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Oakland Unified School District

Super Bowl 60’s Presence in the Bay Area Brought Lots of Benefits to Oakland Unified

Super Bowl 60’s Presence in the Bay Area Brought Lots of Benefits to Oakland Unified
Super Bowl 60’s Presence in the Bay Area Brought Lots of Benefits to Oakland Unified
Super Bowl 60’s Presence in the Bay Area Brought Lots of Benefits to Oakland Unified
Super Bowl 60’s Presence in the Bay Area Brought Lots of Benefits to Oakland Unified

The 60th edition of one of the biggest sporting events on earth is now over and the Super Bowl Champions have been crowned. But they're not the only ones basking in the glow of an amazing week with the National Football League (NFL) here in the Bay Area. Numerous Oakland Unified school communities and countless students are still buzzing with excitement over the impact of having the Super Bowl in our backyard. Over the past week, there were more than half a dozen NFL and Super Bowl-related events in our schools and involving our students and staff, with what may have been the pinnacle event happening at the game on Sunday. Here's a look at them.

Burckhalter Elementary Received New Field

On Tuesday, February 3, Burckhalter Elementary unveiled a game-changing addition: a brand new soccer field along with vibrant murals and a fully stocked food pantry. This is all thanks to the Super Bowl and our partnership with NFL Executive and Legend Troy Vincent and his wife, author-chef Tommi Vincent, who are co-founders of Vincent Country Safe Zone Activity Day.

A grassy field with a large painted logo in the foreground, surrounded by trees and people walking in the background.

Every year, this organization invests in a school near the big game. This year, Oakland won big. Together with partners Cigna, Playing for Keeps, Zebra Technologies, and others, Vincent Country brought the theme "Dreams Grow Here" to life. The theme is also emblazoned in a new mural on the school. More than 200 Burckhalter students experienced an unforgettable day of wellness activities, sports engagement, and NFL Flag football.\

A group of people, both adults and children, are gathered on a colorful, interactive floor mat, engaging in various activities and games.

Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler was on hand to thank the funders and all the volunteers for making this dream into a reality. "It's exciting for our kids to have what I call an outdoor classroom to provide joy and connection, and I'm just so grateful for all the people who have come together to support our children and families," she said.

Here is a story from KCBS Radio about the day at Burckhalter.

Oakland High Students Learned Finances from 49ers Superstar

Five lucky Oakland High students got a trip to San Francisco on February 3 where Intuit for Education and the NFL partnered to hold a Superbowl Financial Literacy Forum at San Francisco's Marriott Marquis Hotel. The students joined hundreds of their peers from around the Bay Area for the day of learning. The highlight of the day was likely when the entire group received financial advice from 49ers superstar running back, Christian McCaffrey.

Two men standing on a stage in front of a large blue backdrop with the Intuit for Education logo and text.

The students also took part in workshops, including one put on by MailChimp called the Marketing Campaign Showdown. Each student received three words - one a food product, and two words to describe the product. They were tasked with designing a food truck marketing post using the words.

A group of people, mostly young adults, are seated at tables in what appears to be a classroom or meeting space, engaged in various activities such as writing, drawing, and conversing.

OUSD Staff Joined "Sports Done Right Summit" Where Three Garfield Students Shined

The 49ers Foundation and the Positive Coaching Alliance came together at the Oakland Marriott on February 3 for what was called the Sports Done Right Summit, another Superbowl-related event. It brought together educators and coaches, including staff from the Oakland Athletic League, YES! Sports, several schools, and partners such as Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and Oakland Lacrosse Club.

The summit was aimed at helping advance a sustainable, inclusive play equity movement with information and best practices from across the country. The highlight of the event was the speech given by three 4th graders from Garfield Elementary. The trio are all student-athletes who spoke about how important access to sports including flag football, soccer, and basketball is to them. They inspired the audience to keep working toward sports equity and accessibility. All of them had previous public speaking experience from the MLK Oratorical Fest.

Oakland Tech Hosted Two NFL-Related Events on Tuesday

The Student Program for Academic & Athletic Transitioning (SPAAT) hosted a series of workshops for students at Oakland Tech on February 3. About 100 student-athletes took part in the workshops which covered topics including Sports Analytics, College Access and Readiness, Artificial Intelligence, and Graphics.

After the workshops, students enjoyed a Super Bowl Edition Afternoon Sports Panel focused on the New Athlete Economy, examining NIL (Name, Image, Likeness), athlete entrepreneurship, and how athletes and families navigate their platform from high school and beyond. Current and former NFL players stopped by, and took part in the discussions.

