from her own experience as a teacher. To learn more about Bronwyn’s book and to read her blog, visit www.bronwynharrisauthor.com.

A Time to Build Up

By Children Rising
January 27, 2018

by Jim Wambach, Executive Director

Children Rising is in the midst of an exciting season as 2018 begins.  Building on the program benefits realized by the many “at-promise” children in our community during the last several school years, we are aggressively investing in our ability to both enhance these programs and to make it possible to serve even more children.

This is a particularly important time for us to have a heightened focus on enhanced programming and expanding the delivery of our programs. When the school year began, we were aware that the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), the primary district we support, was facing serious budgetary challenges. Since then, a $9 million budget reduction for the current school year has been implemented. This further reduces funding at the individual school sites, driving up already stressed student-teacher ratios while greatly reducing – and even eliminating – additional student support services.

Students at the STEAM Lab at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School

The many OUSD schools we serve clearly need more of our support as they work through these key fiscal challenges over the next several years. We stand poised to provide additional help to the schools that are feeling the stress. Accordingly, our board agreed on a budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year that allowed for an additional investment of $125,000 into our programs, a significant portion of our overall budget.

Over the past 6 months we have grown our program staffing levels in order to increase both our capacity for program development and our ability to support more children. Our entire staff has been working diligently to enhance program content, improve learning tools, and improve program benefit measurements – all while continuing to support our 300 wonderful volunteers who are helping more than 1,100 children in over 25 schools!

We are excited about this time of growth and, with continued prayers and the support of our community, we hope to be able to provide more benefits to more of Oakland’s at-promise children in the coming months and years.

Perspectives

By Children Rising
December 6, 2017

“Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back.” – Chinese Proverb

Dear Children Rising Community,

As you may know, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is experiencing significant budget challenges – challenges that the school board and administration are working extremely hard to address. If successful (and I believe they will be), they will have taken a substantial step toward establishing a brighter, more promising future, and securing a stronger foundation for public education for the children of Oakland.

However, in order to do so, the administration must slash more than $15 million from the current school year budget, substantially reducing the dollar amount budgeted for each child during this year. Approximately $5.6 million of those cuts directly impact individual school budgets. Every principal will have some very difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks.

Children Rising stands ready to provide additional help to these principals and teachers who are working hard to support the children during this fiscal crisis. We are preparing to expand our capacity to help during this important time, but will need the continued support of our wonderful Children Rising community in order to do so.

Here’s how you can help:

Join our amazing team of volunteer reading and math tutors. Your personal investment of one to two hours almost any day of the week can literally change the trajectory of a child’s life. Children Rising provides the training and ongoing support to ensure your success with each child. Email volunteer@children-rising.org or call us at (510) 836-5100 to learn more.

Support our December Matching Fund Campaign. We are working hard to add to our funds this year so we can respond to the additional needs of the principals and teachers with expanded services. Generous donors who have already pledged $60,000 will match every dollar of your donation. We hope to raise an additional $60,000 by December 31st to reach or exceed our campaign goal of $120,000. Please send a check with the enclosed donation slip or visit www.children-rising.org/donate/ to make a donation.

Use your company’s Employee Matching Gifts Program. Visit our company match page to find out if your company participates: www.children-rising.org/donate/#company-match.

As always, your partnership is essential to Children Rising’s mission of preparing today’s youth for fulfilling, productive living in the 21st century. This year, your support takes on an even greater purpose. Every donation postmarked by December 31, 2017 will not only be tax-deductible, but will be a gift that keeps on giving – yielding returns for generations to come.

For the Children,

Jim

Join us for our first Reading Tutor Training of the new year!

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

3:00 to 5:30 pm

Children Rising Office

To RSVP, contact Succeeding by Reading Director Rebecca Buckley at rebecca@children-rising.org.

Meet Dave Sundman!

By Children Rising
December 6, 2017

In October, we welcomed Dave to the Children Rising team as CareerBridge Program Manager. Since 2015, Dave has been living in Oakland where he discovered his passion for mission ministries and education. In addition to Children Rising, Dave also serves at Cityteam Oakland Program and has founded a God-centered organization called DIVIN3KINGDOM, which uses hip-hop and mentorship to inspire youth to serve within their community. He’s currently studying to be an English Professor. In his free time Dave loves to play basketball and run around beautiful Lake Merritt.

