OUR STORY

 

💡 Why B.L.K. Was Founded: Our Origin Story

 

B.L.K. (Breakthrough Learning KCenter) was born from lived experience, urgent need, and a mother-and-son commitment to building solutions for underserved youth in Oakland.

 

We witnessed firsthand the challenges our young people face — students not graduating on time, lacking access to practical skills, and falling through the cracks of a system that too often overlooks them. These gaps in education, especially for Black and Brown youth, were not just alarming — they were generationally damaging.

Together, my son and I presented a proposal to the Mayor of Oakland and the Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to introduce vocational, technical, and apprenticeship programs directly into OUSD schools. We envisioned a future where students could explore trades, technology, and entrepreneurship while still in high school — pathways that don’t require a traditional 4-year college route but still lead to success and economic independence.

 

We were told the district couldn’t afford it.

 

That moment changed everything. We asked: How are public education funds generated and allocated? Why are our youth being left behind? Those questions led me to pursue and complete a Master’s in Public Administration, determined to uncover the truth and design an alternative.

 

What I found confirmed what we already knew: too many of Oakland’s underserved youth were being underserved academically — and nearly 50% of them would not attend college or a university. They needed more options. They needed a different door.

As a veteran, I leveraged my access to government-supported property and petitioned the Alameda Unified School District to partner with us through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. From that effort, we are now proudly birthing the B.L.K. Vocational, Technical, and Apprenticeship School Learning KCenter — a community-driven training space for students to:

• Earn skill-based certificates

• Complete high school education

• Explore entrepreneurship

• Build workforce readiness

• Gain tools to become economically independent and give back to their communities

 

We began as an afterschool program focused on homework assistance and tutoring. Today, we are launching a full Vocational, Technical, and Apprenticeship Program (V.T.A.P.) for youth ages 13–25 — a bridge between education, career, and self-determined success.

 

At B.L.K., we’re not just educating youth — we’re empowering future leaders, builders, and business owners.