We focus on three vital pillars of a healthy childhood: nutrition, education, and physical activity. Our investments meet kids where they are most often—in school, at home, and in their neighborhood.
Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is committed to unlocking the amazing potential of every child by fighting to end childhood hunger, ensuring students have access to a quality education, and providing safe places for all children to play and be active.
In Oakland, 37% of kids currently struggle with food insecurity. For Black and Brown children, the percentage is even higher. Nationwide hunger rates have increased significantly over the past two years, with nearly 14 million kids going hungry every day.
Eat. Learn. Play. works on the front lines to ensure kids and families have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive. We are taking a leadership role in helping Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) state-of-the-art Central Kitchen become fully operational within the next few years, so it can fulfill its promise of distributing more than 9 million meals annually to Oakland students. Furthermore, we advocate at the local, state, and federal levels on critical policy issues related to food insecurity among kids and their families.
When COVID-19 forced school closures in March 2020, many of the almost 20,000 Oakland students who rely on multiple school meals per day were immediately at risk for hunger.
Although Eat. Learn. Play. had launched just months earlier, we set aside our strategic plan and immediately refocused our efforts where they were needed most. We provided funding and resources to help OUSD activate its remote meal distribution plan. During the first week of closures, the school district served more than 90,000 meals. Entire families—many of whom had parents and other family members recently laid off due to shelter-in-place orders—arrived to pick up food.
As we quickly recognized the scale of need, we looked to a longtime local leader in combating hunger and poverty, the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Together, we provided families with additional bags of groceries, fresh produce, and complete meals. And through a partnership with World Central Kitchen, we helped 130 Oakland restaurants closed by the pandemic re-open and re-hire their staff members, directing their energy toward producing high-quality meals for families, homeless and foster youth, seniors, and others in need.
“Stephen and Ayesha’s video had a profound impact on emphasizing the magnitude of the pandemic on hunger and poverty. It was the indication for the world to stop and say, ‘Okay, COVID-19 is spreading rapidly globally, and we need to focus on it quickly. The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) had just announced immediate school closures.”
Alameda County Community Food Bank
By paying local restaurants $10 per meal and coordinating with World Central Kitchen, Eat. Learn. Play. facilitated the preparation and distribution of more than 2.6 million restaurant meals to Oakland’s most vulnerable residents in the first year of the pandemic.
This collaborative approach serves as a blueprint for how communities can respond quickly and feed their residents in the most difficult times.
“I am a single mother of two and lost my job during the pandemic. With schools also closed, I did not know where the next meal for my kids would come from. The work that Eat. Learn. Play. did to help bring food to families like me in this community was a Godsend. Without it, I don’t know how we would have made it through this period. Simply, thank you!”
(OUSD parent)
In addition to fueling kids with the nutritious food they need to thrive; we are also making sure they have access to high-quality education.
There is nothing more essential or foundational to a child’s opportunities in life than the ability to read well, which is why we are working to close the literacy gap amongst Oakland students.
There is a literacy crisis in Oakland that’s been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and more than a year of distance learning. Currently, less than 15% of Black and Brown elementary school students in Oakland are reading at grade level.
Because there is no single solution, we are investing in a multi-pronged plan to create a stronger culture of literacy in Oakland and help dramatically improve literacy outcomes for students. To ensure we are taking an informed and holistic approach, we are convening a broad set of community stakeholders to set ambitious 5- to 10-year literacy goals for students in our community. To date, Eat. Learn. Play. has created several new literacy programs and invested $3.4 million locally to help Oakland students make significant, tangible progress as readers, with a particular focus on children from birth to 10 years of age.
Eat. Learn. Play. is leveraging its relationships, resources, and platforms to support the Oakland Unified School District and the broader local literacy community in developing bold collective goals. These plans are intended to ensure all kids in Oakland are on the pathway to literacy by the beginning of kindergarten and reading at grade level by the end of third grade.
“I am humbled by your generosity. Thank you for sharing in my dedication to Oakland students! I have seen firsthand the impact that a variety of leveled books can make in the classroom. To know that my students will now have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the world and their experiences through the literature available in my classroom fills me with pride. Thank you so much again!”
Melrose Leadership Academy Maxwell Campus
One Million Dollars for Literacy
In late 2021, Stephen, Ayesha, and Eat. Learn. Play. made a $1 million commitment to Oakland teachers with a promise to fund 100% of every literacy-focused classroom project for elementary and middle schools on the DonorsChoose platform.
To recognize teachers as some of our most underappreciated heroes, Stephen surprised four OUSD teachers by announcing the $1 million pledge of support on the first day of our 12 Days of Christmas with the Currys in 2021.
“My students are I are forever thankful to your Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. My students will be very happy to have tangible books in their hands during independent reading time.”
Bella Vista Elementary School
The response from Oakland teachers has been tremendous. As of November 2022, over $992,934 has been granted to 1,195 classroom literacy projects across 89 schools in Oakland.
Teachers have requested classroom libraries, better quality books to inspire and engage a diverse classroom, multilingual literacy tools, manipulatives for reading and math, and basic supplies for kids to write and express their creativity.
To continue growing the impact of the DonorsChoose partnership, Eat. Learn. Play. is excited to commit a second $1 million donation to support Oakland teachers’ efforts to help students have the opportunity to reach their potential as readers.
“Reading is a crucial building block to academic success and unlocking lifelong opportunities, which is why we’ve made early literacy the focus of our LEARN pillar. We want to encourage kids to read by making it accessible, fun, and inspirational.”
