Voices of the People and Resources

We believe that one of the main challenges Skyline faces due to it's diverse geographic student population is that fact that most students don't go home to the same neighborhood every night. Although there are a wealth of community resources, it requires a lot of effort on the part of teachers to familiarize themselves with their students' particular neighborhoods, which vary widely in the city of Oakland. Furthermore, because students in class together aren't necessarily going home to similar areas, they also lack the ability to learn about programs, initiatives, and places in their own community through word of mouth at school.

That said, Oakland is an artistic hub in the Bay Area - a place where the voices of the people are celebrated. The city has a plethora of organizations and outlets working to give voice to the people of the many communities that make up the city. Oakland is known as a city with a history of art and expression, giving voice to citizens through myriad art forms. 

Various art galleries feature local art, independent businesses highlight local and handmade products, and an abundant music culture celebrate aspects of Oakland life. The City of Oakland sponsors and funds a Cultural Funding Program to endow artists in the community, and various resources such as http://www.oaklandarts.org/ provide a place for residents to find and access events, organizations, artists, and funding for the arts. 

Well known celebrations of the culture and people of Oakland include events such as the free monthly Oakland First Friday provide a chance for all in the community to celebrate each other and life in the city. The annual Oakland Jazz Festival and Eat Real Festival also highlight community art, music, and food. Organizations aimed at empowering youth in Oakland include Youth UpRising, BUILD Oakland and East Oakland, and Oakland Youth Aspire, to name a very few of many. Additionally, the East Oakland branch of the library sponsors a "Game Day" from 3-5pm, and children ages 8-18 are welcome to play xBox Kinect, Wii, and PS3.

The East Oakland Building Healthy Communities initiative is a 10 year project endowed by the state of California aimed at building healthy communities via access to health care, healthy food and cooking well. The EOBHC is working within existing community resources and creating new programs to promote health and wellness in East Oakland.

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