Civicorps

Since Civicorps’ founding in 1983 as one of the first conservation corps in California, we have refined our Academic and Professional Pathway to meet the needs of opportunity youth, age 18-26. In 1995, we strengthened our education program when Oakland Unified School District granted us a charter to become a high-school diploma program – making us the only dropout recovery school for the entire district. Located in West Oakland, almost all (99%) of our students live in poverty and are an ethnic minority, 50% are formerly incarcerated, 50% are struggling with homelessness, 40% have learning disabilities, 35% are parents of young children, and 24% are former foster youth. Civicorps’ mission is to re-engage young adults to earn a high-school diploma, gain job skills, pursue college, and embark on family-sustaining careers. In addition to our charter school, we operate two social enterprises (Environmental Management and Recycling), which allow us to hire our students, provide high-impact job training, generate unrestricted revenue for our agency, and develop a network of employer partners who are eager to hire Civicorps graduates. Civicorps’ Academic and Professional Pathway is a multi-stage, full-time, long-term program (14 to 24 months) that helps out-of-school youth earn a high-school diploma, work their first job while gaining job training, and advance to college and/or internships, pre-apprenticeships, or union apprenticeships with our business partners. This effective program model is supported by comprehensive wraparound services where students have access to 12 support staff in addition to their Teachers and Job Training Supervisors. Not only is our graduation rate 72% (one of the highest in Oakland), but also one year after graduation, 73% of our graduates are still enrolled in college and/or employed. This success ripples out into the community, creating a legacy of achievement for Oakland. Contact us to get involved as a volunteer or donor!