The Fruitvale neighborhood is full of fun shops and restaurants, including some of the best taquerias in the city. ACErs also enjoy their close proximity to San Francisco and Sacramento (home of another ACE community).
For more information about ACE, including how to apply, click HERE.
In Oakland, ACErs are working daily to build relationships with the residents of the Fruitvale neighborhood, which they and their students call home. This relatively new site, established in 2011, is in response to the needs of the neighborhood's Latino families, who comprise the fastest growing population of the American Catholic Church.
" God manifested Himself to me in the most unexpected ways this past year. He was hidden in the daily struggles, in the subtle acts of love between community members, in the smiles and prayers of my students, and in the quiet call to abandon the self in order to love others with magnanimity."
"My favorite teaching moment this year was when a student wrote a thank you note for teaching her "reading,math,and how to be a better person." "
"On my first day, I asked my 11th graders a question based on any book they had read in high school One of the more vocal girls in the class laughed at me and told me she didn't read books. My favorite moments this year came every time she told me that she had read ahead of the class and stayed after class to talk with me about the parts she found most interesting. "
"I've been able to see God most clearly in the selfless interactions that take place between many of my scholars. One specific memory that always brings me to tears is witnessing a few of my students sacrificing their own lunch cards for a fellow classmate who is consistently unable to enjoy a decent meal for days on end. I'm always humbled to know that if we simply open our eyes, we can find Christ in each of our children. "
"This year had so many incredible highs but I have to say my best moment came when I watched my students Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF. They were so loving, compassionate and giving. They knew that it was important to help the vulnerable even at 10 years old. "
ACE teachers serve at the following schools:
