1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,820 We believe that providing culturally responsive approaches to literacy, math and science, then that really develops a sense of academic, cultural identity and belonging. 2 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:21,880 Community and connection is actually essential because we don't all necessarily come from the environments where we are taught to build community. 3 00:00:22,220 --> 00:00:27,200 It's something that we kind of take up right how do you create community, right? How do you create connection? 4 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:34,260 What we found was that this is where kids do find their community, where kids do feel like, it becomes kind of like a family, right? 5 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:38,440 They're able to talk about themselves in a way where they don't have to feel like they have to shy back. 6 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,340 We provide that space for them to come in and get that help. 7 00:00:42,460 --> 00:00:44,040 But also we talk to other teachers. 8 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:46,220 So how are they doing in that class? 9 00:00:46,620 --> 00:00:48,700 What are some things that I can do to help? 10 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,600 We just try to be involved within the student and everything that they go through. 11 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:58,120 Being in a space where you go from space with a girl that looks like you and you may be in a space with people 12 00:00:58,120 --> 00:00:59,620 I don't look like this much 13 00:00:59,620 --> 00:01:07,000 It's important to have a strong sense of who you are and off is really helping you to develop that and you know give me a stronger foundation 14 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:14,140 If this means to like a leader, it makes me come here to basically when I come to school way more because I have people that I can talk to 15 00:01:14,140 --> 00:01:16,080 I feel like before I met them 16 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,260 My grades were as good as I felt like I didn't have a lot of support and help 17 00:01:20,980 --> 00:01:26,640 But after I got into this program, all my greatest blew up, and all my greatest went good. 18 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:28,060 And my attendants got better. 19 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,260 I felt like being present at the school because I felt like, you know, I can actually get help. 20 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,780 Now that I'm older and I'm seeing the younger people come through, it's really given them a sense of maturity. 21 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:39,100 You know, a lot of them come out of middle school. 22 00:01:39,220 --> 00:01:43,020 You know, they're young, they might've been everywhere, but once they come in an AMA, they realize, 23 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:47,020 I, this is where I learn how to be a man, this is where I learn how to do master. 24 00:01:47,020 --> 00:01:55,240 we see students lean into the advocate within them. We see our parents understanding that this is their 25 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:03,740 school and that they have a voice and a place in improving the school in making the school community 26 00:02:03,740 --> 00:02:11,300 a great place of learning for all students. The approach of the department is very much 27 00:02:11,300 --> 00:02:18,760 student and family centered is very important that their voices are included in the decisions 28 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,880 that we make to move forward with them. I think we're all very happy to see that our parents are really 29 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:29,760 flexing their muscle and making more demands on us and asking us to do more things, 30 00:02:30,700 --> 00:02:35,380 which we're doing our best to meet them with what it is that they would like to see for their kids. 31 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:40,540 So facilitators do it in our names and parents oftentimes with a parent once another adult in 32 00:02:40,540 --> 00:02:45,320 space, they will act as advocates and other ear, especially if they're a challenging 33 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:50,220 situation, not that students get into a school. It's really nice to have another mentor, 34 00:02:50,700 --> 00:02:55,440 another adult who's in their corner. This school year across our targeted initiatives, 35 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:02,220 our students are coming to school, twice or three times more than students in their populations 36 00:03:02,220 --> 00:03:07,920 that are not enrolled in our programs. Across our initiatives, our students are also showing 37 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:12,540 growth in great level ratings. I also like motivate me to come to school every day. 38 00:03:12,700 --> 00:03:17,500 I look forward to coming into class because I know my teacher like acknowledges me. 39 00:03:17,500 --> 00:03:19,520 I know they want me to succeed academically. 40 00:03:20,140 --> 00:03:28,280 This has really helped me actually know how to team up with people and know how to work my way 41 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:33,920 through challenges. Kunna does a great job. They do small groups with our Pacific Islander 42 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:40,540 students through literacy, so reading books and exploring like the stories that are in these books 43 00:03:40,540 --> 00:03:47,020 that are centered around their culture. Also a big thing with reading is that we specifically 44 00:03:47,020 --> 00:03:52,440 have Pacific Islander books, so they can read it in song and song, they get to read like their 45 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:57,620 stories. They also do individual meetings with families around attendance, literacy, and other 46 00:03:57,620 --> 00:04:03,200 needs as well, maybe housing and any kind of food insecurity. So over the last four years since 47 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,840 We've started our PI literacy program within the Oakland Unified School District. 48 00:04:07,300 --> 00:04:10,540 We've seen an increase in their literacy scores. 49 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:18,100 It affirms that when we create a cultural belonging and care for our students, 50 00:04:18,380 --> 00:04:22,380 then that really is creating the conditions for them to succeed.