Volunteers sought for African-American Literature Read-in Week at Oakland schools

The Oakland Public Education Fund, a nonprofit that raises money for Oakland schools and provides schools with thousands of volunteers every year, is looking for volunteers to take part by reading books written by Black authors and celebrating Black history. 

Ninety-minute slots are available at Oakland Academy of Knowledge, Bridges Academy at Melrose, Esperanza Elementary, Glenview Elementary, Emerson Elementary, Sequoia Elementary, Korematsu Discovery Academy, Brookfield, and East Oakland Pride. The education fund will provide the books. No experience is necessary reading to students, but a positive attitude and an eagerness to work with children is encouraged.

Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up online for a school and a time slot. New volunteers must register and sign a waiver before visiting a school. 

A recommended book list is available online. The list includes Fresh Juice by Robert Liu-Trujillo, a local author who also helps produce the annual Social Justice Children’s Book Fair each year. 

During the 2022-2023 school year, 300 read-in volunteers visited 430 classes at 54 Oakland schools, according to the public education fund.  

Oakland Public Education Fund recruits volunteers year-round for ongoing support to schools  and for one-time events. Organizations and companies can also sign up to adopt an Oakland school through the public education fund. 

Ashley McBride writes about education equity for The Oaklandside. Her work covers Oakland’s public district and charter schools. Before joining The Oaklandside in 2020, Ashley was a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and the San Francisco Chronicle as a Hearst Journalism Fellow, and has held positions at the Poynter Institute and the Palm Beach Post. Ashley earned her master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University.

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