Running for a better Oakland was founded in 2010 with the goal of helping Oakland students reclaim their ability to run through the often unsafe streets of Oakland. Since then, the organization has served thousands of families from the greater Oakland area by providing quality running training, compassionate coaching, shoes and running equipment, access to local races, and more. RBO has offered graduating seniors scholarships every year since 2017.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, RBO ... Read More
Running for a better Oakland was founded in 2010 with the goal of helping Oakland students reclaim their ability to run through the often unsafe streets of Oakland. Since then, the organization has served thousands of families from the greater Oakland area by providing quality running training, compassionate coaching, shoes and running equipment, access to local races, and more. RBO has offered graduating seniors scholarships every year since 2017.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, RBO continued providing services to students and families virtually and through socially-distanced events. We returned to in-person practices at Lake Merritt in Fall 2021 and quickly returned to our pre-pandemic attendance levels.
Participation in youth sports improves physical health, mental health, prevents obesity, predicts activity in adulthood, has educational and financial benefits, and lowers tobacco use. Unfortunately, students are rapidly losing access to meaningful athletic programming as schools cut athletic funding and community sports programs increasingly turn to pay-to-play models. Running for a Better Oakland is committed to creating equitable access to athletics for students in the greater Oakland area by providing tuition-free running programs including dedicated coaching and mentoring, quality equipment and apparel, entries to local professionally-managed races and access to snacks and nutrition.
Running for a Better Oakland is a multifaceted program designed to meet the varied needs of our diverse community. While RBO provides free services for families, coaches, high school volunteers, and adult volunteers, our top priority will always be our students. For students, a main highlight of their experience in the program is participating in local running races, crossing the finish line with a run mentor, and receiving a finisher’s medal for their hard work and perseverance.
We also have a robust volunteer program that supports our coaching staff and paid RBO staff members in serving our students at practices, races, and other events. RBO Volunteers contribute in a wide variety of roles from distributing healthy snacks and t-shirts, to monitoring safety around Lake Merritt, to serving as run mentors for the students. Approximately 50% of our volunteers are parent/guardians or other family members of an RBO student. We also have a program for youth volunteers (called “Youth Coaches”) in which high school students can receive community service credit for supporting practice operations and serving as run mentors for our K-5 students. All program volunteers and staff older than 18 are required to submit a background check through a third-party vendor that RBO retains. RBO covers the cost of the background check for those in need of financial assistance and for teachers and school staff.
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