About my class:
Hello, my name is Nancy. I work at an alternative, dropout-prevention, credit-recovery, and Title I high school. Our students come from predominantly socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. I am our school's Operations Manager and Spanish teacher, and for the past several years, I have facilitated our school's travel club. I have found that students who commit to the travel club remain in good school standing, have better attendance, and thrive academically. Plus, students who have participated in our travel club have all gone on to graduate!!! Yes, they have all gone on to GRADUATE!
As a language teacher and travel club coordinator, I see that the larger picture of traveling is that students will develop a curiosity about the world. That they will be inspired to travel, study, and discover career opportunities, leading them to become global citizens.
This is important because students who step outside their comfort zone and venture into foreign lands will develop inner awareness, cultural appreciation, and openness to diversity. They will become more tolerant of other ethnicities. They will return home to share this knowledge, awareness, and experiences with others in their community. Hence, travel perpetuates the importance of openness, learning, tolerance, and acceptance of people's uniqueness.
Also, did I mention that all my travel club students have gone on to GRADUATE!
Why we need your help
We need your help because we are a Title 1 school, meaning the majority of our students qualify for free lunch. So imagine trying to fundraise at a site where students qualify for free lunch. Still, we opt to provide a delicious alternative to the free, soggy, prepackaged food at a bargain price. This means that no matter how hard they work, they are still not earning as much as they could if they were at a larger comprehensive high school. Again, we are a dropout-prevention, credit-recovery, alternative high school in Oakland with fewer than 100 students. Once again, as the coordinator, I have to think outside the box and reach out to our wonderful friends and supporters. Your donations will cover all travel accommodations, flights, Eurail passes, meals, and passports. I work miracles to help cover chaperone costs, too. Once you join the club, you join the team, and the expectation is the same, so know that every one of us is working hard to make this trip a reality.
On that note, please know that we are not just relying on your generosity. Besides Taco Tuesday and Nacho Thursday, we also sell gift cards, See's Candies, and snacks are available every day before class, during lunch, and after school. We are looking into locations to host biweekly or monthly car washes. Finally, on top of this, our young adventurers are also young scholars. They know that when you join Travel Club, the commitment includes no behavioral issues, passing all their classes, and committing to the year.
What we need:
We need donors, many of them who can donate a little here and a little there. We need donations that will turn travel dreams into lived experiences.
We need shares, please, please share far and wide, “Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.” The Buddha
Why We Need Your Help:
We need HELP, we need your HELP, to make dreams come true.
"Was it worth it?" I asked one of my two students who made it to Paris Summer 2023, and he said, "YES!" I smiled. "You would do it again, Taco Tuesday, Nacho Thursday, all year long?" "Yes! I'm all in!" I take a deep breath, and here we go again, "So, would you encourage your friends to join our Travel Club?" His response was, "Absolutely! This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I want them to experience what I experienced!"
This is a reminder from one of our youth, traveling is an experience and privilege reserved for those who can. It is not something that our high school youth see as a possibility. We are a Title I dropout-prevention, credit-recovery high school. Most of our students have never left the surrounding area. The students who participate in our travel club are dedicated, hardworking youth who commit to donating food, preparing it, cooking it, serving it, and cleaning up every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the school year. They do this in hopes of being able to board a plane, some for the first time, and exit their reality and delve into a world of possibilities, adventures, and experiences.
As the facilitator of our travel club, we form a tight-knit group of kiddos who take turns donating supplies for our food sales. This becomes costly for their families and doesn't guarantee that they will reach their ultimate fundraising goal. As the facilitator, my job is to ease some of the pressure by exploring other fundraising opportunities. The money raised helps cover the cost of passports and all travel expenses.
We need your help to reach our goal. Students will visit museums, have a culinary experience, journal, and walk, walk, and walk some more! They will develop a sense of achievement, personal growth, and independence that comes with traveling abroad.
Also, and I cannot say this enough, my travel club students have all gone on to GRADUATE!
Lastly, given the state of affairs, if our Plan A does not pan out, we have discussed and agreed on Plan B and Plan C, and, if necessary, Plan D & Plan F, we will not be deterred.
From all of us, we thank you so much, especially if you have read this far!!!
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You can make a difference by donating to the Street Academy Foundation today.
Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy is a public, alternative high school born of the Civil Rights and Black and Brown power movements. Oakland's original small high school has been deeply committed to honoring these roots by working in partnership with the Oakland Unified School District & Oakland community. We are a college preparatory high school emphasizing racial and social justice, unity, respect, responsibility, community service, while immersing and developing mindfulness skills for all our students.
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