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Impact

Organizational Goals

Oakland Kids First programs are designed to address the material conditions, policies and practices that affect student experiences in OUSD schools to achieve these 3 goals:

  1. Scale youth leadership programs and sharpen organizing practices
  2. Leverage coalitions for student power building
  3. Provide student support services at Castlemont High School


Each school year, we measure what outcomes and impacts our programming has on the young people engaged and assess how youth-led systems change efforts are transforming the public school landscape. Below, you can access a brief by-the-numbers summary and OKF’s full yearly impact reports.

2023-24 Impact Report

Cover page for the OKF Impact Report 2023-2024

Impact by Numbers - 889 student engaged

  • 90% of surveyed youth in internships agreed that the program successfully prepared them for college, career, and community engagement.
  • 94% of youth organizers believed that students can thrive and succeed in the right conditions.
  • 92% of REAL HARD organizers felt that students have ownership of the culture at school and can build a positive school environment.
  • 86% of youth organizers believed their contributions helped create a better overall school environment.

Building Youth Power and Expanding Democracy in Oakland

Victory for Youth Voting Rights: In a monumental achievement, 16 and 17-year-olds in Oakland will now be able to vote in school board elections. This victory marks the culmination of a five-year campaign involving students, community members, and key stakeholders, making Oakland the largest city in America to enfranchise youth in this way.

Youth Engagement: In the 2023-2024 school year, Oakland Kids First (OKF) furthered its mission to empower youth by engaging 889 students across five schools. Through stipended internships and leadership programs, OKF prepared students for college and careers.

2022-23 Impact Report

Impact Report 2022-2023

Impact by Numbers - 775 student engaged

  • 90% of YOC members agreed that they gained a strong understanding of what it means to have and build power and they can explain how Oakland Youth Vote is important to building power for students.

  • 78% of REAL HARD youth leaders shared they believe students have ownership of culture at school and student contributions helped to make a better and more positive school environment.
  • 85% of respondents in English and 88% in Spanish agreed the programs offered the support needed to successfully prepare for college, career, and community.

Impact of Youth-Led Campaigns

  • “Supporting the Implementation of Measure QQ in High Schools Resolution” unanimously passed the OUSD school board vote on June 22nd, 2022
  • After making history passing Oakland Youth Vote as Measure QQ in 2020, youth organizers and the OYV Coalition advocated with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to direct The Registrar of Voters to implement Oakland Youth Vote by the 2024 election 
  •  Student Justice Platform demands from over 1,400 student surveys from across the district were the foundation for questions asked during the Student-Led Candidate Forum before school board elections.
Cover for the 2022-2023 Annual Report
Image of Senayt Sium

Senayt Sium

Organizer

(She/Her/Hers) is a Program Coordinator for REAL HARD and facilitates after school programs at Oakland Tech and Oakland High School. She attended OUSD public school and is a proud alumni of Oakland High School. Senayt is a first generation college graduate from University of California, Davis in Sociology with concentration in Law and Society, Public Health Science and Chicano/a Studies. One of her key passions is advocacy. She strongly believes in addressing and combating systemic issues that affect marginalized communities.

She strives to empower and support youth in developing essential skills while fostering activism. As a former REAL HARD student organizer, Senayt is very excited to be working with youth, and provide them with the necessary resources to support and help them accomplish their goals.

Peter Truong

Peter Truong

PROGRAM MANAGER

Peter (he/him/his) supports staff across OKF programs to incorporate best practices in positive youth development. Peter oversees the REAL HARD after school program and supports all chapters to develop youth-led transformational school culture campaigns.

Peter also writes curriculum for Oakland Kids First programs and supports organization-wide youth organizing campaigns such as development of the Student Justice Platform. A life long learner and educator, Peter earned a degree in Ethnic Studies at the University of Oregon.

Cara Holiday

Cara Holiday

SENIOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Cara (she/her/hers) is the Senior Development Manager who oversees fundraising, communications, grant writing and reporting and also serves on the senior management team. She has been part of the OKF community since 2009 in a range of roles including volunteering as a board member from 2009-2012, and then working on staff.

Cara currently works for OKF remotely from her hometown of St. Louis, MO. Throughout her career, Cara has focused on supporting students to reach their individual goals to graduate and access post-secondary education while also advocating to improve systems and equity in public schools. She earned a MA in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership Studies from Stanford University, a teaching credential from San Francisco State University, and a BA in English from Washington University in St. Louis.

Previous positions include working as Assistant Director at the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at Washington University, as a Community Programs Manager for Alternatives in Action and as an English teacher on the McClymonds high school campus in OUSD. In her free time, Cara enjoys hiking with her family and two dogs, and exploring the local food scene.