Call and Response

By Children Rising
December 6, 2017

Article by Dave Sundman, CareerBridge Program Manager

Principal Steele helping a student with Microsoft Excel.

One of the things Children Rising strives to do is to be responsive to needs expressed by teachers and staff. A month or so into the school year, Principal Betsye Steele of Ralph J. Bunche Academy voiced her concern that, due to scheduling issues, students graduating in December wouldn’t be around to complete CareerBridge’s Business Essentials series, which is 24 hours of instruction spread over many weeks.

With Ms. Steele and other Ralph Bunche staff, program directors Margena Wade-Green and Michelle Hutcherson came up with a condensed version of the series, the majority of which took place in an intensive 6-hour workshop on a Saturday. The Saturday workshop not only simplified the scheduling process but, as Ms. Steele explained, was more impactful because it placed all instruction “into a business management context so that the children could get the full and deepened experience of working in an office and business workplace.”

Stoking the enthusiasm of high school students attending class on a sunny Saturday morning can be a difficult task but we encountered a surprising level of excitement at the Business Administration Certification Workshop. Students were eager to discuss their plans for future businesses ranging from cosmetology studios to restaurants to black-owned financial institutions. They began to see how each subject and skill might play a role in their personal career development. Witnessing their passionate involvement was exciting for all of us instructors.

It was a blessing to see these students realize that being a business owner is an accomplishment within their reach! By listening to and collaborating with Ralph Bunche staff, we were able to serve more students more effectively.

“I can say with confidence that Career Bridge is one of the most effective programs I’ve ever engaged with in 6 years of youth engagement. Our school community is grateful for their expertise and professionalism and look forward to impacting more youth.”

Terrence Holliday, Work-Based Learning Liaison at Ralph J. Bunche Academy

October Announcements

By Sophia Wambach
October 2, 2017

Reading clinics have just started, but it’s not at all too late to join.

There are many struggling readers in need of tutors. We are always recruiting tutors, even during the school year.

Email volunteer@children-rising.org to sign up for a training session. And bring a friend!

Saturday, October 7, 9:00 – 11:30 am

Tuesday, October 17, 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Saturday, November 4, 9:00 – 11:30 am

________________________________________________

Our annual Matching Fund Campaign is kicking off soon!

Keep an eye on your mail for the details, which we will be sending out later this month.

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Perspectives…

By Children Rising
October 2, 2017

For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other. – Millard Fuller

Dear Children Rising Community,

Children Rising’s ability to serve is made possible through a wonderful and diverse community of love and care. Every day we see examples of how this community is improving the potential and quality of lives for the children we are so privileged to have in our lives – whether it is Karyn’s dedication to excellence, which is supported by partners such as CalTrans, or our volunteer tutors and mentors who invest their time to learn how best to help a child in reading, math, or life. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to each and every member of this very special community.

For the Children,

Jim

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Times of Refreshing

By Sophia Wambach
October 2, 2017

Returning tutors learning from Rebecca Buckley, Director of SbR

On a bright Wednesday morning in September, close to fifty reading tutors filled our Children Rising office almost to bursting. The event? Our yearly Returning Tutor Refresher Training.

Some attendees were returning tutors who joined us just last year or who are coming back after a hiatus. Others were long-time tutors who have faithfully come back year after year, but still welcome the chance to refresh and refine their methods for the sake of their students. Every struggling reader is different and so even seasoned tutors benefit from a refresher course and learning from other tutors.

This will be the fifth year that I’ve done the tutoring. I just enjoy it so much because the kids are so happy for the attention. They love to come and they love to make progress. It’s just a feel-good day all the way around. For me too ‘cause I feel like I’m helping and really accomplishing something with them. – Carole Johnson, Reading Tutor

Tutor Andy Anderson and Clinic Coordinator Gwen Stephens

One thing that tutors appreciated at this refresher training was a color-coded visual organization of the Emerging Readers’ Learning Sequence. Each of five colors represents a learning level. Teaching tools are labeled by correspondingly colored dots. This helps tutors to know which materials to use and what books to move onto once their student has mastered a level in a specific area, such as sight words or phonics.

Because volunteers are Children Rising’s most valuable resource, we prioritize training, guidance, and ongoing support for our volunteers. In Succeeding by Reading, that means new tutor trainings, returning tutor trainings, an abundance of carefully selected learning materials, and clinic coordinators who provide onsite guidance and supervision. Our hope is to cultivate volunteers so that we can serve more students every year and have a deep impact on each individual child.

