Student Support Services, A Full Service Community School

 
 

Since opening its doors in 2007, OIHS has become a central hub of quality educational support for Oakland’s diverse immigrant communities.  In alignment with the OUSD’s Full Service Community District initiative to “serve the whole child, invite the community in, extend boundaries into the community in order to accelerate academic achievement, and share responsibility for student, family and community success,” Oakland International High School is a Full Service Community School that provides wraparound services to our newcomer students, parents and community members. These services are vital for the integration and success of our students and families, who have come to see OIHS as a safe and supportive place to learn, to grow, and to transition to life and school in the United States.

OIHS has worked to build strong community partnerships with Bay Area organizations to serve our families’ diverse needs. We provide:

Mental Health & socio-emotional support services: We offer in-school counseling, cultural groups and mentorship services in over eight languages, as well as referrals to outside agencies.

  • Health Services: OIHS coordinates referrals to health care providers and supports families to enroll in available health care plans.  In partnership with nearby Oakland Tech / La Clinica de la Raza’s TechniClinic, we are able to offer school-based health services, including health education, vaccination, family planning and primary care visits.

  • Legal Services & Outreach: OIHS provides extensive referrals to legal service agencies, particularly related to immigration. We have a particular focus on supporting legal access for our growing population of unaccompanied minors.

  • Parent/Family Engagement, Leadership & Education: OIHS provides daily classes for parents in English (taught by Refugee Transitions), as well as weekly computer, gardening and cooking classes. We hold over a dozen family events, family outreach/support services days, family meetings & workshops, and engage a key cohort of parent leaders each year.

  • Technology Training & Outreach: As a multi-media Technology Academy, we offer specialized technology electives, and technology education is integrated into our core curriculum. We also coordinate family technology classes and computer training/giveaways in collaboration with OTX-West.

  • Community Volunteer Program: OIHS engages dedicated community volunteers in our school-day and after school program.

  • Internships & Job Training: OIHS provides intensive career readiness classes and placement for all seniors in jobs/internships.

  • After School Programs: In partnership with our Lead Agency, the East Bay Asian Youth Center, as well as the school’s founding partners, Soccer Without Borders and Refugee Transitions, OIHS provides a comprehensive after school program that includes after school tutoring & homework help; English & Math remediation classes; soccer, teambuilding & life skills programming; basketball; biking; gardening & coking; dance; art; music; and others.

OIHS partners with the following agencies that provide both on- and off-campus services to our students and families.

  • Arab Resource and Organizing Center

  • Association for Continuing Education

  • Asian Community Health Services

  • Community Health for Asian Americans

  • East Bay Refugee Forum

  • East Bay Asian Youth Center

  • International Rescue Committee

  • La Clinica de la Raza / Oakland Technical High School TechniClinic

  • Legal Services for Children

  • Lincoln Child Center

  • Oakland Technology Exchange-West

  • OUSD Refugee & Asylee Student Assistance Program

  • OUSD Office of College & Career Readiness

  • Pangea Legal Services

  • Parent Leadership and Action Network

  • Refugee Transitions

  • Soccer Without Borders

  • UC Berkeley ACES Program

  • UC Berkeley School of Social Work

  • 180 Degrees Mentoring Program

  • Private / Independent counselors