Connecting Students with Resources
Students experiencing hunger, anxiety, PTSD, health issues, legal battles, or other challenges require additional resources in order to show up to school ready to learn. The number of students facing these barriers to learning has only grown since the start of the pandemic. However, Salesforce has invested deeply in whole child supports at OUSD that aim to connect students with the resources they need to come to school ready to learn.
Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, Salesforce invested in the Newcomer Wellness Initiative and its team of Newcomer Social Workers serving the rising population of refugee and asylum students. Newcomers often experience a complex transition into the United States, frequently hold residual trauma from the journey across the international border into Oakland, and can struggle to find stable caregivers, housing, and jobs. To support students with these unique challenges, Newcomer Social Workers work in schools, connecting newcomers with wrap-around supports that make it easier to continue to attend school regularly and achieve academically. To this day, Salesforce has invested over $6M in the Newcomer Wellness Initiative.
In the 2018-19 school year, Salesforce expanded its whole child support to invest in a mental health initiative that provides prevention, early intervention, and intensive support for students impacted by trauma or other social, emotional, and behavioral factors. This initiative targets five of the middle schools with the highest needs and provides mental health services to prevent the escalation of problem behavior, increase attendance and promote engagement.
