Kids thrive when both their needs and their environments are supported.

So, we invest in both.

The Thesis

Most foundations choose: a program, a population, a problem. We chose a framework.

The Whole Child, Whole School approach is our way of acknowledging something every educator, every parent, and every kid already knows — that you cannot separate a child from the environment they grow up in. A hungry kid cannot learn. A kid without books at home cannot become a reader. A kid without a safe place to play cannot grow into a confident athlete, leader, or human.

These needs are connected. So is our response.

The Whole Child

Resources, not assumptions.

We provide the essential resources and support that help kids thrive — the foundation a child needs to show up at school ready to learn, ready to play, ready to be themselves. This includes:

  • Access to nutritious food, at school and at home

  • Supports that help students become confident readers

  • Access to youth sports and physical activity

  • Strengthening the skills, systems, and capabilities of educators and partners to deliver high-quality supports to students

These supports help children build confidence, develop social and emotional skills, and stay engaged in school and community.

The Whole School

Spaces, not just programs.

We transform the spaces where children eat, learn, and play. This includes improving cafeterias, libraries, schoolyards, and gyms.

Because when a kid walks into a cafeteria that respects them, a library that excites them, a schoolyard they helped design, the message is unmistakable: this place is yours. You belong here. We built this for you.

“We believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive in an environment that nurtures their well-being and fuels their academic success. We're committed to a 'Whole Child, Whole School' approach that helps us best support the needs of Oakland's students.”

— Stephen & Ayesha Curry, Co-Founders

Why It Works

Investing in just one piece — food, or just literacy, or just play — misses the way kids actually experience their day. A schoolyard transformation doesn't reach its full potential if kids show up hungry. Literacy investments stall if libraries feel uninviting. A child supported in one dimension and ignored in three is still being underserved.

Whole Child, Whole School treats Oakland kids the way they deserve to be treated: as whole people, in whole environments, with whole-system support.

Why Oakland Unified School District

In 2023, Eat. Learn. Play. announced an enhanced commitment to ensuring all Oakland Unified School District students are provided the nutritious meals they need to thrive, the support needed to become stronger readers, and great schoolyards and opportunities to be active and participate in youth sports.

OUSD schools are the system that naturally intersects with each of Eat. Learn. Play.'s three pillars, allowing for maximum impact and reaching nearly 35,000 students where they eat, learn, and play each and every day. Alongside devoted community partners, we're helping to provide immediate and tangible results for Oakland students — all while advocating for systems-level change to improve the lives of youth throughout the community.

“We often say 'it takes a village' when it comes to improving the lives of children and families. This partnership reflects how our community partners are coming together to ensure all Oakland students have access to quality school meals, literacy support, and equitable playspaces that support their physical and social development for generations to come.”

— Chris Helfrich, CEO