OAKLAND, Calif. - Aug. 5, 2019 - Faith Network of the East Bay, a highly effective nonprofit educational agency, will host a special event on August 8 to announce a major rebranding initiative. Invited guests include city officials, educators and community residents committed to improving opportunities for students in East Bay schools.
The new name and logo emphasize the agency's progress: proficient, focused, and scalable programs, with the projected goal of enabling 1,000 volunteers who can assist 2,000 students by 2022.
Founded in 2001, Faith Network of the East Bay now has over 200 volunteers, 20 congregations and 25 diverse community partners. The agency currently serves over 400 students in 36 under-resourced public schools annually. Four targeted programs provide personalized tutoring, mentoring and other learning resources to East Bay public schools most affected by poverty, violence and educational inequity.
The rebranding initiative coincides with a recent four-year strategic plan, launched in October 2018. The plan was created to address approximately 1,800 Oakland Unified School District second graders who complete each school year substantially deficient in foundational reading and math skills and severely challenged to keep up with their peers in third grade and beyond.
"We have the opportunity to make a generational change in our East Bay communities," said Jim Wambach, executive director. "Despite the profound difference we are making in the lives of hundreds of children each year, there is so much more we would like to do to provide fair and equitable opportunities for children in our community schools."
Faith Network empowers struggling children to rise above challenges they face as a result of scarcity of resources and extraordinary socio-economic circumstances beyond their control. We do this by first raising awareness and rallying community support for our most vulnerable neighborhood children. Our staff then trains and supports volunteers to teach and mentor young students so they may develop academic and life skills to rise to their potential.
"In order to serve thousands of more children, more quickly, we believe our name should clearly speak to our passion and mission of empowering vulnerable children and youth," explains Wambach. "The new name and logo will help us rapidly and effectively generate interest about the struggling students in our community schools. It should inspire the community to come alongside a child so they may rise to their God-given potential."
The special event will be hosted at the event and art venue Warehouse 416 in Oakland and feature a performance by the young stars of Prescott Circus Theatre, an entertaining circus and theater arts education program in Oakland.
What: Faith Network rebrand launch event
Where: Warehouse 416; 416 26th St, Oakland 94612
When: August 8th, 5:30-7:30 PM
Who: Private event for media, city officials, staff, students, teachers, and supporters
About Faith Network of the East Bay
Faith Network of the East Bay is an Oakland-based 501C(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001. The agency helps children attending public schools most affected by poverty, violence and educational inequity by raising awareness and rallying community support for their needs; and by galvanizing and guiding volunteers to teach, mentor and nourish the children so they may develop academic and life skills to realize their God-given potential. Children Rising offers an array of services to 36 under-resourced public schools in four main program areas – Career Bridge, Health4Kids, Path2Math and Succeeding by Reading. For more information visit www.Faith-Network.com.
Media Contact
CONTACT: Faith Network of the East Bay
Eric Steckel, Communications Manager
