St. HOPE: Home
Author Talk and Book Signing with Leila Mottley
Underground Books
Join us for a captivating evening with Leila Mottley, the acclaimed author of the Oprah’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestseller, “Nightcrawling.” As the 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate, Leila has captivated audiences with her powerful storytelling and poetic prowess.
Born and raised in Oakland, Leila continues to call this vibrant city home. We are thrilled to host her at Underground Books for a special book signing event and discussion about her latest book, “woke up no light.”
Let’s Read Oak Park
Underground Books
Let’s Read Oak Park is presented by St. HOPE for elementary school aged children to explore books and participate in hands on activities with an emphasis on cultural themes. Students will engage in interactive book readings, and select a free book of their choice to take home and encourage reading together as a family!
Each child will receive a FREE book to take home from Underground Books.
G.I.R.L.S. ROCK SACRAMENTO
St. HOPE Academy
OAK PARK CAMP
July 15-20, 2024, 10am to 4pm
Location: St. Hope/Sac High, 2315 34th Street, Sacramento
St. HOPE Academy Founded by Kevin Johnson
July 1989
St. HOPE began in 1989 as an afterschool program in a portable classroom at Sacramento High School
After 13 years, St. HOPE realized that an after school program simply wasn’t enough to dramatically improve the academic outcomes of children, that it would be necessary to establish and run our own schools.
In 2003, St. HOPE Public Schools was founded as a preK-12 independent charter school district that provides high-quality education to nearly 2,000 students.
St. HOPE Facility Grand Opening
January 1992
7,000 square foot facility opening at 4101 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Oak Park Victorian Grand Opening
August 2001
St. HOPE’s first economic development project.
40 acres Art & Cultural Center Grand Opening
May 2003
St. HOPE’s largest economic development project opened with Underground Books, Uncle Jed’s Cut Hut, Starbucks and the Guild Theater.
40 Acres is the jewel of the SHDC efforts in the Oak Park community. The building was the historic Woodruff Hotel which was build in 1922 and was renovated by St. HOPE Development company in 2003.
The 23,000 sq. ft. mixed use facility includes:
- Guild Theater
- Underground Books
- Old Soul Coffee House
- Coopers Wine Bar
- Upper Room Apartments
Sac High Scholars Help Bring Affordable Housing Project to Life
Through a partnership with Vrilakas-Groen Architects, a group of Sac High scholars in various grade levels recently learned about the housing industry, and then put their newfound skills to work.
Led by professional architect Ron Vrilakas who has completed several economic development projects in Oak Park, scholars learned about what it takes to bring an affordable housing project to fruition.
Sac High Alumni Spotlight: Tirzah Hubbard, Class of 2009
Tirzah Hubbard attended Sac High in 2005 and graduated in 2009. During her time there, Tirzah chose to take advantage of all the resources the Sac High had to offer. With the help of her advisory teacher and a schedule filled with sports, Tirzah was on the college path early on in high school. She attended Sacramento State University and earned her Bachelors in Communications. Tirzah continued her schooling at Sacramento State and went on to earn her Masters in Education, Behavioral Science, and Gender Equity Studies.
VIP Tickets for Oak Park Black Film Festival Available
VIP Tickets are on sale for the 2024 Oak Park Black Film Festival! The Oak Park Black Film Festival is a celebration of African-American stories and history through cinema showcasing independent features, documentaries and short films by African-American filmmakers. The 3rd annual event will take place at the historic Guild Theater in Oak Park on October 9-13, 2024.
St. HOPE Public School’s Dragon’s Closet Supports At-Risk Scholars and Their Families
We are happy that through our Dragon’s Closet we have been able to provide our at-risk scholars and their families with free school supplies, clothes, food, toiletries, cleaning products, and other household goods.
Celebrating a Woman Change Maker
President's Message - 3.26.24
We are thrilled that this week our scholars and staff are moving into the first five of the new classrooms at PS7 Elementary. This $35 million construction project will completely transform our Strawberry Lane campus and we can’t wait to have a completely modernized campus for our elementary school scholars.
Sac High Alumni Spotlight: Frances Harris, Class of 2007
Frances Harris started Sac High in 2003 as a freshman and was part of the first class that graduated from Sac High as a public charter school. She is a second-generation Sac High student and lived right down the street from the school. Throughout her four years of high school, Frances was very involved in school activities and played basketball and soccer.
Daughter of Legend Muhammad Ali, visited 40 Acres Complex
Maryum Ali, the eldest of Muhammad Ali’s nine children, recently held a book signing at the historic Guild and Underground Books to celebrate the 20th Anniversary edition of her children’s book, I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali. Through her book, Maryum seeks to introduce children to one of the greatest sports legends and most admired men of all time, Muhammad Ali.
