Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation Brings Partners Together to Fund Emergency Clean Water Access for Oakland Schools
The Oakland-Based Charity along with Kaiser Permanente and TomKat Foundation Team Up to Commit $650,000 to Jumpstart Clean Water Efforts Within OUSD Following Lead Contamination Discovery
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oakland, CA – January 15, 2025
Since last September, Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. has taken action to ensure students across Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) have easy access to clean drinking water. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente and TomKat Foundation, over the past four months, the foundation has funded the installation of FloWater filtration stations across 60 elementary, middle, and high schools, providing OUSD’s 34,000 students with safer, highly-filtered drinking water.
With the commitment of $650,000, this initiative is a critical and immediate first step toward addressing the discovery of elevated lead levels in the water at numerous OUSD schools. While these efforts mark significant progress, they represent just the beginning of the work needed to ensure a comprehensive, long-term solution for clean water access in OUSD schools. Eat. Learn. Play. remains committed to improving school infrastructure, addressing systemic inequities and providing vital resources to underserved students in Oakland.
"At Eat. Learn. Play., our mission is to ensure that every Oakland student has the resources and support they need to reach their full potential, and access to clean water is a fundamental part of that," said Chris Helfrich, CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. "Every child deserves access to clean water—it’s a basic necessity and a non-negotiable priority for us. They need clean water now, and we're committed to making that happen."
Elevated lead levels were found in 186 fountains and faucets across OUSD buildings during testing over last spring and summer. In the first round of testing, while some water outlets tested with elevated levels, more than 82% tested below the District-mandated standard of 5 parts per billion (ppb) or less, and in more recent testing, it has been 90%—in faucets, fountainheads and water bottle filling stations across 59 schools.
FloWater Refill Stations have transformed the tap water in thousands of schools across the United States, creating safer, more sanitary drinking water experiences for schoolchildren and their teachers. “Safe drinking water in our schools is a national issue,” said Rich Razgaitis, CEO and Co-Founder of FloWater. “The OUSD community is a shining example of how schools everywhere can protect their kids from contaminated water while helping them learn more effectively and be healthier and better hydrated.”
Eat. Learn. Play. has teamed up with Kaiser Permanente and TomKat Foundation to fund and fast-track Phase 1 of the district’s clean water plan to ensure students have access to safe and clean drinking water at every school. This collective funding supports the installation of additional filtration stations, necessary infrastructure upgrades, and the distribution of 20,000 reusable water bottles to students. The first phase focused on schools with the highest number of unusable water fountains and the largest student populations, ensuring clean, safe water access where it's needed most.
“We are so thankful to Stephen, Ayesha, Eat. Learn. Play., Kaiser Permanente, and Kat Taylor for stepping in at this critical time,” said Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, OUSD Superintendent. “The health and well-being of our students is our top priority, and this funding provides significant support to help us address this serious health issue while we work on long-term solutions.”
Kaiser Permanente, a longtime supporter of OUSD, is committed to ensuring student health and wellness. “Having access to clean, safe drinking water is critical to the overall health and well-being of children in our communities,” said Yvette Radford, vice president for External and Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “This important effort will help ensure Oakland students have safe, reliable drinking water throughout the school day.”
This collective effort highlights the power of partnerships in addressing critical health and equity challenges, with each organization bringing its expertise and commitment to ensure that Oakland students can thrive.
“Access to clean and safe drinking water is a fundamental right that our students and communities deserve,” says Kat Taylor, a child nutrition policy champion and longtime philanthropic partner of Eat. Learn. Play. and OUSD. “This partnership is a powerful opportunity to cultivate immediate solutions that transform inequitable systems. I’m proud to work with Eat. Learn. Play. and Kaiser Permanente to ensure Oakland’s students and families have the resources they need to succeed.”
In addition to the plan's first phase, OUSD has outlined future phases that include purchasing 88 more filtration stations, testing remaining schools and replacing water fixtures, with an estimated total cost of $2 million, with an ultimate goal to create the foundational infrastructure to guarantee that students and staff have access to highly filtered water.
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About Eat. Learn. Play.
Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is an organization dedicated to unleashing the potential of every child, paving the way for amazing kids and opening doors to bright futures. Founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. launched with a focus on improving the lives of kids and families in Oakland, the Bay Area and across the country. Rooted in three of the most vital pillars for a healthy childhood—nutrition, education and physical activity—Eat. Learn. Play. is working to ensure that every child in Oakland has access to the nutritious food they need to be healthy and thrive; resources to learn and love to read; and safe places and equitable opportunities to play. Follow Eat. Learn. Play. on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
Eat. Learn. Play. Contacts:
Tom Dietz
tom@midnight-dawn.com | C: 303-506-2228
Stephen Baruch
stephen@midnight-dawn.com | C: 631-388-1367