Rooted in Oakland. Led by youth. Built for impact.
A school-based model rooted in courage, care, and community
Rooted Future is youth development program working weekly with students at Madison Park Academy and Oakland High School. We partner with young people as they prepare for careers of impact that support their communities. Through consistent presence in schools, trusted relationships, and service-centered learning, we help students grow into leaders grounded in purpose and care.
Students participate in Rooted Future programming throughout the school year. Each quarter is shaped through a student and community listening process that identifies shared needs, interests, and goals. Quarterly themes guide learning, service, and career exploration, and each cycle concludes with a capstone experience where students apply their growth in real and visible ways. Rooted Future staff provide long-term adult presence, and volunteers join as mentors and career guides who help students imagine and prepare for meaningful futures.
OUR VALUES
Our work is grounded in three core values that shape our culture, relationships, and expectations.
OUR ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Rooted Future is grounded in the Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) framework, a research-based model developed by Dr. Christina Bethell and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University. PCEs identify the kinds of supportive relationships, environments, and experiences that help young people build resilience, well-being, and long-term success. This research shows that positive experiences in childhood are strongly associated with better mental health, stronger relationships, and improved life outcomes, even for young people who have experienced significant adversity.
The PCE framework is closely connected to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research, which documents how chronic stress and trauma can negatively affect health and development over time. Rather than defining young people by the adversity they may have faced, our PCEs model offers a more productive and hopeful approach. We focus on what helps young people heal, grow, and thrive. without denying the challenges our young people face. We believe that positive experiences, when present and repeated, can buffer stress, strengthen resilience, and support healthy development.
Research identifies
seven core Positive Childhood Experiences that support youth well-being:
• Feeling able to talk with family about feelings
• Feeling supported by friends
• Feeling a sense of belonging in school
• Having at least two non-parent adults who take genuine interest
• Feeling safe and protected at home
• Feeling supported by adults in the community
• Having opportunities to help others and contribute
Rooted Future intentionally designs programming to foster these experiences. Through weekly engagement in Oakland schools, steady mentorship from caring adults, meaningful peer relationships, and opportunities for service and leadership, students experience belonging, support, and contribution in consistent ways. By grounding our work in the PCE framework, we affirm young people not as problems to be fixed, but as leaders in the making who thrive when surrounded by care, courage, and community.
OUR PILLARS
Our programming is organized around three pillars that guide what students learn and how they grow.
IMPACT CAREER-READINESS
Career Readiness prepares students for futures rooted in service, purpose, and community impact. Students explore a wide range of service-oriented careers, meet professionals across healthcare, education, nonprofit leadership, advocacy, and the arts, and participate in workshops that build practical skills. This includes resume development, interview preparation, job and college application support, and guided exposure to real workplaces and volunteer roles. By connecting their interests with real career pathways, students gain clarity, confidence, and a sense of possibility for their future.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Leadership Development helps students grow into confident leaders who understand their own strengths and know how to make a meaningful impact. Through weekly workshops, group activities, and hands-on practice, students learn public speaking, project planning, collaboration, and decision making. They apply these skills by designing and leading a capstone project focused on an issue they care about in the Oakland community. This pillar gives students the courage to take initiative, the tools to guide others, and the experience to see themselves as leaders in both local and global contexts.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Social Emotional Learning strengthens the inner foundation students need to thrive in school, in relationships, and in service-centered careers. Guided by licensed social workers and trained staff, students learn mental health practices that support emotional awareness, stress management, boundary setting, and sustainable self-care. These lessons are integrated into weekly meetings, reflection activities, and group discussions that help students navigate challenges with resilience and compassion. This pillar ensures that young people develop the balance, well-being, and emotional skills required to lead and serve with confidence.
OUR PATHWAYS
The Pathways are the actions that make our values and pillars come alive. Through service, mentorship, and global experiences, students turn their learning into real impact.
Community Service gives students regular opportunities to engage directly with the issues they care about. During the school year, students volunteer with local organizations, participate in neighborhood cleanups, support community events, and learn from professionals working in fields like health, education, environment, and social justice. These weekly and quarterly service activities connect directly to the topics students choose in their club meetings and help them build real experience that supports their capstone projects. By serving consistently throughout the year, students learn responsibility, teamwork, and the impact of showing up for their community
Mentorship provides steady, personal support for students as they navigate school, leadership roles, service work, and future planning. Each student has access to Rooted Future staff, volunteers, and community partners who offer guidance, encouragement, and real-world insight. Mentors help students reflect on their service experiences, practice mental health strategies, explore college and career pathways, and build confidence in their goals. This support continues throughout the year and becomes especially important during capstone planning, resume building, college applications, and preparation for summer opportunities.
Global Immersions expand students’ learning beyond Oakland by connecting them to Canvasback’s long-standing work in Micronesia. During summer and school breaks, students travel with Canvasback teams to volunteer alongside medical professionals, community partners, and youth programs across the Pacific. These trips allow students to apply the leadership, SEL, and career readiness skills they developed during the school year in a global setting, while also learning from Micronesian communities with deep histories of resilience, culture, and service. Global Immersions give students a powerful perspective on how their skills can make an impact locally and worldwide, and inspire the next stage of their academic or career journey.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHO CAN JOIN?
As of the 2025/2026 school year, Rooted Future is being run out of Madison Park Academy and Oakland Highschool. However, our program is open to all! If you’d like to come out and join our community events or volunteer with students, we’d love to find a way to get you involved!
IS THERE A FEE FOR STUDENTS?
No! Our program is free for Oakland students. However, part of their leadership development may be helping to fundraise to support their programs. We see fundraising as an opportunity to build real world career skills!
HOW CAN I SUPPORT?
Rooted Future needs your help! If you are a professional working in a career to support your community, come meet our students, volunteer with them, and be a mentor. If you’re a medical professional, contact us about using your skills in the Bay and in Micronesia. If you’re a student, join the program and tell your friends!
IS THIS A RELIGIOUS PROGRAM?
No, our program is open to all and does not promote any religion or religious connotations. While Canvasback Missions began as a Christian nonprofit created to work with youth in the US and provide medical care in Micronesia, it no longer includes religious work in its charter or Articles of Incorporation. Rooted Future, as a program of Canvasback, does not hold any religious affiliations.
