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Resources

Resources for Oakland Students

Oakland Kids First is committed to supporting the overall wellbeing and ability of all youth in our programs to engage, learn, lead and thrive.

This page provides links and connections for young people to access services, relief funds and resources.

Student Relief Fund

Youth participants in Oakland Kids First programs including REAL HARD, Youth Organizing Council (YOC), Castlemont community school initiatives like Knight Time, Castle Cares, CastleWorks and Re-igKnight can apply for extra relief during periods of unexpected hardship. Student Relief Fund support includes access to youth stipends, gift cards, referrals to mental health providers and social services, and support from staff to navigate or connect with resources.

Support from the Student Relief Fund is only for youth participants and their families already participating in Oakland Kids First programs.

For more information and to apply, submit via an online form: 
Student Relief Fund Application Form or Aplicación Para Fondo de Ayuda Estudiantil

Community Based Resources

To find local programs and services related to food, housing, goods, transit, health, money, care, education, work or legal services based on where you live, visit FindHelp.

Housing Resources can also be found at: SAHA, Eden, and Bay Area Community Services. 

IMMIGRANT RESOURCES

According to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), over 3,600 students in the district are undocumented. Due to their immigration status, undocumented students and their families have been subject to systemic injustices for years.  Many of our students and families are experiencing a tremendous amount of anxiety right now and so we ask our community to stand in solidarity with those in fear of being separated from their parents and children.

At Oakland Kids First we don’t believe anyone is illegal (especially on stolen land), we understand that many people flee to the US because of the destabilizing effects of our foreign policy in the global south, and we will always be steadfast defenders of those unjustly targeted by our oppressive and racist systems.

In our programs, we ensure that we create a safe space where every student can learn, grow, and lead. In support of this, we want to ensure that every student and community member knows their rights and can protect themselves against injustice. 

We share here some resources from OUSD on – How to Respond to ICE?
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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.