The Rainin Foundation envisions a world where all Oakland children succeed regardless of their race, level of income or neighborhood. We focus on early childhood education because these years make a big difference in a child’s life.
Children learn at home, in the community and in the classroom. Empowering the adults who interact with them daily can help children be successful in school and in life. We ground our work in community wisdom, partnering with families, educators, community organizations and like-minded funders to unlock potential in Oakland’s youngest learners.
Education Program Snapshot
Education Grants
Education grants are by invitation only. Funding supports teachers and families to build relationships that develop children’s language, literacy and social emotional skills so they become confident and joyful learners!
Education Initiatives
Learn about the Rainin Foundation’s initiatives to get all Oakland children ready for kindergarten and reading successfully by the end of third grade.
Education News & Stories
10/29/2024 | Education
Lotus Bloom, Lead Liberated, Parent Voices Oakland, Oakland Literacy Coalition and The Teaching Well are recipients of the Rest and Care Award for Education.
10/15/2024 | Education
Cox Academy’s Omar Currie and Kavitha Senthil share how their creative tutor model boosted literacy, maximized student learning time and increased teacher capacity and retention.
08/21/2024 | Education
The Kenneth Rainin Foundation awarded $7.8 million in Education grants in July to support Oakland’s early learning ecosystem.
