Oakland Starting Smart and Strong

03/09/2026

Our Spring 2026 Task Force meeting is this Thursday! Join us for updates about California’s budget from the California Budget & Policy Center and explore connecting cultural institutions in Oakland to early learning with the Oakland Museum of Californiaand Children’s Fairyland. https://bit.ly/Spring2026TaskForce

03/05/2026

Our next Task Force meeting is one week away. Join us as we learn updates about the state budget from Laura Pryor at the California Budget & Policy Center, and discover how Oakland’s cultural institutions connect to early learning with Lori Fogarty from Oakland Museum of California and Kymberly Miller and Vicky Chen from Children’s Fairyland. Register at https://bit.ly/Spring2026TaskForce

03/04/2026

In January, we launched the next cohort of the 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Black Boys community of practice with 28 early childhood providers across Oakland. Read more about the program and cohort at https://www.oaklandsmartandstrong.org/blog/new-community-of-practice-cohort-launched-for-10-promising-practices

03/02/2026

Thursday, March 12th - Mark your calendars and register for the next Task Force meeting. Doors open for networking and breakfast at 8:45 AM with programming beginning at 9:15 AM. Hear updates about California’s budget from California Budget & Policy Center and learn about Oakland’s cultural institutions with Oakland Museum of California and Children’s Fairyland. Register at https://bit.ly/Spring2026TaskForce

02/27/2026

“My message to Black men is: we need you, brother. It is such a joy and privilege to be in young people's lives during those critical years. Black men have soul, compassion, creativity, and wisdom to bestow to our youth. We connect with children in ways that others do not, and all youth need our presence.” Bowden, Site Director at Lotus Bloom is a lifelong educator with a passion for creating spaces where children and families feel seen, supported and connected. Read about his journey in early learning (from planning on a career in mechanical engineering to realizing his passion for working with young children) at https://www.oaklandsmartandstrong.org/rha-bowden.html

02/26/2026

Open your email for our Winter 2026 Newsletter, featuring our upcoming task force meeting, a recap of the 2026 Oakland Early Learning symposium, and more! https://mailchi.mp/oaklandsmartandstrong/winter2026newsletter

02/25/2026

Join us on Thursday, March 12th for the Spring 2026 Task Force Meeting, We’ll hear updates about California’s budget from Laura Pryor from the California Budget & Policy Center and explore connecting cultural institutions in Oakland to early learning with Lori Fogarty from the Oakland Museum of California Museum of California and Kymberly Miller and Vicky Chen from Children’s Fairyland. Find more information and register at https://bit.ly/Spring2026TaskForce

02/09/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Oakland Early Learning Symposium, including our 200 participants, sponsors, and partners who made it all possible. We were honored to have our special guest, Mayor Barbara Lee, share her message of support for Oakland’s youngest learners and early childhood educators, reinforcing the day’s key takeaways, especially that “the reading crisis is solvable” (Oakland Literacy Coalition).

This was our first in-person symposium since 2019! Thank you for spending your Saturday morning with us. We see your dedication to Oakland’s youngest learners!

Stay tuned as we share more about the day and look for our upcoming newsletter featuring a recap about the Symposium.

12/09/2025

📣 Symposium Spotlight

Tandem, Partners in Early Learning will be facilitating a hands-on small group activity at the 2026 Oakland Early Learning Symposium. Tandem is a Bay Area nonprofit working at the intersection of social justice and early childhood education. They work with adults in a variety of settings, including homes, schools, child care, and parks, to deliver early learning experiences that meet community priorities and address systemic barriers to opportunity. Tandem offers many resources to support early literacy, including interactive storytime videos and activity guides aligned to the California Preschool Learning Foundations.

We’re excited to continue collaborating with Tandem to provide complimentary books to Symposium attendees. Join us on January 31, 2026:

Join us for an inspiring day dedicated to nurturing the literacy journey of our youngest learners! This in-person symposium brings together early care and education professionals to explore the critical foundations of early literacy for children ages 0-5. What You'll Gain:Expert Insights – Learn a...

12/05/2025

Thank you for supporting Oakland Starting Smart & Strong (OSSS) and our Flexible Support Fund!

We are grateful to every one of you who shared our posts, added your voice to our campaign, and donated to our Flexible Support Fund on . You invested in our work and helped ensure that Oakland's youngest children and the providers who care for them have the support they need to thrive.

It’s not too late to contribute to the Flexible Support Fund! Your generosity helps us advance our vision that all children, families, and early educators flourish in Oakland. https://giving.classy.org/campaign/747445/donate

12/04/2025

Registration for the Oakland Early Learning Symposium is in full swing! Our agenda for the day features leaders and advocates in early learning. The day will be emceed by Bowden, the Room To Bloom Site Director at Lotus Bloom. Rha has been working with youth, ranging from infants to college students, in various capacities for over 30 years. He is also the Co-Chair of the OSSS Boys of Color Work Group, which brings together community partners to improve outcomes and experiences for boys of color in Oakland's early learning system.

Find tickets at:

Join us for an inspiring day dedicated to nurturing the literacy journey of our youngest learners! This in-person symposium brings together early care and education professionals to explore the critical foundations of early literacy for children ages 0-5. What You'll Gain:Expert Insights – Learn a...