Promising Practices
Strategies to raise educational outcomes for young boys of color
Photo courtesy of Unity Council
As a whole, the field of early learning routinely fails to build upon the strengths of young children of color and fails to adequately serve their needs. Black children and their families specifically—and all children of color—are considered “at risk” by policymakers, educators, and the media rather than “placed at risk” by a system that has historically viewed them from a deficit paradigm (Boykin, 2013).
Oakland Starting Smart and Strong’s Boys of Color (BoC) Workgroup, co-chaired by Rha Bowden of Lotus Bloom and Ni McCovery of Bananas, identifies, recommends, and supports the development of effective teaching practices, programs and policies for people who work with young boys of color. We partner closely with workgroup members—families, practitioners, education content experts, and policymakers—to build and pilot a set of strategies that address institutional racism in early learning settings. The goal is to create strength-based environments that are responsive to the brilliance, interests and promise of our diverse boys of color.
Oakland Starting Smart and Strong’s Boys of Color (BoC) Workgroup, co-chaired by Rha Bowden of Lotus Bloom and Ni McCovery of Bananas, identifies, recommends, and supports the development of effective teaching practices, programs and policies for people who work with young boys of color. We partner closely with workgroup members—families, practitioners, education content experts, and policymakers—to build and pilot a set of strategies that address institutional racism in early learning settings. The goal is to create strength-based environments that are responsive to the brilliance, interests and promise of our diverse boys of color.
Resources for Educators and Policymakers
Communities of Learning: Centering Black Boys
In fall 2022, a group of early childhood educators joined the inaugural Community of Practice focused on the 10 Promising Practices (10PP) in Early Learning for Black Boys. These strategies, developed and supported by the BoC Workgroup, are key tools that aim to dismantle systems of education that do not work for all children and move toward building one that does. Preschool teachers and instructional aides from Oakland Unified School District and City of Oakland Head Start programs engaged in interactive exercises to better support Black boys and shared classroom challenges with peers navigating similar experiences.
Building on that foundation, a second cohort launched in December 2023 with a group of East Oakland early learning educators, including preschool, Head Start, and family child care providers. Over the course of six months, the group participated in four virtual workshops, each focused on one of the four pillars of the 10PP:
In fall 2022, a group of early childhood educators joined the inaugural Community of Practice focused on the 10 Promising Practices (10PP) in Early Learning for Black Boys. These strategies, developed and supported by the BoC Workgroup, are key tools that aim to dismantle systems of education that do not work for all children and move toward building one that does. Preschool teachers and instructional aides from Oakland Unified School District and City of Oakland Head Start programs engaged in interactive exercises to better support Black boys and shared classroom challenges with peers navigating similar experiences.
Building on that foundation, a second cohort launched in December 2023 with a group of East Oakland early learning educators, including preschool, Head Start, and family child care providers. Over the course of six months, the group participated in four virtual workshops, each focused on one of the four pillars of the 10PP:
- Culturally relevant curriculum and instruction
- Family engagement
- Teacher anti-racist self-reflection
- Systems equity
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Most recently, a 2024-25 cohort was created in collaboration with Roots Community Health Center and Oakland Unified School District, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing equity for Black boys in early learning and health care settings. In our most diverse cohort to date, members included early childhood educators, health care workers, doulas, and elementary and middle school educators. This cohort launched in February 2025 and ended in May 2025 with a celebration of their work to support better education and health outcomes for young Black boys. Members gave presentations - including skits and poems, about what they learned and how they have incorporated the equity strategies outlined in the Action Toolkit.
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These OSSS community of practice workshops are co-facilitated by early education experts Dr. LaWanda Wesley and Dr. Tasha Henneman and coordinated by Veronica Anderson. To date, more than 75 educators and health care professionals have participated in this powerful series—strengthening instructional practice, building emotional resilience, and cultivating a shared commitment to Black boy joy and success in early childhood.
Action Toolkit for 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Black Boys
In 2021, the Boys of Color workgroup worked with educators and researchers to develop 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Black Boys: Action Toolkit. This new resource is now available to educators in preschool classrooms and programs who are looking for background materials and tips for improving early learning outcomes for Black boys. The idea for the Action Toolkit was sparked by participants in last year’s 10 Promising Practices workshop who asked for more guidance on using the practices in early learning classrooms and programs.
In 2021, the Boys of Color workgroup worked with educators and researchers to develop 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Black Boys: Action Toolkit. This new resource is now available to educators in preschool classrooms and programs who are looking for background materials and tips for improving early learning outcomes for Black boys. The idea for the Action Toolkit was sparked by participants in last year’s 10 Promising Practices workshop who asked for more guidance on using the practices in early learning classrooms and programs.
Other Resources and Findings from the Boys of Color Workgroup
The Boys of Color Workgroup began its work by identifying a common set of indicators for young children in Oakland, ranging from reading proficiency to asthma to family income, including those indicators that revealed the greatest disparities for boys of color. Then, based on feedback from parents, community members, and practitioners, and building on the strengths present in our community, the workgroup identified 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Boys of Color.
In 2019, the workgroup developed the Promising Practices Portfolio: Strategies for Supporting Boys of Color and their Families for Improved Early Years Outcomes. This report highlights innovative work in Oakland that is nurturing educational joy and success for all children, particularly young boys of color, in two major areas: family engagement and trauma-informed practices.
For each agency featured, the report includes a description of:
The Boys of Color Workgroup began its work by identifying a common set of indicators for young children in Oakland, ranging from reading proficiency to asthma to family income, including those indicators that revealed the greatest disparities for boys of color. Then, based on feedback from parents, community members, and practitioners, and building on the strengths present in our community, the workgroup identified 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Boys of Color.
In 2019, the workgroup developed the Promising Practices Portfolio: Strategies for Supporting Boys of Color and their Families for Improved Early Years Outcomes. This report highlights innovative work in Oakland that is nurturing educational joy and success for all children, particularly young boys of color, in two major areas: family engagement and trauma-informed practices.
For each agency featured, the report includes a description of:
- Early years outcomes that the agency aims to impact
- Service model used
- Promising practices utilized
- Results and impact
Promising Practices Portfolio is designed for anyone interested in re-imagining what it means to support and engage with boys of color and their families, especially families living in poverty or with trauma, including the trauma inflicted by racism. The Promising Practices also informed development of a pilot workshop to support equity in practice in early learning. Read more about the workshops that were piloted in November 2020.
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Rha Bowden, Lotus Bloom Site Director, gives the closing speech at the 10 Promising Practices in Early Learning for Black Boys Community of Practice ceremony (May 2024).
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Several Boys of Color Workgroup members during a planning meeting.