Play.

Ensuring all Oakland elementary school and middle school students have access to the high-quality sports and play opportunities they deserve.

Only

of Oakland students get the recommended 60 minutes of daily excercise

14%

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. In Oakland, only 14% of youth are getting an hour of physical activity per day, and there’s a stark gender gap as Oakland girls (9%) are much less likely to be sufficiently active than boys (19%).
Eat. Learn. Play. is providing opportunities and creating safe spaces for all Oakland children to be physically active and participate in youth sports. Eat. Learn. Play. is committed to making high-quality summer camps and after-school programs accessible for all children in our community and is working to help rebuild middle school sports in Oakland that have been decimated by budget cuts.

Eat. Learn. Play. in the News

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Eat. Learn. Play. hosts 11th Annual Christmas with the Currys Holiday Event

Eat. Learn. Play, along with Co-Founders Stephen and Ayesha Curry, hosted a surprise holiday celebration for the 11th Annual Christmas with the Currys—for this year’s capstone event Eat. Learn. Play. brought the joy of reading to every elementary school student (17,000) in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)—delivering beautiful gift boxes from Literati full of books to students at all 49 OUSD elementary schools. Each of the 17,000 holiday gift boxes included five books (85,000 books total) for each student.

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Kaiser Permanente Expands Partnership with Eat. Learn. Play. to Provide Healthy Meals and Safe Places for Oakland Students to Play

Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation and Kaiser Permanente are expanding a partnership committed to creating safe places for Oakland children to play and increasing access to nutritious foods at Oakland schools—fueling healthy habits that will last into adulthood.

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Oakland Marathon and Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Launch Strategic Partnership to Further Support Local Youth

The Oakland Marathon announced today that Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. will serve as the Official Benefiting Charity of the annual event.

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Improving Educational Outcomes Through Play and Partnerships

In today's changing education landscape, achieving better educational outcomes requires a comprehensive approach beyond traditional methods. Educators, policymakers, and organizations focusing on the health and well-being of children and families are searching for new and creative ways to enhance the learning journey.

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Beginning with Sports, Ending in Infinite Possibilities

Oakland Athletic League (OAL) understands and advocates for the importance of sports in the lives of children. The nonprofit organization is a branch of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), working to expand students’ access to sports and physical activity.

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Finishing with a Smile! Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run at the Oakland Running Festival

On Saturday, March 18, the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente, hosted over 500 kids from toddlers to tweens, participated in races ranging from a quarter mile to a mile.

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Transforming Schoolyards and Gyms

We're transforming schoolyards and gyms across Oakland into safe, joyful places where kids can play, move, and thrive. Our elementary schoolyard projects bring new playgrounds, multi-sport courts, nature areas, outdoor classrooms, murals, and trees. To date, we've rebuilt 25 schoolyards, with multi-sport courts and soccer pitches, and we've renovated six middle and high school gyms, with 28 schoolyards planned by the end of 2026.

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Youth Sports Programs

Eat. Learn. Play. is committed to seven-figure annual investments to break down the financial barriers that keep kids out of high-quality youth sports, creating opportunities for young athletes to build confidence, teamwork, and a lasting love of the game. These investments cover everything from equipment and uniforms to coaching support and facility upgrades, so more middle school students can play, no matter their family's financial circumstances.

State of Play Oakland Report

Community Partners

Oakland Athletic League, OUSD’s Expanded Learning Program, KABOOM!, Aspen Institute, Oakland Genesis Soccer Club,  Oakland Lacrosse, Positive Coaching Alliance, Sport Court, and more.

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