Many Oakland charter schools offer hands on learning like EBIA!
In Oakland’s charter public schools, middle school students are applying their learning through real-world challenges and hands-on projects while engaging in outdoor exploration, student-led clubs, and competitive sports.
This array of programs is designed to engage, inspire, and prepare students for high school and beyond. Students are discovering their passions by designing community projects, launching rockets, and leading school-wide initiatives, to name a few. Read about each school’s unique offerings here, and be sure to explore all of your options on Oakland Enrolls.
AIMS K-12 College Prep Charter District: AIMS offers a middle school experience focused on academic excellence, inclusivity, and leadership. The school’s athletic program includes sports such as flag football, volleyball, basketball, and soccer, and teams have competed for championships. Outdoor learning takes place during PE and during trips to local parks. Student clubs include Techbridge Girls, Musical Theater, Debate, and the Student Government Association (SGA). One student shared that joining the Debate club and serving in Student Government transformed their middle school experience, giving them confidence to speak up in class, lead change, and engage deeply in their community.
Amethod Public Schools (AMPS): Oakland Charter Academy (OCA) 6-8: Oakland Charter Academy (OCA) is a college-preparatory middle school focused on rigorous academics through hands-on, project-based learning. School leaders set high standards for the diverse student population. Learning is centered around longer-term “quests”: projects that challenge students to address real-world problems and create their products or presentations. Critical thinking, collaboration, and leadership skills are emphasized, and students often work in small groups and track their own goals.
Aspire Public Schools (Aspire Monarch Academy K–8, Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy 6–12, Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy K–8): Aspire Public Schools in Oakland are supporting future-ready scholars by connecting rigorous academics with creative exploration and community engagement across all its campuses. This approach is a shift from traditional instruction most students experience to one that builds deep engagement, critical thinking, and skill-building for college and career. Aspire schools offer shared literacy workshops, close reading discussions, and hands-on scientific experiments. Teachers design project-based activities where students investigate complex questions, research topics, and present their findings to the community. After-school Expanded Learning programs allow students to engage in projects like garden harvests, art exhibitions, or drama productions.
Bay Area Technology School (BayTech): BayTech offers a structured middle school program focused on direct, interactive instruction tailored to all students. The school offers a range of competitive sports, including football, soccer, volleyball, cross-country, track, and basketball. Student agency is a priority; students are free to start any club with an advisor, leading to popular options like chess, Pokémon, cooking, and intramurals. The school ensures access by charging no fees and scheduling activities during lunch. BayTech partners with organizations such as Higher Ground, Zymbolic, and the Positive Coaching Alliance to enhance programs and is excited about its new building, which features a full gym and dedicated club space. “Our top performing athletes are also our top performing students!” the school notes.
East Bay Innovation Academy: East Bay Innovation Academy (EBIA) provides students with a hands-on, STEM-focused education in a tight-knit community. The school creates vibrant, interactive classrooms and offers an award-winning Science Olympiad team for both middle and high school students. The middle school athletic program offers 11 sports, including basketball, volleyball, baseball, and soccer. EBIA is the only Oakland public school to offer the AP Capstone diploma program. Students engage in real-world experiences through internships with partners, including Chabot Space & Science Center and the Bay Area mural project. A key school structure is its weekly schedule that includes time for internships, enrichment, and academic support.
Education for Change (EFC): The Education for Change network, which includes Lazear Charter Academy and ASCEND, creates TK–8 learning environments grounded in culturally responsive, project-based instruction. Both Lazear and ASCEND prioritize belonging, which allows students to see themselves reflected in the curriculum and a school staff that mirrors the community. Academics are taught at or above grade level with structured literacy and small-group support. Signature project-based learning is showcased through public exhibitions, such as the performing art showcases at Lazear (“The Lion King” was a recent production), while ASCEND’s Expeditionary Learning model features in-depth project expos where students present their work on topics like climate and physics. Both campuses offer student leadership opportunities, such as student council and athletic programs, for upper elementary and middle school students.
Envision Academy of Arts & Technology: At Envision Academy, project-based learning and portfolio defense are key aspects of the school’s rigorous academics. The school is a small community where students are known and supported. The portfolio defense for students is modeled after a graduate dissertation defense, where students present and defend their learning. “We consistently see that student involvement in extracurricular clubs and sports builds self-discipline and increased focus in school,” a school leader shared. The school’s academic program is designed so that any student who meets graduation requirements automatically is A-G eligible for the UC and CSU systems. Student agency is a priority, and clubs and activities are built on student interest. Current middle school athletic offerings include basketball and track. College readiness is supported through a college counselor, a focus on scholarships, and a strong record of student acceptances to top colleges.
Oakland Military Institute: Students at Oakland Military Institute (OMI) are provided with a structured leadership environment, hands-on learning, and outdoor exploration opportunities. “Outdoor learning is a defining element of the OMI experience,” a school leader said, with programs including leadership hikes in the Oakland Hills, overnight camping trips, and STEM-focused activities like drone piloting and rocketry. Middle school students compete in athletics, including basketball, volleyball, soccer, cross country, track and field, and flag football. Unique clubs include Robotics, Rocketry, Future Medical Leaders, and Model United Nations.
Oakland Unity Middle School (OUMS): Oakland Unity Middle is a safe, supportive community where students are known and challenged to grow both academically and socially. The school’s SHARP Habits of Heart and Mind (strategy shifting, building relationships, seeking appropriate help, responding to setbacks, and persistence) are taught and reinforced through weekly grades, a reward system, and advisory reflections. Student voice is empowered through the Student Council, student surveys each semester, and advisory.“Unity Middle School is a kind and safe place where we have the chance to learn new and interesting things in an enjoyable way,” one student shared.
Yu Ming Charter School TK-8: Yu Ming Charter School is a TK–8 Mandarin immersion school developing global citizens through a rigorous bilingual model. Middle school students at Yu Ming can choose from a range of extracurriculars, including Jazz Band, Visual Arts, Chinese Drama, STEM Design Lab, Coding, Robotics, and Chinese Journalism, as well as student-led clubs in areas such as cartooning and photo engineering. Through the school’s Design Lab, students apply S.T.E.A.M. to problem-solving, and there is an 8th-grade study tour to China.
Extracurriculars are integral for students and Oakland Charter Schools like AIMS, offers an array of them!
