Dreaming of Italy - Summer 2024

Hello, Friends and Family of Street Academy,

First and foremost, I hope you are all well. Thank you for your donations and shares. I also understand that finances are tight for many of us, making our gratitude much more. On another note, we are also the school that does not have connections to generous donors, and therefore, every $2.00, $5.00, or $10.00 dollar grassroots donation counts as it helps build community and student confidence. WE ARE THE LITTLE SCHOOL THAT CAN! We are struggling to meet our goal, raising only $875 since the first share. We will continue to persevere, and we will continue to share. We hope that our friends and family will donate and share as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Was it worth it?" I asked one of my students who made it to Paris Summer 2023, and he said, "YES!" I smiled. "You would do it again, Taco Tuesday, Nacho Thursday all year long?" "Yes! I'm all in!" Me incredulous, "So, would you encourage your friends to join our Travel Club?" His response was, "Absolutely! This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I want them to experience what I experienced!" I take a deep breath, and here we go again.

I facilitate the travel club because of this. This excitement, this experience, this enthusiasm and this willingness to work hard. Believe me this is hard work. Young scholars give up every Tuesday and Thursday lunch hour to prep, cook, serve, and clean up. On top of that they also take turns donating the food that is going to be cooked, such as taco meat, nacho meat, tortillas, salsa (homemade), nacho cheese, chips, sour cream, plates, jalapenos, meat seasonings and don't forget cilantro and onions. Yes, every week from mid September to mid May, they will be donating both the ingredients and their time to earn enough money for their dream trip.

How do your donations help? We are a Title 1 school. Meaning that the majority of our students qualify for free lunch. So imagine trying to fundraise at a site where students qualify for free lunch. Our option is to provide a delicious alternative to free soggy prepacked food at bargain prices, so we do. This means that no matter how hard they work, they are still not earning as much as they could if they were at a larger conventional high school. We are not. We are a dropout prevention, credit recovery, alternative high school in Oakland with less than 100 students. Once again, as the facilitator, I have to think outside the box, reach out to our wonderful friends and supporters of the Street Academy, and ask you to please donate to our Travel Club. This year, they have voted for Italy. ITALY!!! Your donations will first and foremost cover all travel accommodations, flight, stay, Eurail passes, and meals. I work miracles to help cover chaperone costs as well. Once you join the club, you join the team, and the expectation is the same, so know that every one of us is working hard to make this trip a reality.

On that note, please know that we are not just relying on your generosity. Besides Taco Tuesday and Nacho Thursday, we also sell gift cards, See's Candies, and snacks available every day before class, during lunch, and after school. We are looking into locations that will host us for biweekly or monthly car washes. Finally, on top of this, our young adventurers are also young scholars. They know when you join Travel Club, the commitment includes no behavioral issues, passing all their classes, and the ability to commit.

On behalf of all of us, The Travel Club wholeheartedly thanks you!!!

You can make a difference by donating today to the Street Academy Foundation.

Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy is a public, alternative high school, born from the Civil Rights, Black and Brown power movements. Oakland's original small high school has been deeply committed to honoring these roots by working in partnership with Oakland Unified School District & Oakland community. We are college preparatory high school emphasizing racial and social justice, unity, respect, responsibility, community service, while immersing and developing mindfulness skills for all our students.