The Rev. Jesse Jackson to Visit Oakland High School Today

Civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson will continue to advocate for teaching computer science and engineering to minority and low-income students when he visits an Oakland high school today.

At 1:30 p.m., Jackson will stop by Oakland Technical High School to encourage students to “push for excellence and make good life choices,” Oakland Unified School District officials said in a statement. During his visit, Jackson will eat lunch with students enrolled in the school’s computer science program and speak at a student assembly.

There, he’ll address the importance of early preparation in order to gain access to jobs in high-growth industries. Finally, Jackson will tour a robotics class as well as a computer animation class, OUSD officials said. Additionally, Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition will award $15,000 in scholarships to Oakland students, according to OUSD officials. Jackson’s visit to the school builds on the role the Rainbow PUSH Coalition played in helping to broker a partnership between the OUSD and Intel, OUSD officials said.

In May, the Santa Clara-based company and OUSD announced the company would spend $5 million over the next five years to expand computer science and engineering programs in the district. Under the pilot program, Intel will help the school district develop curriculum, train teachers, and provide computers and internet access for 2,400 students at McClymonds and Oakland Tech high schools, school district officials said.

Intel and OUSD officials said the ultimate goal is to send 600 graduates from those schools onto college programs and careers in computer science and engineering.

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock

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