Hey, teens! Oakland wants to help you get a summer job

Oakland is committing more than $3 million to summer employment and enrichment programs for Oakland youth in 2026 and 2027. The Oakland City Council approved $3.1 million for 21 local organizations to provide paid work and youth engagement opportunities, with funding primarily from the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, the workforce development board, and Measure AA. The programs are expected to serve more than 2,100 youth, with more than half living in District 7 in deep East Oakland. Nearly $1.5 million supports nine organizations offering summer jobs, including YouthBeat, Destiny Arts Center, and Soccer Without Borders. Another $1.7 million supports 12 organizations providing enrichment such as The Crucible, Prescott Circus Theatre, and Acta Non Verba. From 2022 to 2025, the program served 988 youth who earned about $1,600 for 100 hours of work experience.

"The city of Oakland is committing more than $3 million to programs offering summer employment and enrichment to Oakland youth this year and next. The goal is to increase access to paid work opportunities for Oakland's young people, particularly those who live in East and West Oakland. Mayor Barbara Lee is also calling it an investment in public safety and violence prevention."

"Earlier this month the Oakland City Council approved $3.1 million in funds for 21 local organizations that will offer employment and engagement opportunities this summer and the summer of 2027. The money was allocated primarily from the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, Oakland's workforce development board, and Measure AA, a 30-year parcel tax voters approved in 2018 to expand early childhood education and college access."

"Together, the jobs and the summer engagement programs are expected to serve more than 2,100 youth - with more than half living in District 7, deep East Oakland. The grants include nearly $1.5 million to a total of nine organizations to help them offer summer jobs, including YouthBeat, which trains teens in media production; Destiny Arts Center, which offers dance and visual arts classes; and Soccer Without Borders, a sports organization focused on youth who are new immigrants."

"Between 2022 and 2025, the summer youth employment program served 988 people, who earned around $1,600 each for 100 hours of work experience. "Expanding access to opportunity for our young people - especially those who have been historically underserved - has been a top priority," Lee said in a press release."

Read at The Oaklandside