In July, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation awarded over $2.4 million in education grants to strengthen Oakland’s early learning ecosystem. This round of funding reflects the Foundation’s updated strategies focused on improving early literacy education and leveraging existing resources to raise literacy rates. The Foundation remains committed to its long-term goal: ensuring every child enters kindergarten ready to learn and achieves grade-level reading proficiency by third grade.
Central to this grantmaking cycle is the Accelerating Literacy Leadership program, a new initiative designed to recognize schools as catalysts for literacy improvement. Developed in collaboration with the Foundation’s Community Advisory Council, the program aims to enhance school-level literacy support and generate local impact to influence public policy and funding. As part of its initial phase, the program will be piloted in partnership with six Oakland Unified School District schools through the Oakland Public Education Fund, with a broader rollout planned for 2026.
The funding round also supports literacy coaching and training for school systems, parent-involved literacy programs in the Fruitvale neighborhood, and sponsorships for Oakland education leaders to attend the 2026 Plain Talk About Literacy and Learning conference.
Organizations receiving grants include the Center for Collaborative Classroom, Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, East Bay Agency for Children, Families in Action, Lead Liberated, Lighthouse Community Schools, and the Oakland Public Education Fund. These grantees will implement programs aimed at fostering literacy skills, supporting educators and families, and strengthening Oakland’s early learning landscape.
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