Additional Services, Classes, & Opportunities
Saturday’s Cool:
A new program where students come to school every Saturday for study support, English practice, games, sports, career exploration, arts & crafts, wellness, case-management supports, walking field trips to cheer for Soccer Without Borders games, movie-days, & more!
ACE Learning Center Classes:
The Association for Continuing Education (ACE) provides continuing education opportunities at OIHS for our students and families.
Continuing education is a real need for our students and their families--many of our students arrive years behind grade level because war, ethnic conflict, or extreme poverty caused severe interruptions to their formal educations. As a result, these students (and their families) often need additional support in the form of continued access to high school education, technology, and English instruction beyond what traditional high schools can offer.
Concurrent Enrollment with Peralta Community College
We are currently offering two sections of community college classes at OIHS. Our students, alumnae, and community members can enroll in Elementary/Intermediate Algebra, or Intermediate/Advanced ESL, both of which are offered on our campus, twice a week after school. Students who are enrolled in the math class also take a supporting math class during the school day, taught by OIHS faculty, to help them succeed in their first college math class. Our goal is to create a bridge between high school and college, supporting our students in accessing and finding success in college classes while still enrolled in high school.
Advanced Video Production with KDOL and Internship:
Each senior participates in a community-based internship, either at an organization in an industry they are interested in or with our partners at KDOL-TV. Students learn how to prepare for college and the workplace in their Career Readiness class during the school day and then apply their learning and practice their English after school during their internship placements.
Parent Education in the ACE Learning Center:
We partner with Refugee Transitions to offer basic English, technology, gardening, and cooking classes to our students' families and community members. Literacy level students learn to read and write in English for the first time. Students do not have to be literate in their native language. Curriculum is focused on oral language development that will allow adults to communicate in their children’s schools (calling the school, preparing for parent conferences etc.) and with employers (job interviews). Students in the class represent a dozen different cultures. Students also learn basic skills from how to turn on a computer, open programs, use email, navigate internet searches and Google Maps, utilize Skype, practice English with Rosetta Stone and write a resume. During our cooking and gardening sessions, students have the added benefit of participating in intergenerational learning opportunities as adults also work with youth in our gardens.
