Drive to Equity

As a response to COVID-19 health concerns, the California Department of Education has recommended distance learning for the upcoming months, perhaps the entire school year. Many parents have created pods or micro-schools out of their homes/yards, yoga studios, and/or will rotate with other parents to host students in homes and /or pay well-qualified tutors/educators. This method, while responding to the needs of children, exacerbates existing educational inequalities particularly for those who lack the funds, space, and/or resources to help their children. In the SF Bay Area, this means low-income Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color will be the most affected.


Driving to equity is an idea to help low-income BIPOC students in the Bay Area communities of Oakland, Richmond, and Vallejo. I came up with an idea of an open bus that can be transformed into a classroom while meeting outdoor and social distance guidelines set by the CDC and the CA Department of Education.   With that idea in mind, I was able to purchase a bus that I will donate for free community usage.  This bus will be driven to specific communities on different days or times and serve as a learning/resource space for low-income communities.

The goal is twofold. 1- ask social justice educators to pledge one or two hours of their time to tutor children/youth on this bus.   2- If we secure enough funds, we will be able to pay fair wages for additional hours beyond the commitment to community service. The bus will never charge parents nor will be used for business. Rather we will be paying quality educators for their time and efforts. We are not busing children or educators. Rather, we will park the bus in low-income communities and open it as a hub for learning. We will have a parent sign up sheet and match them with an educator. 

I can't do this alone and funds or item donations are needed for the following:

TLC on the bus. (mechanical/aesthetic).
Transforming the bus into a safe learning space. (removing seats, installing new floor, a tarp, social distance sitting areas with plexiglass around them, a hygiene area, etc). Plumbing/electrical
Making the bus a wifi hub
Paying a qualified bus driver
Bus Storage
Acquiring resources and materials for students and parents



If you want to donate your time to help please sign up at:  https://forms.gle/eMi4gLzeX3EeTpUs5

other ways to donate:
Paypal.me/Omi1984
Venmo: Omi-SantaCruz

About me: I am a doctoral candidate in education at the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley.  I have been in the SF Bay Area for 15 years and in the City of Vallejo for 5 years.  Prior to attending UC Berkeley, I received my Master's Degree from Columbia University and have worked in the education sector for the last 20 years starting as an after school program tutor for kindergarten and fifth grade. I love children and providing children with access to quality education is my passion.