Since the pandemic, Girl Geek X community volunteers have served the public school educators and students in Oakland.
Our goal began with supporting students at our “adopted” school Coliseum College Prep Academy in Oakland, California teaching grades 6-12 with a computer science pathway. We providing access to volunteers and role models from the professional community for students in partnership with the nonprofit Oakland Education Fund, which coordinates volunteer activities with public schools in Oakland and clears volunteers for entry into the schools.
CCPA has the highest college-going rate in the district despite being located in one of Oakland’s highest poverty neighborhoods.
Last year, we kicked off volunteering in August with Back-To-School Campus Prep – supporting Back-To-School prep with CCPA teachers on Friday, August 4, 2023 (1pm-4pm) in East Oakland!
Girl Geek X Community volunteers helped teachers with classroom projects to prepare their rooms and hallways for students return to campus for the new school year. More photos are on Facebook here. 
LATINE/X READ-IN AT THORNHILL ELEMENTARY IN OAKLAND
The nonprofit Oakland Education Fund expanded access to students in Oakland elementary schools, starting with volunteering with Latine/x Read-in (Monday, October 2, 2023, 1pm – 2:30pm). Volunteers read books by Latine/x and Hispanic authors to students at Thornhill Elementary.
Girl Geek X volunteers at Latine/x Read-In (pictured from left: Thornhill Elementary School Librarian Marie Fox, Girl Geek X Founder Angie Chang, Customer Success Leader Haana Rafiq, Playground Global Principal People Operations Sylvia Donohoe, Technical Operations Leader Belisa Mandarano, Flexport Software Engineers Bryanna Valdivia and Rachel Colby, and Syntiant Director of HR Jenny Garcia).
Volunteers read aloud books to 2-3 elementary school classes that celebrate Latine/x culture in the 90-minute volunteer shift. Books and sample questions to guide conversations were provided by the Oakland Education Fund. More photos are on Facebook here. ❤️
FIRST-GEN COLLEGE & CAREER PANEL AT CCPA IN OAKLAND
The Girl Geek X CCPA career panel (Wednesday, October 4, 2pm-4pm), moderated by Vanessa Magaña with An Nguyen, Molly Dubow, Bryanna Valdivia, and Elizabeth Orpina shared advice from first-generation students now working in the technology industry. Read about the takeaways from the panel. ❤️
HELPING STUDENTS WITH CSU AND UC APPLICATIONS IN OAKLAND NOVEMBER 3 AND / OR NOVEMBER 17
Volunteers supported seniors’s college applications, providing crucial feedback on grammar, flow, and clarity of writing during “College Crunch Days” – these are dedicated school days for high school seniors to work on their UC admissions applications.
Note: a writing/comms background is NOT required to participate! Any experience writing in an academic/professional setting will be sufficient to participate in this event.
Volunteer shifts are 8:30am-12:30pm on Friday, November 3, 2023 and/or Friday, November 17, 2023 at CCPA’s College & Career Day office. More photos are on Facebook here.
Join the launch of the virtual mentorship program at CCPA with TechLink to connect volunteers with students this spring!
How to volunteer virtually with Girl Geek X CCPA via TechLink:
- Apply to Mentor with TechLink by January 18, 2024.
- Complete your Live Scan fingerprinting as required by Oakland Unified School District and Oakland Education Fund policy for virtual volunteer clearance for California.
Questions? Email rafael@oaklandedfund.org
We are looking for TechLink VOLUNTEERS to meet virtually with CCPA sophomores and juniors during the Spring 2024 semester!
Volunteer Mentors will meet on Fridays for ~11 sessions virtually from February thru April 2024.
While TechLink is a virtual mentorship program, Mentors are welcome to volunteer IRL and have lunch with their Mentees at the East Oakland school.
Thank you so much for supporting Oakland public schools and students!
STUDENT PROJECT FEEDBACK (WINTER EXPO NIGHT IS JANUARY 25, 2024)
Girl Geek X volunteers support public school students and educators at Coliseum College Prep Academy (CCPA) in East Oakland. The school entrance is on the corner of 66th Ave and International Blvd. (map)
On Thursday, January 25, 2024 (5:30pm-7pm), CCPA educators and students will be joined by Girl Geek X community volunteers to receive feedback on Senior Capstone Projects.
Sign up to volunteer with us on January 25!
AFRICAN-AMERICAN READ-IN AT BELLA VISTA ELEMENTARY IN OAKLAND ON FEBRUARY 14, 2024
VOLUNTEER ON FEB 14 – READ BOOKS TO BELLA VISTA ELEMENTARY STUDENTS!
Bella Vista Elementary is located by Oakland’s Highland Hospital.
On Wednesday, February 14, 2023 (9:30am-11:00am), Girl Geek X Community Volunteers will read books to 2-3 elementary school classes that celebrate African-American culture in the 90-minute volunteer shift. Books and sample questions to guide conversations are provided by the Oakland Education Fund.
Volunteers do not need to identify as African-American to participate, and those who do identify as such are encouraged to participate and share about their culture with students.
SIGN UP FOR VOLUNTEERING AT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN READ-IN ON OCTOBER 2!
Don’t forget to spread the word and invite your coworkers & friends to join you in volunteering! Volunteering together not only strengthens our impact, but also provides a chance to bond.
This event is organized in partnership with the nonprofit Oakland Public Education Fund, which connects groups with schools to make a positive impact on school culture and student achievement through relevant and meaningful volunteer projects.
Our partnership goal is to support students in East Oakland, CA by partnering on a variety of volunteer activities throughout the school year — from volunteering on-campus to field trips to tech companies.
