We occasionally feature the people from the OUSD and Oakland communities whose work positively impacts education for our public school students every day.
This month, we’re featuring Michelle Oppen from The Center of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), the hub of the district-wide school food program network that connects nutrition, education, and community programs at OUSD’s schools, kitchens, and gardens and includes the district’s Central Kitchen and Warehouse. You can learn more about The Center on the Ed Fund blog.
What is Your Name and Title? Michelle Oppen and I’m the Director of Programs for The Center of Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).
What is The Center? The Center is the hub of the district-wide school food program network that connects nutrition, education, and community programs at OUSD’s schools, kitchens, and gardens and includes the district’s Central Kitchen. (Read more about The Center here.)
What is your background? I come from a public health background and was previously the Wellness Coordinator for OUSD. Schools present a great opportunity for public health programming because we can make a public health connection in almost everything we do.
What’s your favorite part of your work? As the main administrator for The Center’s education and community programming, I stay behind my desk a lot—but I work with a smart, dedicated team of staff and partners, and I love seeing them in action and succeeding. And of course, even though we are not a traditional school, I love walking around outside and seeing students interacting with the space when they are here for field trips, internships, or other activities.
Why do you do what you do? The Center provides this amazing link between food, gardening, environmental justice, health, and education. There’s so much possible here—this is why I do what I do!
What is your proudest moment? The Center has been a work in progress for over 10 years! It took that long for the Facility to be built, and it was all based on a Feasibility Study and Plan co-developed by the Center for EcoLiteracy (CEL). When the co-founder of CEL came to do a site visit, she was brought to tears because our programming had made the dream come to fruition.
What are your hopes for the future of Oakland and Oakland schools? I hope the city can align more so we can work together to leverage resources and have a greater impact. There is so much opportunity but not enough collaboration. Since my daughters go to OUSD schools, I am invested in the future of OUSD both as a leader and a parent.
How do you like to spend your free time? I like spending time with family—my husband and two teenage daughters, walking the dog, attending boot camp classes, seeing concerts, attending music festivals with friends, and going to farmers’ markets.
For information about partnering with The Center, contact Michelle Oppen at michelle.oppen@ousd.org.
Read about The Center on the Ed Fund blog!