Empower Oakland 5th Graders: Help Us Get to Denver!

Help Send 5th Graders from Oakland to Colorado!

My name is Jaz Fortes, and I’m a 5th-grade educator in Oakland, CA. I’m excited to share an incredible opportunity for 10 passionate 5th-grade students to attend the American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in Denver, Colorado, in April 2025. AERA is a prestigious educational conference, and this year’s theme is "Research, Remedy, and Repair: Towards Just Education Renewal."

Typically, the conference is attended by university scholars and educational researchers. However, it is crucial that student voices are centered in these spaces. These 5th grade students have been conducting Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) focused on addressing educational inequities. Their work emphasizes youth epistemologies and youth research methodologies, empowering them to engage critically with the systems that directly impact their education and school experience.

This is a rare and valuable opportunity for 10- and 11-year-old students of color from Oakland to present their work, share their perspectives, and contribute as researchers. It's also a chance for these youth researchers to not only leave Oakland and experience a new city, but to engage with other like-minded students, educators, and thought leaders from across the country.

To make this trip a reality, we need your support. The funds raised will cover:

How You Can Help:

Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference! Please consider donating today and sharing this campaign with your friends and family, your generosity provides these young leaders from Oakland with the opportunity to learn, grow, and share their voices!