Oakland Leaf :: Community Transformation Through Creative Education. After school programs for youth. Art, murals, food gardening, media, music, performance arts, leadership, peace, justice.

Our Mission, Identity, Values, and Vision

Click here to download a .pdf version of our Mission.

5 dimensions of youth development

Programs within each Oakland Leaf branch strive to encompass our 5 Dimensions of Youth Development. These Dimensions will not only act as a lens for what we try to do, but also how we will reflect upon our progress and evaluate ourselves.

• Learning to KNOW, 
• Learning to DO, 
• Learning to BE, 
• Learning to COMMUNE, and 
• Learning to PROGRESS. 

Oakland in Numbers

Founded in 1852, Oakland is the eighth-largest city in California and the 44th-largest city in the United States. The California Department of Finance estimates that Oakland's population on January 1, 2008 was 420,183. It is a major West Coast port, and is home to several major corporations including Kaiser Permanente and Clorox, as well as corporate headquarters for nationwide businesses like Dreyer's (ice cream) and Cost Plus World Markets. According to the 2000 U.S. census, Oakland and Long Beach, California, are the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, with over 150 languages spoken in Oakland.
Data provided by United Way of the Bay Area.

28.6% of Oakland residents live below the federal poverty level. In the Fruitvale District, 44.6% of the youth ages 0-17 live below the Federal Poverty Level. 66.2% of Oakland students are eligible for free/reduced price meals (2006-2007). 45.6% of Oakland youth graduate from high school.
Data provided by Editorial Projects in Education Research Center.

A Photograph Goes Here: Define VIA the CSS only!

"We strongly believe that our future is in the hands of the young folks."Mutulu Shakur