What We Do

Empowering children to become lifelong learners.

Children Rising mobilizes community support for struggling elementary school children living in Oakland’s lowest-income neighborhoods. Through Succeeding by Reading and Path2Math interventional tutoring, we pair trained, caring adults from the community with elementary school children struggling to read or lacking basic math skills. And through FamilyBridge, we provide the families of children in our programs after-school homework support and parental/caregiver coaching so they may further develop the skills and confidence needed to accelerate their child’s learning at home.

How is Children Rising providing hope, the courage to dream, and the opportunity to thrive?

Nurturing Children in a Circle of Care

Through a circle of care approach, Children Rising programs surround children with deeper academic support so they can more quickly catch up to grade-level reading and math skills and become confident, engaged students.

The circle of care comprises our three targeted programs—Succeeding by Reading, Path2Math, and FamilyBridge—to support elementary school children living in Oakland’s lowest-income neighborhoods and attending Oakland’s most under-resourced schools. Combined, the three programs give the children improved classroom engagement, self-confidence, and a fairer chance to achieve grade-level skills in reading and math as the year progresses.

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Developed in 2009, Succeeding by Reading provides one-on-one literacy tutoring during the school day utilizing Science of Reading principles so children build foundational literacy skills. Learn More

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Path2Math was co-developed with OUSD math specialists in 2018 based on the common core math curriculum. It provides one-on-one numeracy tutoring to children during the school day, building functional numeracy and critical reasoning skills. Learn More

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Launched in 2022, FamilyBridge partners with families whose children are enrolled in our tutoring programs. It provides one-on-one after-school homework tutoring and coaches parents and guardians so they may further develop the skills and confidence needed to accelerate their child’s learning at home. Learn More

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In partnership with the Catalyst Youth Network, CareerBridge provides aspiring Oakland high school students with workplace skills, guidance, and a pathway to a promising career. Individual mentorships, life skills training, academic enrichment, and paid internships are a foot in the door, and create meaningful experiences and lasting relationships. Learn More

“I think the one-on-one connection with the tutor, when they have a bond with them, or feel like the adult sees them for who they are, and all of their potential, then it just improves the child’s performance academically so much.”

– Alexandra Brandenberg, second-grade Teacher, Garfield Elementary School

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and volunteers?