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Upcoming Tutor Trainings

By Children Rising
August 28, 2017

Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You can vote in elections once a year but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. -Unknown

Our Succeeding by Reading Clinics will start up in a month! Email volunteer@children-rising.org to sign up for a training session. Trainings take place at the Children Rising Office.

Saturday, September 23 , 9:00 – 11:30 am

Saturday, October 7, 9:00 – 11:30 am

Tuesday, October 17, 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Saturday, November 4, 9:00 – 11:30 am

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How Did We Do in 2016-2017?

By Children Rising
August 28, 2017

CareerBridge: Hard at Work
In the spring CareerBridge trained 45 students from Ralph Bunche Academy and McClymonds High School in college and career readiness through our Business Essentials Workshops. Six students were partnered with wonderful volunteer mentors. In the summer, we placed 17 students, including those with mentors, at BART, Brain Balance, Caltrans, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, and the Children Rising office for five- to six-week paid summer internships.

Science Horizons: Full STEAM ahead
Our Science Horizon program provided a full-service STEAM* Lab to the entire Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School (300+ students), and more than one hundred students at PLACE at Prescott Elementary!

Last year, we served Piedmont Avenue Elementary and Laurel Elementary through five math tutors at each school, reaching 20 students per week at each location.

Science Horizons was instrumental in arranging field trips to Lawrence Berkeley Labs for 7 schools, Mission Springs Outdoor Education for 10 schools, and participation in Oakland Aviation Day for 6 schools.

*STEAM is shorthand for an educational emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Succeeding by Reading: Moving Mountains
Have you ever moved a mountain? Succeeding by Reading tutors witness students moving mountains every year as they build skills in phonics, memorize high-frequency words, grow into fluent readers, and begin to experience academic success.
In the 2016-2017 school year, we provided individual reading instruction for 310 students. Two-thirds (67%) of our full-year students improved by two grade levels or more in their reading skills! Special thanks to our 142 reading tutors for investing time, attention, and devotion in the lives of our mountain-moving new readers.

Health4Kids: We Did What?! 
Children Rising has worked with the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) since 2006. The ACCFB volunteer coordinator recently sent us some unexpected and inspiring stats.

Since 2006…
Volunteer participants: 3667
Hours Volunteered: 7460
Bags distributed: 239,025

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Perspectives: What We Do in the Present

By Children Rising
August 28, 2017

“The future depends on what we do in the present.”
– Mahatma Gandhi –

As another school year begins, the above quote very much resonated with me. There are few areas of the future we can all individually impact as much as when we help our wonderful children to have a good start in life. Giving hope to at-promise students by closing the achievement gap in our urban public schools profoundly changes the trajectory of children’s lives. We’ve seen it happen year after year!

This is our mission here at Children Rising and – together with our many community partners, schools, and amazing volunteers – we have been able to help thousands of children over the years. Our ability to serve and

impact the East Bay community has grown each year and we are planning to serve more children with improved programs this year. But… we can’t do it without you!

“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.”
– Josh Shipp –

As a Children Rising volunteer, you can change a life by

• Helping a child become a successful reader and lifelong lover of learning
• Opening up the world of science and the great outdoors to urban kids
• Sharpening a student’s math and critical thinking skills
• Mentoring a high school student in preparation for workplace internships
• Enabling children to receive proper nutrition so they are better able to learn

All Children Rising volunteers are provided training, materials, and ongoing coaching by our experienced staff. Only a small amount of time is required and the rewards you receive in return are priceless!

Thank you to our many dedicated volunteers who help year after year. And to those of you who have not yet had a chance to volunteer, thank you in advance for any time you can give as we continue to serve the children of our community.

For the children,

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President’s Corner: Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, A Homegrown Superintendent

By Children Rising
May 30, 2017

Congratulations and welcome to Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, our newly selected Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) superintendent! Here is an excerpt from the OUSD press release:

Born and raised in East Oakland and a third generation Oaklander, Johnson-Trammell is a fierce advocate for Oakland public schools, having attended Montclair Elementary and Montera Middle School. She holds a communications degree from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her EdD from U.C. Berkeley in Educational Leadership.

