From the Parents' Association

Over 115 Heads Up students thrived during the 2018-19 school year! Serving high-achieving low-income Oakland public school students, the Heads Up Program was established in 1987 to provide an educational program focused on developing academic success and an appreciation for community and civic engagement. With a cost of approximately $3,000 per student, this program would not be possible without the generous support of our community. Thank you for investing in these bright young students. 

More than one thousand students have successfully graduated from the program and have gone on to attend academically challenging high schools and colleges - including prestigious universities such as Yale. As alums, they are immediately eligible to apply for a paid counselor position in the Head-Royce Summer Program. Within this framework, Heads Up graduates receive extensive job training and access to a rich employment pipeline that regularly hires more than 100 high-school and college-aged youth each summer. Shifting from academic enrichment to workforce development, Head-Royce provides dozens of underrepresented students from Oakland with their first employment opportunity. No matter the journey students take after graduating from Heads Up, their connection to the program remains, and the bonds and experiences they share become deeply embedded in their personal narratives.

Nia + You = Infinite Change 
The 16th Installment of the Nia Speaker of Color Series was a great success. KevChoice performed uplifting music to open the event and Kevin Nichols of the Social Engineering Project delivered an inspirational message highlighting African-American pioneers in science and engineering and current challenges facing people of color in academia and STEM. He ended his talk with some advice for the young and the old regarding the importance of branding and networking and left the audience with the question, "How will you make a difference?"

The night ended with a fundraiser for the Nia Endowed Scholarship for Students of Color, and thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, over $3,000 was raised for the scholarship fund. Once again, the Nia event evoked thought and encouraged us all to talk about race, even if difficult, as it will benefit us all to have a better understanding of each other. This event marked another spectacular celebration of Black History Month.