Agency Details:

Youth Empowerment School

The community of Youth Empowerment School applies the principles of:

• Personal and Academic Empowerment

• Social Empowerment

• Critical Consciousness and Communication

to create a healthy learning community that fulfills our vision for evolving social reforms.

Description:
YES is a small high school located in East Oakland, serving students grades 9-12. It is a place where students, staff and community have significant roles in the governance, planning, decision making, advising and processes of the school and of the continual reflection and self-improvement that is embedded in the culture. It is a place where all people feel safe to commonly reflect on and challenge current practices, promote the expectation of constant learning for everyone, and incorporate the valued input of the multitude of cultures and lenses in our school family. This principle will allow students and family members to see the power of their communal input and of each others’ ideas and strengths, while pushing us forward at all times.

Students will feel supported and successful as they apply their learned skills to empowerment projects in the local area that will challenge them, enhance literacy and numeracy skills, develop critical thinking habits, set goals, due dates and benchmarks and prepare them for a successful post secondary experience as they will have learned the techniques necessary to achieve their goals. Families are expected to be involved in the development of their children’s educational plan, observation of teaching practices and student work, and design of the school. It is with this web of support that we will build the YES family necessary for us to promote the strong sense of satisfaction that comes from community awareness coupled with empowerment. It is with these principles that necessary awareness and change will occur in our community.

History:
Youth Empowerment School (YES), a new small autonomous high school, opened in the fall of 2003 to a class of 126 ninth graders. YES was one of five new small autonomous high schools designed by students, parents, teachers and administrators to reconfigure Fremont High School.

Since then, YES has added a grade level every year until it proudly graduated its first class of seniors in 2007. The school has demonstrated significant gains in attendance, achievement and college-readiness in comparison to the comprehensive Fremont High School from which it came. While the school celebrates its accomplishments, the staff continually works to improve. They live by the words of a founding student: "You'll never see our best because we keep getting better!"

Contact person: Colm Davis, School Improvement Consultant, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (510) 569-7042

Address:

8251 Fontaine Street Oakland, CA 94605 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.youthempowermentschool.org

Directions:

Coming from SF / Downtown Oakland: Keller Ave exit off of 580 E turns into Fontaine Street. School is on the right.

Last updated on December 18, 2008