Alternatives in Action announces the grand opening of their Early Childhood Education Center on September 19th 2017. This important community space will be located in East Oakland. Key partnerships like Ryder Homes, HomeAid Northern California, Sunlight Giving, Quest Foundation, and generous individual donors are making this development possible, and giving hope to children and families in the area.

Special Guests Attending the Opening:

• Mayor Libby Schaaf
• Katharine Earhart, Alesco Advisors, Campaign Chair
• Leslie Ryder, Ryder Homes, Campaign Chair
• 20th Anniversary Campaign Committee

“There is a crisis in quality childcare and early childhood education and it has a lifetime impact on Oakland’s children and families,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Alternatives in Action moves beyond just talking about change to taking action, and that is what this grand opening represents to our community. We are thrilled to partner with such great organizations and seize this opportunity to make a lasting impression in the lives of our youngest learners across the Oakland Promise cradle to career continuum.”

History: In 2001 Alternatives in Action youth built the initial Early Childhood Education Center, entitled “Home Sweet Home”, to national acclaim. When they lost their space in Alameda the organization committed to bring this resource to Oakland’s highest need community. The new Early Childhood Education Center addresses the severe lack of child-care services available for families in the Seminary neighborhood of East Oakland. Quality child care is a valuable resource for working families, and is an integral part of positive neighborhood transformation. The new center will bring excellent child-care resources to an area that is greatly in need.

This new center will offer year-round Reggio-Emilia inspired care for children ages 0-5. This powerful model has been shown to positively impact children’s cognitive, physical, and social emotional development through quality care, socioeconomic diversity, and family engagement. It will also offer a hands-on career training in early childhood development for Oakland youth. Each year, over 40 youth will be trained and have work experience that they can use for future careers in early childhood development.

About Alternatives in Action:

Alternatives in Action works with more than 1,300 youth each year to build their leadership skills, prepare for their careers, and get ready for college. Every day in four public high schools in Oakland, Alternatives in Action offers extensive after-school programming including tutoring, technology tools, leadership skills training and practice, and community impact projects to positively transform communities. For more information about Alternatives in Action, please visit: www.alternativesinaction.org