“I am honored by this opportunity to guide such an important organization in my hometown. To lead the teachers and staff of OUSD has been a dream of mine since I first stepped into a classroom as a professional,” said Johnson-Trammell. “I am excited by the progress our District has made and look forward to tackling the challenges that lie ahead.”

Ms. Johnson-Trammell’s commitment to Oakland and urban education is evidenced by more than eighteen years of service to OUSD in several capacities including elementary school teacher, middle school assistant principal, elementary school principal, Director of Talent Development, Associate Superintendent for Leadership, Curriculum, Instruction and Elementary, Network Superintendent and Interim Deputy Superintendent.

(Photo credit: Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)

Superintendent Johnson-Trammell deserves our congratulations, well wishes and on-the-ground support as she strives to serve a diverse and deserving community of students, parents, teachers and education stakeholders – in the days, months and years to come!

For the children, Randy

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Gala

By Sophia Wambach
March 31, 2017

Children Rising’s

Annual Hope for Children Now Benefit Gala

Register Here!

Saturday, June 3, 2017
Scottish Rite Grand Ballroom
Lake Merritt, Oakland

For more information, call the office at 510.836.5100, or email chelsea@children-rising.org.

Register Here!

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Science-Hopping

By Sophia Wambach
March 31, 2017

Once every month, every student at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary (MLK) gets a class visit to the STEAM-Coding Lab, which is led by Margena Wade-Green and Michelle Hutcherson, our Director and Assistant Director of Science Horizons. The STEAM-Coding lab allows students to work with hands-on science activities to augment what they’ve learned in their regular science classes. Children Rising volunteers and CareerBridge student interns from McClymonds High School assist with helping students to complete the activities.

On a Tuesday in January, Mr. Henderson’s class arrived at the STEAM-Coding Lab to find seven science stations set up at different tables. It wasn’t long before the classroom was abuzz with delighted children discovering and turning over new ideas.

The table that showcased It’s A Bug’s Life allowed students to examine real insects and plastic replicas using magnifying glasses.

At Money Matters, students took turns roleplaying cashier and customer, utilizing cash counting and math skills while also practicing common courtesy.

Students were challenged to theorize at the Water Conservation station. Why did California have a water shortage? What will happen if we ran out of water? How can we conserve water? On learning that, because of the water cycle, the water we drink is the same water dinosaurs drank many years ago, the students all chorused “Ewwww!” in delighted disgust.

At Computer Coding, students went online to code.org and worked through lessons that are designed to inspire critical thinking in technology.

To learn about building the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge at Build SFOBB, students got to construct a very simple self-anchored suspension bridge.

Can You Hear Me Now? provided students with funnels, tubing, and cups with string to show them how sound travels using vibrations.

And last but definitely not least, students made ice cream the old-fashioned way (shaking cream, sugar, and flavorings in a bag) at the ever-popular We All Scream for Ice Cream! station while they learned about the ice-melting properties of salt. Unsurprisingly, their favorite part was eating the sweet results!

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President’s Corner: Following Students Forward

By Children Rising
March 31, 2017

Looking back on 16 years of outreach to East Bay schools, I find it mind-boggling to think that we’ve had the honor of knowing and supporting thousands of students. Where most of them are today, I wish I knew. In most cases a child comes into one of our programs for a year or two and they move on and we lose contact. But there are those precious few we’ve kept in touch with. I have a sticky note on my desk entitled “Following Students Forward”.  Among those on that list is Jaqui Marquez.

Jaqui at the 2014 Hope For Children Now benefit gala

We met Jaqui in 2009 when she was an eighth grader at Longfellow Middle School in Berkeley. Thanks to funding from First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, we were able to establish the Max Martinez Scholarship program at Longfellow to provide educational assistance, mentoring, and college scholarships to students with high academic potential coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Scholarship recipients would receive a $2,000 award to be held in a savings account and awarded upon having graduated from high school and providing proof of full-time enrollment in college.

In the spring of 2009 Jaqui applied for the competitive scholarship. On the basis of her GPA, recommendations, and personal essay she emerged as one of the finalists. Because of her challenges, resilience and determination, she was selected to receive the scholarship. I’ll not forget Jaqui standing on stage on her eighth grade graduation day and receiving the award presented by the late Max Martinez’s wife, Charlotte.

Jaqui went on to graduate from Berkeley High School. Currently she is a junior at UCLA, majoring in biochemistry. You go, Jaqui!

