After four years away, WriterCoach Connection returned to Oakland this school year with a new partnership with Elmhurst United Middle School in East Oakland.
Elmhurst Past and Present
Elmhurst United sits on land with a long and storied history. Though now part of Oakland, Elmhurst began in 1865 as an independent, unincorporated town. It was annexed to Oakland in 1909 following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in which many small towns like Elmhurst saw significant population growth. What began as a railroad station town of agriculturalists became an auto manufacturing center. Following World War II, the racial and ethnic demographic of the area shifted from largely white to a majority Black and Latino population.
Running alongside this history is the establishment of the school we now call Elmhurst United. It began in 1894 as a K-12 school and changed to a junior high (7-9 grade) in 1927, transitioning to a middle school (6-8 grade) in 1980. By 2005, three schools were operating on the campus: Alliance Academy of Integrated Learning, Roots International Academy, and Elmhurst Community Prep.
According to the most recent U.S. News and World Report, Elmhurst educates 716 students and employs 42 full-time teachers with an 18:1 student-teacher ratio.
WCC Partners with Elmhurst United
When an Elmhurst United staff member familiar with the impact of our programs recommended us to the administration, we were thrilled by the opportunity to bring our trusted coaching methodology to their school. We successfully recruited 25 volunteers to provide focused, compassionate coaching to 117 students across four periods of 7th grade classes. The Fall session began in October 2023 and concluded in December; the Spring session opened in January and our volunteers completed their coaching in March.
Leading the coach teams were WriterCoach Connection site coordinators, Genrry Cabrera and Kim Wolf in the Fall, and Shannon Faucette with Kim in the Spring. They marked the program a success this year.
Kim first spoke of the warm welcome she received from Elmhurst staff. “It made me want to be there and do well for the students. I felt seen and respected,” she said.
She noted the spark of transformation in students that our coaches often mention as the motivation that keeps them coming back to coaching every year.
“They go from leery, anxious, and/or ambivalent when they first meet their coaches, to eager, excited and even enthusiastic as they begin to connect with them.”
Shannon also mentioned the coach-student relationship-building at Elmhurst as a highlight.
“The connections they made were heartwarming. The students were so curious about their coaches, asking them what they did outside of volunteering. They thanked them every time. Overall, I received the most positive reviews from students, teachers and coaches than I have at any other school.”
Kim also marveled at the coaches’ adaptability in facing challenges like working with English language learners. “The complexity of working with students from diverse cultural backgrounds made us realize we needed to be more creative in assessing/researching students’ barriers to learning,” she said.
“It’s wonderful to see coaches using different strategies to connect with their students.”
The coaches expressed eagerness to return to Elmhurst next year. “They mentioned that Elmhurst was a great school,” Shannon said. “They enjoyed the students and teachers and they hope to have longer class periods with the students next year.”
Oakland has a rich history and like many cities in America, faces a lot of challenges in meeting citizens’ needs to be successful in life. There are also many efforts and initiatives striving to meet those needs, and improving education for children is at the top. We’re so pleased for WriterCoach Connection to be a part of that effort.