In April 2022, our Little Town Libraries program launched in neighborhoods across Oakland, meeting kids and families where they are with high-quality, age-appropriate, culturally relevant books to encourage children’s passion for reading.
Inspired by the national Little Free Libraries movement, the first group of our planned 150 Little Town Libraries are being managed alongside three Oakland-based non-profits and trusted Eat. Learn. Play. partners, the Oakland Literacy Coalition, the Black Cultural Zone, and the Oakland Public Library.
This program is extending the reach of neighborhood book sharing to historically under-resourced communities such as East and West Oakland, Fruitvale, and Chinatown, helping to ensure Oakland kids everywhere are encouraged to read.
Physical activity, including participation in youth sports, is a critical part of childhood development and offers numerous physical, mental, social-emotional, and academic benefits to young people.
Developing team-building skills, self-confidence, and shared accountability at an early age helps kids succeed over their lifetime. However, only 24% of low-income youth nationally are involved in youth sports and other organized physical activities. In Oakland, only 9% of middle school-aged girls and 19% of boys report getting 60 minutes of physical activity daily.
To meet kids and families where they play, we are making major investments in local sports programming—in schools and through recreational leagues in the community—and are working to remodel more than a dozen high-traffic playspaces throughout Oakland.
Additionally, Eat. Learn. Play. remains committed to making summer camps accessible for all children in our community as well as working to close the gender play gap that exists in Oakland.
Town Camps and Improved Schoolyards
For four consecutive years, Eat. Learn. Play. has been the presenting partner and largest funder of Oakland’s Town Camps, offered at 19 locations across the city.
This support helps ensure that thousands of children can attend high-quality summer camps—places where kids can go to eat, learn, and play in a safe environment throughout the summer—regardless of their ability to pay.
“Play is a fundamental part of childhood and is critical to development. So much of who I am as a person and a leader today is because of playing sports as a kid. I learned the value of hard work, resilience, teamwork, communication, time management—sports teach young athletes so many critical life skills, which is why I’m passionate about making sure everyone has access to these opportunities.”
In addition, Eat. Learn. Play. has worked alongside KABOOM!, Oakland Unified School District, Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development, Curry Brand, and other partners to create high-quality places to play throughout the community.
Investing in the creation and remodeling of playspaces—including new playgrounds, multi-sport courts, and community gardens—will be a growing priority for Eat. Learn. Play. in the years ahead.
Together with the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society program, Eat. Learn. Play. developed the “State of Play Oakland” report, a landscape analysis of Oakland’s sports and physical activity opportunities and facilities.
The report’s findings are informing our “Play” strategy and how to best use our resources, voice, and platform to make sure all youth in our community have access to quality youth sports and safe spaces to play.
Launched in September 2021, the Eat. Learn. Play. Bus embodies the three core pillars of the foundation, and brings each component to life in a fun, unique and engaging way that will leave visitors smiling and inspired.
The Alameda County Community Food Bank is our lead partner for this program, responsible for procuring and stocking food, managing day-to-day logistics, and operating the Bus on its regular route and for special events.
What’s on the Bus?
The passenger side of the Bus is designed for food distribution and regularly includes everyday grocery staples, quality meals prepared by local restaurants, and fresh fruits and vegetables from California farms.
The driver’s side of the Bus features a free mobile bookstore that delivers new, culturally appropriate books to Oakland kids and families each year. Many of the books are about topics that mirror the community’s daily lives, encouraging kids to explore their identities with curiosity and kindness, while other books spark imagination and introduce new perspectives and possibilities. With the help of the Oakland Literacy Coalition, Literati, Oakland Public Library, and other literacy partners, the Bus aims to deliver 100,000+ books annually.
ADVOCACY
We understand that the challenges kids and families face are not limited to a single zip code. If we hope to reach children far beyond Oakland, we must push for meaningful change at scale.
By leveraging our approach to partnerships, bringing forward innovative solutions, and amplifying voices with lived experiences, we can use the power of our platform to influence leaders and policies at the local, state, and national levels.
Alongside key program partners, Eat. Learn. Play. has played an important role in advocating for and strengthening policies that provide a lifeline for millions of kids and families.
Our advocacy work alongside Share Our Strength has led to increased funding for SNAP and Pandemic EBT programs and the passing of the Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization Act. At the height of the pandemic, Ayesha and Stephen quietly and successfully advocated for $8 billion for Federal Nutrition Assistance. In April 2021, Ayesha testified before Congress about the need and opportunity to end childhood hunger in America.
Ayesha’s testimony was followed by a visit to Oakland by House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, where we showcased the collective power of our community partners working together to address food insecurity in innovative ways.
The Power of Partnerships
We simply could not do this work without the extraordinary generosity and determination of our partners and donors. There is no greater investment in our future than giving children an equal opportunity to succeed.
PROGRAM PARTNERS
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Our Board of Directors
Stephen Curry
Co-Founder
Ayesha Curry
Co-Founder
Jennifer Aaker
Social Psychologist and Professor of Marketing, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Arne Duncan
Managing Partner, Emerson Collective and former United States Secretary of Education
Yvette Radford
Vice President, External & Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente
Alfredo B. D. Silva
Partner, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Frank Zecca
Managing Director at OFSWealth
With your support, we do more than just invest in kids—we innovate, inspire, bring joy, and explore ways to support the whole child.
Our impact is only made possible by the faith you place in our mission and all the ways you support our efforts. Whether you donate, volunteer, or provide valuable products and resources—your contributions matter greatly to the kids we serve.
