PLAY.
Bringing the joy of sports and physical activity to Oakland youth.
Nearly 10,000 kids hosted at summer camps, four school yards updated, and 3,000 kids introduced to golf.
In Oakland, only 10% girls and 21% boys
report getting 60 minutes of physical activity daily
CHALLENGE
Physical activity, including participation in youth sports, is a critical part of childhood development and offers numerous physical, mental, social-emotional, and academic benefits to young people. Developing team building skills and self-confidence at an early age will help kids succeed over their lifetime. However, only 24% of low-income youth nationally are involved in youth sports and other organized physical activities, and in Oakland, only 10% of middle school-aged girls and 21% of boys report getting 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
VISION
Eat. Learn. Play. is providing opportunities and creating safe spaces for all Oakland children to be physically active and participate in youth sports. Eat. Learn. Play. is committed to making high-quality summer camps and after-school programs accessible for all children in our community and is working to help rebuild middle school sports in Oakland that have been decimated by budget cuts.
OUR WORK
Although the Eat and Learn pillars were the primary focus in 2021, we’ve supported Play in Oakland by rebuilding Franklin Elementary’s schoolyard and providing leadership support as the Presenting Partner of Ace Kids Golf and Oakland’s summer Town Camps which are major programs of Oakland Parks, Recreation, and Youth Development. Furthermore, we’re working with the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society program to do a comprehensive landscape analysis on the “State of Play” for kids in Oakland, setting the stage for major investments in our PLAY portfolio in 2022.
STATE OF PLAY OAKLAND
Together, with the Aspen Institute Sports & Society, Eat. Learn. Play. developed a landscape analysis of Oakland’s sport and physical activity opportunities and facilities, called the “State of Play Oakland.” The research is deepening our understanding of the state of youth sport opportunities across the city and provide a roadmap for increasing equity among youth access to sports and free play in Oakland. The report is informing the highest and best use of our resources, voice, and platform around access to sports and safe spaces to play for kids.
REMODELING SCHOOLYARDS
AND COMMUNITY
BASKETBALL COURTS IN OAKLAND.
Ensuring 25,000+ students have the opportunity to attend year-round Oakland Parks, Recreation, Youth Development (OPRYD) after school programs and summer camps (Town Camps). Eat. Learn. Play. was again for the third year in row, a presenting partner of Oakland's Town Camps and provides scholarship support and programming assistance.
Following successful school yard rebuilds of the playspaces, basketball courts, and community gardens at Franklin Elementary School, Oakland Academy of Knowledge (OAK and Global Family Elementary in Oakland, we are working with KABOOM! and OUSD to rebuild six schoolyards in 2023.
MAKE GOLF ACCESSIBLE FOR
ALL CHILDREN
In an effort to grow and diversify the sport, Eat. Learn. Play. is working with a myriad of partners to provide equitable access. Over this past summer, we supported Ace Kids Golf in serving over 350 kids through their golf camps and clinics at Chabot Golf Course. Ace Kids Golf has a larger vision to grow the game and make it accessible to thousands of kids throughout the Bay Area.
Community Partners
Oakland Unified School District, Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development, Curry Brand, Ace Kids Golf, PGA Tour, KABOOM!, the Bhusri Family Foundation, and Ripple.