UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools is proud to announce its partnership with Oakland Unified School District’s African American Male Achievement Initiative. CC&S is working closely with newly appointed AAMA Director, Jerome Gourdine, to promote youth-informed decision making, critical thinking, and agency for in Oakland’s classrooms, while simultaneously providing professional development opportunities for facilitators.

AAMA co-presented with UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities and Schools at last month’s Linked Learning Conference in Oakland, CA at the “Youth Voice Transforms Cities” panel. During this event, students from Oakland High School and Skyline High School shared their experiences of using Y-PLAN in the classroom to effect positive school changes.

This year, African American Male Achievement Initiative classes at Skyline High School and Oakland High using Y-PLAN will work with BART to recommend improved community connections from art to housing opportunities at selected Oakland BART stations to bring more inclusivity to transportation planning. AAMA students will partner with UC Berkeley students who will serve as mentors in the classroom as they engage in this transformative experience. Y-PLAN is working to transform public education one classroom at a time!