For the children,

Randy

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Tutor Training – Feb. 7

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

You are invited to learn more about becoming a reading tutor at our upcoming Tutor Training!

When: Tuesday, February 7 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Where: All trainings held at our office:
2633 Telegraph Ave, #412
Oakland, CA 94612.

Training materials and yummy snacks will be provided.  Sign up with Rebecca at rebecca@children-rising.org or call our office at 510.836.5100.

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Want to be a part of something positive?

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

Volunteer with Children Rising. By sharing just a few hours of your time and talent each week, you can help a struggling student reach their potential.

How can one person make a difference?

Personal relationships are the secret to our success. Because of that, one person can always make a difference in the life of a struggling young student.

Together, we will continue to close the achievement gap in under-resourced urban public schools.

Will you consider how you can make a positive impact in the community?

Go to www.children-rising.org/volunteer to learn more about volunteering with Children Rising.

Tutor Training – Want to learn more about tutoring?  Click here for information about our upcoming Tutor Training on Feb. 7.

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La Escuelita at Missions Springs

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

Near the end of 2016, students from La Escuelita Elementary experienced outdoor education at Mission Springs in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This was La Escuelita’s first time and how it came about was rather providential.

A young eighth-grade teacher from La Escuelita named Ali McKenna reached out to Children Rising president Randy Roth, reminding him that he had baptized her in his former life as a pastor. Ali wanted to find out more about the Mission Springs Outdoor Education (MSOE) because Children Rising facilitates partnerships between various schools and Mission Springs.

Not long after, Stacie Daoust Burch, the director of MSOE, contacted Randy because an anonymous donor had contributed funds to send students to MSOE under the stipulation that this was to be the school’s first trip. Did Randy know any schools who would be open to coming? Randy immediately thought of La Escuelita. Between Randy, Stacie, and La Escuelita’s principal Jeff Franey, it was decided that La Escuelita’s two fifth-grade classes (the usual grade level) would go. Not only that, there was also enough money to cover Ms. McKenna’s eighth-grade class too!

Now that La Escuelita has been introduced to MSOE, we hope that this partnership will continue in future years.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Check out what La Escuelita students had to say about their experiences in the outdoors!

I’m glad I came to science camp because…

this was my first time away from the city. My favorite activity was night hike because we learned about nocturnal animals and played the bat game.

… I learned some cool new things about nature. My favorite activity was the solo walk because I discovered how peaceful it can be, walking by myself in nature.

… it gave me a new experience away from home. I enjoyed the blind fold walk activity the most because I learned the importance of trusting others and being trustworthy.

Article by Randy Roth, President

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Happy 2017!

By Children Rising
December 26, 2016

May God fill you with his love, joy and peace throughout the New Year!

Children Rising staff from left to right: (front row) Gwen Stephens, Pearl Wang, Randy Roth, Caroline Piraino, Michelle Hutcherson, (back row) Rebecca Buckley, Charlotte Martinez, Margena Wade-Green, Jan Zovickian, Chelsea Boniak, Ashley Verinsky, Kim Flom. Not pictured: Deborah Davis.

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Literacy Tutor Training

By Children Rising
December 26, 2016

Tuesday, January 10, 2017
3:00 – 5:30 pm

Training materials and yummy snacks will be provided. All trainings held at our office:
2633 Telegraph Ave, #412
Oakland, CA 94612.

Sign up with Rebecca at rebecca@children-rising.org

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Project Peace: Day of Service

By Children Rising
December 26, 2016

Over the past nine years, Project Peace has been a catalyst for change at local schools, homeless shelters, mentoring programs, and other social service providers. They began in 2007 partnering with one church and engaging 100 volunteers to serve 300 hours. Last year Project Peace partnered with 20 churches, engaged over 1,300 volunteers, and served over 4,000 hours at social service providers and schools across the East Bay, several of which are also served by Children Rising.

Project Peace does an outstanding job of organizing Days of Service that take place on Saturdays, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon every three months. They prepare by going to the service site in advance to determine priority needs, and then congregations and individual volunteers are assigned to a particular site knowing what tasks will be addressed. For example at the last Day of Service, Garfield Elementary volunteers focused their attention on “leveling” books, which means sorting and labeling according to reading grade level. This time consuming work is immensely helpful to teachers, enabling them to quickly choose books that correspond to a given student’s level of reading proficiency.
What is unique about the Day of Service is that it gives people who are busy on weekdays an opportunity to give back on a half-day Saturday. Once a Project Peace volunteer gets acquainted with a school site, they may be able and willing to serve on a week day while school is in session. For example, the Garfield Elementary Day of Service was the catalyst for the launching of an Excel Reading Clinic staffed by volunteers who come weekly to tutor second- and third-graders.
Next Project Peace Day of Service is Saturday, Feb. 25.

