KEEPING MUSIC & THE ARTS ALIVE IN OAKLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OUR PROGRAMS
Elevate Oakland is a non-profit that works to bring culturally vibrant art and music programs to Oakland’s youth. Our mission to provide students with opportunities to engage in art and music programming has led us to partner with public schools to meet a wide variety of needs, ranging from the provision of musical instruments for classroom programs to facilitating opportunities for students to perform alongside local professional musicians.
UPCOMING EVENTS
OUR MISSION
Elevate Oakland is a non-profit that works to bring culturally vibrant art and music programs to Oakland’s youth.
Our mission to provide students with opportunities to engage in art and music programming has led Elevate Oakland to partner with public schools to meet a wide variety of needs, ranging from the provision of musical instruments to facilitating opportunities for students to perform alongside local professional musicians. To date, Elevate Oakland has successfully served over 3,000 youth at over 30 Oakland public schools. Across its programs, the focus is not on creating professional musicians, but instead on utilizing music and the arts as a conduit to get students excited about learning. Elevate Oakland supports students by using this excitement to get kids to school, engage them in learning, and support the development of skills that will help them succeed both within and outside of the classroom.
Ensuring access for all students.
Through its work in the Oakland community, Elevate Oakland has seen firsthand the powerful impact of integrating arts into public school education. Still, today far too many schools are unable to provide music programming due to systemic and structural barriers. Even when one school within a neighborhood has the resources to provide music and arts education, this access is not consistent across the continuum of schools in the area. For example, a student who attends an elementary school that benefits from music opportunities may matriculate to middle or high schools that do not, cutting that child off from further chances to engage in arts education. Or a high school with an instrumental music class may find that its students have not had opportunities in earlier grades to learn about music basics or build foundational skills, putting them behind grade level expectations.
Inspired by the belief that art and music can have a significant impact on a student’s experience of school and learning, Elevate Oakland wants to further access by creating music integration opportunities across a continuum of schools within one community.
ARTIST COLLABORATORS
PETE ESCOVEDO • MC HAMMER • GOAPELE • MICHAEL FRANTI • KEHLANI • LEDISI • DJ D SHARP • LARRY BATISTE • THE GIFT OF GAB (BLACKALICIOUS) • ERIC “PIKFUNK” SMITH • AMAR KHALIL (TONY! TONI! TONE!) • ADAM ‘A-PLUS’ CARTER (HIEROGLYPHICS) • ZION I • LOS RAKAS • JINHO “PIPER” FERREIRA (FLIPSYDE) • JUAN ESCOVEDO • KEV CHOICE • ORIANTHI • OZOMATLI • JUDITH HILL • VICTORIA THEODORE • ERK THA JERK • DON REED • JOHN SANTOS • LEAH TYSSE • RYAN NICOLE • CHINAKA HODGE • RAY OBIEDO • JAMES HENRY • LEE HETELSON • OMEGA RAE • ROGER GLENN • FAYE CAROL • TERRIE ODABI • LADY BIANCA • SUGA T • SUNDRA MANNING • MELECIO MAGDALUYO • KARL PERAZZO • DAVE MATHEWS • AND MORE…
OUR HISTORY
Elevate Oakland (formerly 51Oakland) was founded in 2011 by a group of acclaimed artists and creative professionals with a similar mission to provide inspiration and mentorship to Oakland’s youth with the goal of bolstering students engagement in school and all around mental health. Our founders have deep ties to the Oakland community and have seen firsthand the challenges that its public schools face. Since our founding, we’ve come to serve over 3000 students in more than 30 schools across the Oakland Unified School District annually. We are one of the few local non-profits providing arts and music programming to Oakland’s students during the school day.
Elevate Oakland Co-Founders Sheila E., Lynn Mabry, Jason Hofmann and Yoshi Akiba
TESTIMONIALS
“The Elevate Oakland Organization has had an amazing effect on the culture and climate here at McClymonds. My announcement emails concerning the upcoming artists always created a buzz of excitement among students and staff… All the artists have been extremely talented, professional and passionate about giving back to the Oakland community and McClymonds specifically. This program is rich in content, relevance and educational value. I can’t imaging my Performing Arts program without it.”
— Patricia D. Turner, Performing Arts Teacher at McClymonds High School
“It is challenging to put into words just how impactful the school’s partnership with Elevate Oakland has been for my students, but I can say that the master classes will be one of the most memorable experiences of their music education. Seeing my students’ faces as they were listening to the artists, trying to absorb as much knowledge as they could, it was evident that they took all of the advice and life lessons to heart.”
— Mitchell Galli, Vocal and Piano Teacher at Skyline High School
“For 4 years now we have participated in residencies with professional performing artists who have worked in our classroom with middle school students on curriculum including composition, songwriting, arts in social justice, and cultural awareness. In addition to being exposed to phenomenal musicians with real life experiences in the business of music-making, these artists in residence have brought meaningful dialogue on issues that our young people face.”
— Zack Pitt-Smith, Music Director at Edna Brewer Middle School
“Oakland is known for its rich background in the arts. What I have witnessed is that there is a community of talented students in our schools. Right now more than ever we should nurture and inspire their talents… Elevate Oakland is not just any organization; it is a whole way of life that must be shared with our students here in “the town.” I am honored and privileged to work with them, and our communities feel the same way.”
— Asédo Wilson, Theatre Teacher at Fremont High School
LIVE FEED
KEEP UP WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
