Education for Change

Education for Change serves almost 3,000 children in East Oakland, concentrated in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by COVID on many levels.  First, the economic crisis created by the pandemic had more than half of our families needing additional support financially to just feed their families throughout the Spring.  Many of you contributed generously to our Spring campaign to ensure our families could buy groceries and feed their children.  We continue to see families needing ongoing food support, but we also have families who are months behind in rent, utilities payments, etc.

Second, our families primarily reside in three zip codes (94601, 94621, 94603), all of which have been devastated by COVID-19 with some of the highest rates of COVID in the state.  Our families are disproportionately frontline workers who reside in more congested communities.  Additionally, to add insult to injury, the wildfires have created air quality so low that all people will experience health impacts.  That said, our children  have some of the highest rates  of asthma in the County,  AND many of our families are migrant farm workers who commute out to the farms in the North and South Bay.

At Education for Change, we know that children need to feel safe, be fed, and remain housed for learning to be facilitated.  Our educators are working relentlessly to provide quality distance learning, but we need as a community to lean in to address the financial and health crisis overwhelmingly impacting our families in East Oakland.

We need you to join us, to contribute as much as you can or contribute regularly until these crises have passed. Many of us have the privilege to weather these series of crises, but our families need us to lean in.  Our children and communities need you.  

100% of proceeds will go directly to families as cash payments.



More information about Education for Change Inc.: Our mission is to provide a superior public education to Oakland’s most underserved children by creating a system of public schools that relentlessly focuses on our students’ academic achievement. We believe that high quality instruction, and its continuous refinement, will lead to success for our students. When our students succeed, they will be prepared to make thoughtful and informed choices that will set them on a path for a successful life.

PLEASE GO TO NEW FUNDRAISER - gf.me/u/yttdn4

Education for Change educates approximately 3,000 children across seven schools in East Oakland, 90% of whom qualify for free and reduced lunch.  We serve families and children who were already struggling for housing, employment, healthcare, access... and this pandemic will be devastating for them.

Why is this so urgent?

Many of our families face so many challenges to access, and we at EFC are worried they won't be able to access these other funds because they are homeless, don't have internet, won't know where to access those resources, can't complete a form in English or Spanish or are simply scared to reach out and share information about themselves.  Many of the existing resources, including the federal bailout, will not be accessible to many of our undocumented and homeless families.
  
We know every single family in our network personally.  Our families will reach out to us if they are struggling.  We can get resources to them quickly, and we can ensure our most high-need families are prioritized.  Two weeks into Shelter-In-Place, we are already hearing from dozens of families whose phones have been shut off, who are unable to feed their children, and who are unable to buy necessary medications.

How is EFC already supporting their families?

Education for Change has distributed comprehensive learning packets to all students; has distributed laptops to all families; are distributing hotspots to families without WIFI; have teachers reaching out daily to students and families to provide feedback and coach students on the  online adaptive programs and the packets; are ensuring families have access to meals and groceries (through citywide partners); and are connecting families to other critical health, employment, and housing resources.  We have partnered with OUSD to ensure families have access to school meals.

What specifically will these dollars fund?

100% of these dollars will go directly to families in need - groceries, gas, childcare support, healthcare costs, etc.  We will provide these funds through Visa gift cards and by paying bills directly as appropriate.

Ascend is a public school that opened over 20 years ago - we were started by families, for families. Our commitment, first and foremost, is to ensure our families have access to the learning, resources, community, and supports they need to thrive today and in the future.  We know that basic needs are a necessary foundation for learning, without which any human cannot reach their full and infinite potential.

The global novel corona virus pandemic has hit the Fruitvale community in Oakland, California especially hard. Many (if not all) of our families have been impacted physically and economically. Despite growing need, school budgets have taken further hits that have reduced our ability to ensure we provide the basic, foundational supports that are a prerequisite for student success in a distance-learning scenario. 

Please donate what you can to support our families. These funds will go directly to supporting families with groceries, basic needs supplies, immediate housing needs, and school supplies.

We thank you for being a supporter and a part of the incredible Ascend community.

8th grade students at Epic Charter School in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California, have worked hard all year to become academically prepared for high school. The school year is almost over, students have met their goals and are now ready to celebrate their achievements. Please help them to commemorate this joyous accomplishment by supporting their trip to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Your donation will pay for a ticket into the park and transportation. Amusement park tickets cost $34.99 and bus transportation costs $25. There are 113 students enrolled in 8th grade. Any amount will help families minimize the cost. Thank you.

Los alumnos de 8 ° grado de la Escuela Epic Charter en el vecindario de Fruitvale en Oakland, California, han trabajado arduamente para prepararse académicamente para la escuela secundaria. Los estudiantes han cumplido sus objetivos y ahora están listos para celebrar sus logros. Por favor ayúdenlos a conmemorar este gozoso apoyando su viaje al Reino de Descubrimiento de Six Flags. Su donación pagará un boleto en el parque y el transporte. Los boletos del parque de atracciones $ 34.99 y el transporte en autobús cuestan $ 25. Hay 113 estudiantes matriculados en 8 ° grado. Las familias ayudan con el costo. Gracias.