For volunteer sign-up information, go to: www.projectpeaceeastbay.org.

May God bless your new year!

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President’s Corner: Prayer for Christmas Presence

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

O God of peace and love, Companion in solitude, Protector in exile –
Show us the way to stand against injustice, to protect and nurture life.
Help us to embrace simplicity, to care tenderly for others.
Teach us to conserve and preserve the natural gifts of this world.
Help us to take time to be present to one another.
Increase among us the spirit of tolerance and good will.
Bring us to the quiet still place of healing and transform our souls
into a reflection of your love and compassion. Amen.

President’s Corner: Counting Your Blessings

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

While it’s true that there is a great deal of suffering, injustice and conflict in our world — faraway and close to home — we still have so much to be grateful for. As we gathered with family and friends on Thanksgiving, we paused before feasting to count our blessings. Children Rising is profoundly grateful for…

• Good Samaritans, you who volunteer time and talents to give hope to vulnerable children and help them reach their full potential, while at the same time creating a positive working environment for school personnel;

• Collaborative Partners, the pillars of our network, for your sustained commitment to invest in the next generation and pool resources for the common good;

• Generous Givers who provide financial support during the year. It is through your generosity that Children Rising is empowered to carry out our mission.

Our staff team joins me in wishing you and your family a joyous Christmas filled with peace, hope and love. May God grant us grace to be attentive to the persons he puts in our pathway, to rejoice when a child’s life is touched and transformed, to embrace the mystery of the mustard seed – transforming entire communities, one life at a time.

With gratitude,

Book Review: Literally Unbelievable by Bronwyn Harris

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

Literally Unbelievable: Stories from an East Oakland Classroom, written by former teacher Bronwyn Harris, throws a laser-sharp spotlight on Oakland’s public education crisis. Harris’ visceral, passionate expose is based on her firsthand experience as a teacher in Oakland. Literally Unbelievable is not about cursing the darkness, but about lighting more candles of hope to shine upon our most vulnerable children. The book concludes with a list of local nonprofits (including Children Rising) that provide entry points for positive community investment in our public schools, students and their families.

For more info, visit bronwynharrisauthor.com.

Review by Randy Roth, President

Inspiring Children to Make Healthier Choices

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

On entering the Lafayette Elementary auditorium on this particular day, you would have walked in on a spellbound audience of third- thru fifth-graders. The focus of their attention was a diverse cast of four actors performing in a health-related presentation called “The Best Me”. In the skit, each of the four “elementary school students” struggles with a different health or lifestyle issue. With each other’s help, the comedic foursome overcome their individual challenges.

By engaging their young audience in an interactive and musical experience, the actors communicate these four core messages:

• Play hard for at least 60 minutes a day
• Limit screen time, no more than 60 minutes a day
• Eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day
• Drink water when thirsty, instead of soda or juice

Photos are the property of Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program and used with permission.

Teachers receive “The Best Me” Teaching Guide and lead follow-up activities with their students in class. The program concludes with a Family Night event where the entire family is invited to learn how to make healthier eating and lifestyle choices.

“The Best Me” is one of six health-related presentations offered to public schools without charge by Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program (ETP). Over the past five years Children Rising has partnered with ETP by recommending Oakland schools that would benefit from their performances.

Article by Randy Roth, President

President’s Corner: The Literacy Crisis

By Children Rising
November 10, 2016

Early childhood literacy is a national issue that will directly impact the future vitality and economic well-being of our communities and our country as a whole. Fourth graders shown to be reading “below basic” are four times more likely to drop out of high school – hindering their chances to live a healthy, productive life. According to US Department of Education, 60 percent of America’s prison inmates are illiterate and 85 percent of all juvenile offenders have reading deficiencies.

