Oakland Promise

Oakland Promise seeks to dramatically increase the number of college and technical school graduates from Oakland within the next decade. Oakland Promise supports children and families from birth through college and career to ensure that postsecondary success is a reality for all Oaklanders.

Oakland Promise is a bold initiative designed to provide long-term and comprehensive support for students traditionally underrepresented in higher education through the following programs: Brilliant Baby helping parents raise thriving children by offering a supportive community, reducing financial stressors, and establishing a college savings account as early investment; Kindergarten to College (K2C) offering families early college scholarships of $100 for all Oakland public school kindergarten students, supporting families in opening 529 college savings accounts, and providing college-going culture school supports; College Access operating Future Centers, which are school-based advising centers in Oakland high schools to support students in applying for college, financial aid, scholarships, and high-leverage internships; and College Scholarships & Completion supporting Oakland students at postsecondary institutions with scholarships and persistence supports such as mentors.

Oakland Promise has a strong team that deeply understands the needs and opportunities of our constituents. We have a wealth of knowledge and have worked to deeply embed our work in the community. Oakland Promise is innovative in its comprehensive support--it starts earlier and goes later than any other Promise program in the country. Oakland Promise aims to improve the short- and long-term health, academic, and financial outcomes for students and families across the city. According to researcher Dr. William Ellliot III from the Center on Assets, Education, and Inclusion, “Oakland Promise’s innovative cradle-to-career design is the most comprehensive Children’s Savings Account program intervention to date. Its rigorous research design means that the Oakland Promise has the potential to not only affect the lives of children and families in Oakland, but across the country.” Former US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that “Oakland Promise is one of the most strategic and effective [initiatives] and has the potential to be a national model... it leverages private philanthropy for public dollars and has already achieved outstanding results. Oakland Promise changes the trajectory of our Oakland students from the time they are born, through the time they graduate from college and enter the workforce. Oakland Promise is truly a game changer for Oakland and its future generations.”

Oakland Promise has achieved dramatic results in advancing racial and economic equity of thousands of students and families on an annual basis. Now serving 65 public schools in Oakland, OP is able to make a positive impact on K-12 students, a vast majority of whom come from low-income backgrounds and are students of color. Our external evaluations also demonstrate that we are having an impact on students of color, those from low-income backgrounds, and English language learners. For 2015-16 OP seniors, there was a 7% increase in college enrollment right after senior year, while rates stayed flat at comparison schools. Importantly, this includes gains of 11% for Latinx and 14% in African American enrollment. Brilliant Baby seeks to fundamentally change the trajectory of generations of Oakland’s children and families. Most BB families have experienced intergenerational poverty, and 77% have a household annual income of under $30K. Empirical evidence suggests that having a college savings account for a child from birth is particularly impactful for economically disadvantaged families, helping parents view their child as college-bound. Research also shows that children with $500 in a college savings account are 4 times more likely to graduate college. Our work can close the opportunity gap for thousands of children each year.