STUDENT PROGRAM FOR ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC TRANSITIONING (SPAAT)

SPAAT Is a nonprofit public benefit corporation incorporated in the state of California for the specific purpose to provide each scholar athlete (in Oakland public schools) with the guidance, information and materials necessary in order to fulfill their dream of obtaining a college education and participating in collegiate sports.

SPAAT's mission is to empower socially and economically disadvantaged high school student-athletes by providing them with academic, community and athletic support services to increase the number of student-athletes prepared for college, careers and life after sports. SPAAT partners with the Oakland Athletic League, Oakland Unified School District's (OUSD) Office of Linked Learning, the Hidden Genius Project, Google, Intel, and extensive resources inside many Silicon Valley global tech companies to the bridge each student-athlete's unique athletic experience to developing game changing technology in the sports arena and beyond. 

SPAAT was founded in 2002 in response to the growing needs of Oakland high school youth. SPAAT programs steer student athletes away from criminal activities, alcohol and other drugs by increasing their college awareness, decision-making skills, giving them healthy values, enhancing their self-esteem, and offering them positive group mentorship.

SPAAT acts in partnership and close concert with the Oakland Athletic League (OAL), and is the primary service provider for the district that coordinates its activities with both the OUSD academic programs and offices with the OAL. SPAAT is housed free of charge at OUSD's McClymonds High School and supports its student-athletes through:

1. Academic Support – SPAAT provides over 300 hours annually of in-school and after-school tutoring and homework help. SPAAT provides a Scholarship Writing Program in which students develop, write and edit their own personal statements and scholarship essays. SPAAT also provides College Application workshops, Community College workshops, and Scholarship workshops, and conducts student tours to San Jose State University, U C Berkeley, University of Washington, and Stanford University. SPAAT hosts two twelve-week SAT Preparation Workshops for juniors and seniors, and provides in-school workshops and one-on-one and group college and fitness advising sessions on such topics as SAT/ACT preparation, choosing success, effective college selection, how to pay for college, how to increase academic performance, A-G vs. NCAA eligibility, and how to be a successful college student-athlete. Through an agreement with SPAAT, the University of California (UC) Berkeley Extension Program provides trained volunteer college advisers who assist students in exploring their college options. SPAAT has established a technology partnership with MyCCA.net to streamline the college admissions process and help SPAAT students find their best college match. Using this tool allows communication with students and parents via Facebook and through mobile devices; electronic access to college admissions data for hundreds of colleges and universities; and automated tracking of student tasks, activities and progress, thereby supporting SPAAT academic coaches to work more in-depth with more students.

2. SPAAT's College Playbook -- Each student-athlete receives a copy of The College Playbook, a Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete. The College Playbook is a series of college readiness and access activities that facilitate academic achievement, college research, selection, personal development, goal setting and financial aid planning. These activities are carried out in monthly College Conditioning sessions with their academic coach.

3. OAL ESPY Awards - SPAAT, in collaboration with the Oakland Athletic League (OAL), sponsors and organizes the OAL Student Athletes of the Month campaign and OAL ESPY Awards to recognize exceptional student achievement on and off the field. This past year SPAAT held this first-ever awards program that recognized 24 student-athletes who overcame incredible odds to graduate with high GPAs and earn college scholarships.

Academic Performance Training
* Academic Skill Building - Student athletes often have trouble advancing from basic to complex assignments, tests and projects. Academic skill building workshops cover the core subject areas math and English literacy. Consistent one-on-one and group tutoring, along with academic performance training sessions, help to improve grades, test scores and academic confidence. 
* Academic & Athletic Case Management - SPAAT works closely with the teachers and coaching staffs to regularly monitor academic and athletic progress of all student athletes. Several methods for assessing academic and athletic progress are used, including progress reports completed by faculty and coaches, and self-reporting done by student athletes in regular academic progress meetings with SPAAT staff. 
* Academic Advising and College Planning - SPAAT staff assists student athletes by helping them visualize and map plans for high school and post-secondary schooling. Our advisors identify the courses student-athletes will need for high school graduation and classes necessary for college entrance requirements. 
* SAT/ACT Preparation - All colleges and universities require that students take the Scholastic Assessment Test I (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT) as part of college admissions requirements. Beginning their junior year, students will take a seven-week SAT or ACT preparation course. At the end of the program, students are able to identify the various types of questions on the SAT/ACT and apply a successful, strategic response.


Sprint to College
* Sprint to College - One of the many obstacles that our young adults face today is a lack information about why they should go to college, how to get to college, and what it takes to succeed as a student or student athlete once they get there. This program provides one-on-one college admissions advising and guides our student athletes through everything from college planning to the NCAA eligibility registration.
* College Conditioning - Just as students need to be physically conditioned to play sports, they need to be mentally conditioned for college. The College Conditioning program is facilitated through our “College Playbook - The guide for the college bound student athlete." The Playbook employs a unique series of college access activities that ensure student athletes have the conditioning needed to be ready for success in college. * Student Athlete Camps - We have also partnered with the Oakland Unified School District's Oakland Athletic League to offer a series of Student Athlete Camps every year. The goal of each camp is achieved by educating student athletes in the areas of academics, college readiness, nutritional awareness, physical fitness, financial fitness and personal development. Our student athlete curriculum comprised of a series of tests, evaluations, workshops, and professional and motivational speakers serves as the camp playbook.

SPAAT serves all student-athletes at Oakland's McClymonds High School. When SPAAT first came to McClymonds, fewer than 40% of McClymonds' seniors (and fewer than 30% of African-American seniors) graduated college-ready (UC/CSU eligible), and over 75% of African American males that entered McClymonds failed to graduate at all. Since that time, 84% of McClymonds' seniors in the SPAAT program have graduated college ready, 99% are graduating from high school on time and 96% have enrolled in a college or university of their choice.