Closer to home, some 60 percent of second graders in the Oakland Unified School District read below grade level. If struggling students do not receive effective interventions early, they are less likely to become proficient by the fourth grade. Children Rising’s Succeeding by Reading (SbR) initiative makes possible what our dedicated teachers wish they could do but can’t: provide one-on-one literacy tutoring, which combines a caring relationship with personalized strategies that produce evidence-based results. Sixty-five percent of the students enrolled in Excel Reading Clinics advance by two or more grade levels by the end of the school year. Having learned to read they can now read to learn. Reading proficiently with understanding is the goal – resulting in kids becoming lifelong learners and productive citizens.

Here’s how you can help:

• Join our growing team of Excel Reading Clinic tutors. Your personal investment of one to two hours almost any day of the week can literally change the trajectory of a child’s life. And the life that’s changed may also be your own! Children Rising is an Oakland education nonprofit that provides the training and ongoing support for you to be a successful literacy tutor. Contact Rebecca Buckley at Rebecca@children-rising.org or call Pearl Wang at (510) 836-5100 to become a reading volunteer.

• Support our Second Matching Fund Campaign. We must have the necessary funds to employ a professional staff so that our volunteer tutors have the ongoing training and support they need to be effective and efficient. Additional funds are required to purchase an array of leveled books, literacy materials and student workbooks, and that’s in addition to volunteer screening expenses. Every dollar received this month will be matched by generous donors who have pledged $60,000 to our Matching Challenge Fund. The challenge is to raise the additional $60,000 by November 30 to reach our Matching Fund goal of $120,000. Please visit https://children-rising.com/donate/ to make a donation.

• And please take advantage of your company’s employee matching gifts program. Visit our company match page to find out if your company participates: https://children-rising.com/donate/#company-match

Your partnership is essential to Children Rising’s mission of preparing today’s youth for fulfilling, productive living in the 21st century. Every investment will be a gift that keeps on giving – yielding returns for generations to come.

 Article written by Randy Roth, Children Rising president

Change A Child’s Life (and Your Own)

By Children Rising
November 2, 2016

After teaching students for over 30 years, Vivian received a most unexpected gift.

“A dear friend and I were walking our favorite trail in Lafayette, out in the fresh air and experiencing God’s nature,” she explains. “Kim had been tutoring students, and asked me to join her. She just knew how much being with children and working with children fed my soul, and urged me to join her.”

That first encounter with Kim was just a little seed.

“It was a simple invitation, but it had big meaning for me.” Vivian accepted the invitation to be a reading tutor, and began tutoring second and third grade students in the Oakland Unified School District that fall. Her first students were already two years behind in their reading skills, but Children Rising ’s Succeeding by Reading program was so well organized, she was ready to step in and immediately make an impact.

“That first day tutoring really set the stage for my anticipation and encouragement to come back and to be a part of that wonderful organization,” Vivian explained.

Not every week is not easy though…

Some days the kids just aren’t ready to learn. They’ve forgotten their material, or they’ve come to the session out of sorts, or they’re hungry and irritable. “There are days, and weeks, when it’s really hard to have the children focus, and to feel like you’re making some progress with them,” Vivian explains. “It can be difficult, whether you have been a teacher or not.” She is quick to point out the importance of the training that Children Rising provides, and the comradery of her fellow tutors.

“Sometimes it’s really helpful to have a chance to talk to the other tutors, or to the program director. They help overcome some hurdle that you, or the student, can’t quite get beyond. And to know that each week is another step in their lives, and in yours too.”

“It will give you a new purpose and joy in life working with them.”

“To have one-on-one time with a child is a rare privilege,” says Vivian. “They’re little sponges that soak up not just what you’re teaching them but how you’re loving them. It’s a great privilege to have those children that God gives me time with, and their progress by the end of the year is remarkable.”

Tutoring is truly a highlight of her week, and Vivian can’t wait to meet the next child she will tutor in the upcoming school year.

Your gift will help us accomplish our goal…and improve reading proficiency in Oakland Public Schools.

This fall we’ve embarked on our Second Matching Fund Campaign.  We’re seeking to match $60,000 pledged by major donors. The challenge is to raise an additional $60,000 by November 30 to reach our Matching Fund goal of $120,000.

The hundreds of donors and volunteers who support Children Rising are helping underperforming students reach their potential. Your financial gift helps loving tutors like Vivian make a difference in the lives of  at-promise youth.

You can send your check via snail mail (note Challenge Fund on the memo line) to the address below, or you can donate online by going to: http://children-rising.com.

Article by Eric Steckel, Turnpike Digital