A crowded classroom setting with students and faculty gathered around tables, engaged in discussion or presentation, with a large display screen visible in the background.

The former professional athletes on hand included former Indianapolis Colt Tarik Glenn, former New York Giant Kenyon Rasheed, former Oakland Raider and Buffalo Bill Lorenzo Alexander, and former Oakland Raider Langston Walker.

The school also hosted an NFL-related Cybersecurity panel discussion led by officials from the NFL with computer science students.

Grass Valley Elementary Held Celebration with GENYOUth Including Athletic Drills

A crowd of people gathered in an outdoor setting, with performers in colorful costumes standing on red mats in the foreground, and buildings and trees visible in the background.

On Thursday, February 5, Grass Valley was the site of an exciting event put on by an organization called GENYOUth, which brought its Super Schools theme to the school. Students and staff gathered in the auditorium for an event in which they got to pick out nutritious foods to take home, enjoy pizza from Domino’s Pizza, and even talk and take photos with a two cheerleaders from the Seattle Seahawks. Then the event moved outside where students got to try different football related drills, and make their own Gatorade. The event celebrated the completion of a major community service initiative that has equipped more than 60 underserved Bay Area schools with Grab and Go school meal equipment, including mobile meal carts and milk coolers and FLAG-In-Schools kits.

The image shows a group of people, including a woman with long brown hair, two young girls, and a young boy, all smiling and posing together in what appears to be a school or community setting.

Superintendent Saddler thanked the partners including GENYOUth, the Dairy Council of California, Amazon, PepsiCo, and the Bay Area Host Committee for supporting the school and bringing good nutrition and healthy activities to the students. The school's Community Assistant, Jamila Casimere Smith, walked away from the event with a pair of tickets to a star-studded culinary event in San Francisco on Saturday called Taste of the NFL.

The image shows a group of people standing in front of various banners and displays, likely at an event or conference related to Amazon Access, Genevieve, and the End Student Hunger organization.

Oakland Tech Fashion Academy Held Unique NFL-Related Fashion Show

Also on Thursday, Oakland Tech's Fashion Arts and Design Academy (FADA) held a fashion show that combined creativity, sustainability, and the power of sports. The student designers were challenged to reimagine upcycled denim and authentic NFL jerseys, transforming materials with history into entirely new forms of self-expression. Each creation represented craftsmanship and design skill, plus a commitment to sustainability, proving that fashion's future can be both responsible and fearless.

The image shows a group of people, including several adults and children, holding a large check and posing for a photograph. They appear to be in a public setting, with a backdrop that suggests a stage or event venue.

The event was the result of an exciting collaboration between FADA and the NFL Players Association's Professional Athletes Foundation (PAF) along with Painting with the Pros, and supported by Fanatics Foundation, Fam 1st Family Foundation, and The Perfect Jean. PAF also gave a $10,000 check to the Academy. In attendance were Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Oakland Tech and Oakland Raiders alumnus Marshawn Lynch, NFL quarterback Josh Johnson, and former 49er Navarro Bowman. KCBS radio did this story about the unique fashions.

McClymonds High Senior Took Part in Super Bowl Coin Toss

Lastly, as we mentioned in the Engaging OUSD newsletter last Friday, McClymonds High football player, Dominic Davis, was on the field before the Super Bowl along with two other area students to help perform the Coin Toss. Representing SPAAT (Student Program for Academic and Athletic Transitioning) and wearing his Mack jersey, Dominic appeared as an Honorary Captain. He is a high‑achieving senior ranked sixth in his class. As a leader on the McClymonds football team, he sees the sport as a defining force and a way to honor his family and the city of Oakland, where he gives back doing community service and working in youth camps.

The image shows three young individuals wearing sports jerseys, standing on a football field with a crowd visible in the background.

SPAAT is a non-profit that has been supported by the San Francisco 49ers, and was approached by the NFL to submit coin toss candidates. That's how Dominic was chosen for this honor.

"The Super Bowl may not have happened at the Oakland Coliseum, but you would never know it given how much time the NFL, its players, and its partners all spent in our schools and with our students and staff. I want to express our deepest gratitude to the NFL, the Bay Area Host Committee, the players and legends, and all of our supporters for bringing so much to our schools and students, leaving them with amazing memories and so much more that will help drive them into the future," said Superintendent Saddler.