Sac High Hosts International Teachers as Part of CSU, Chico’s Fulbright Program
We are delighted to continue our partnership with California State University, Chico’s Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (FTEA) Program. We recently hosted 19 teachers from countries across the world including Armenia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, El Salvador, Burma, and Kenya at Sac High so they could learn about U.S. practices in teaching methodologies, lesson planning, service learning, and the use of technology in the classroom.
Two Sac High Scholar-Athletes Sign College Letters of Intent
We are thrilled that two of our Sac High Seniors, Kendahl Hearne and Lamar Radcliffe, committed to colleges for football and signed their letters of intent on national Signing Day. Kendahl signed with Cornell University where he plans to major in creative writing and Lamar committed to San Jose State University where he plans to major in kinesiology.
Celebrating Black History Month
President's Message - 2.26.24
This month, we have been fully immersed in learning about and celebrating Black history. Not only are we focused on learning from the past we are focused on seizing future opportunities and building our next generation of leaders.
‘Black history is not just February’: Art & Soul in Sacramento offers healing and education through painting
2.19.24
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Carla Wells uses art to heal. She’s the founder of Art & Soul in Sacramento. Art & Soul holds all types of interactive art events like paint and sips, paint and plays, and paint and healing retreats.
“We can process pain through paint,” Wells said. “It’s creative expression in its fullness. It’s coming from the inside and it’s put onto canvas. Art & Soul serves men, women, children and families through creative process and creative play.”
Sacramento High blasts rival Christian Brothers to win back-to-back section championships
2.22.24
Twice, the Sacramento Dragons could have watched their basketball season unravel since their last visit here.
There was an abrupt coaching change just before the start of fall practices, and then there was a lull in effort and production late in the Capital Athletic League season, resulting in three losses to teams motivated to douse the Dragons return run to a championship. But on Wednesday afternoon at Golden 1 Center, the storied Dragons of Oak Park buried all of that old residue for good.
Living history and legacies: Teaching Black history in Sacramento classrooms
2.21.24
It’s Black History Month and schools, like Sacramento Charter High School, are shaping their curriculum to include the rich Black history of Sacramento.
And Cassandra Jennings, the Chief Executive Officer of St. HOPE Charter Schools, reminds students at Sacramento Charter High School of exactly that.
“The history goes even further than what you’re reading in the books. We got our own history right here,” she told the seniors in her advisory class.
Sac High Alumni Spotlight: Janera Whitney, Class of 2012
Throughout her time at Sac High, Janera Whitney (maiden name Montano) was very active and took advantage of all that Sac High had to offer. She was involved in Yearbook all four years, helped put on a shoe drive to support Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and joined the softball team. She also attended school board meetings to advocate for charter renewal, was involved in community improvement campaigns, and participated in internships.
Black History Month Play Showcases Mental Health Struggles Women Face
St. HOPE is pleased to partner with Celebration Arts to present the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf at the historic Guild Theater. Directed by the visionary Voress Franklin, this iconic choreopoem is a profound exploration of racism, oppression, and sexism. The production weaves the tales of seven women through poetry, music, and dance, delivering a powerful narrative filled with passion and raw honesty.
Sac High Partnership with MADE Provides Scholars with Unique Hands-on Learning Opportunity
Sac High recently established a partnership with MADE to provide scholars with an opportunity to learn how to use design programs and tools to create artistic projects. Scholars come to the creative community workspace located in Oak Park one day a week after school. They receive hands-on instruction and have access to graphic design programs and tools to create stickers, wood engraving, 3D printing projects, and more.
PS7 Elementary School Modernization Installs New Classrooms
The construction teams have been hard at work on our PS7 campus renovation project since July 2023 and we are thrilled that the project is on schedule. Crews have been busy clearing land, pouring concrete, preparing building foundations, and installing new water, sewer and power lines that will serve the new facilities. They have paved the future basketball courts and new front parking lots, and began building the new campus fence.
Racial Equity AND Economic Justice
Message from the CEO - 1.24.24
As we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. last week I was reflecting on the importance of having racial equity AND economic justice. The two are intimately intertwined and we must ensure that policies and practices are developed through a lens that provides equity and removes systemic barriers.
Celebration Arts to Present FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE / WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF
January 3, 2024
Directed by the visionary Voress Franklin, this iconic choreopoem will grace the stage at the historic Guild Theater from February 2nd to 25th, marking the second year of a decade-long partnership with St. HOPE.
Santas Just Like Me
The importance of Black Santa during the holidays
December 11, 2023
According to a survey by the nonprofit, National Santa, white people make up 75% of Santas, while Black people account for less than 1%.
Author: Kandace Redd
Published: 5:44 PM PST December 11, 2023
Updated: 9:22 PM PST December 11, 2023