"There are shared languages that transcend what is written down or spoken aloud. Young people seem to understand this better than most. The teenagers at a recent after-school study hour in East Oakland spoke mainly in Spanish, but when they exchanged knowing grins, or burst into sudden laughter, it was clear that even behind a language barrier, this was an environment they trusted."
"The session was held by Oakland Genesis, a nonprofit that since 2019 has tried to steer economically disadvantaged youth in the city. Although the organization focuses on improving academic outcomes, its method of achieving that involves another familiar, universal language: soccer. The sport holds an almost religious appeal across the globe, but especially so in Latin-American countries, from where many families have migrated to Sobrante Park, a predominantly Spanish-speaking and lower-income neighborhood of East Oakland, near the San Leandro border."
Oakland Genesis provides afterschool academic training and youth soccer programs for economically disadvantaged students in Sobrante Park and other East Oakland neighborhoods. The program serves roughly 1,200 students annually across ten city schools and includes recreational play plus a competitive club team for serious athletes. Sessions at Madison Park Academy create trusted bonding spaces for predominantly Spanish-speaking teenagers, using soccer's cultural appeal among Latin-American families to engage students. Founder Matt Fondy envisions a large-scale renovation of Sobrante Park's public field. Pandemic-era isolation left some students, such as Edy Chavez, disengaged from teachers and reliant on screens.
Read at The Mercury News
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