Oakland, CA, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oakland, CA – April 14, 2025 – Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), a leading organization dedicated to transforming educational outcomes for African-American boys, announces national access to its two highly impactful school-based programs: the Crowns Curriculum and Jegna Early Literacy. These programs are designed to empower African-American boys and foster educational environments that support their academic, emotional, and leadership growth.
The Crowns Curriculum is a revolutionary, wrap-around approach that highlights the beauty, brilliance, and innate greatness of African-American boys. It is rooted in asset-based pedagogy, which focuses on the strengths and potential of students, instead of their deficits. The curriculum aims to create learning spaces that foster emotional safety, belonging, and a collective sense of responsibility. With an emphasis on cultural identity and holistic development, the Crowns Curriculum prepares students for leadership roles and empowers them to question systems of oppression while designing African-centered alternatives to the status quo.
Kingmakers of Oakland also introduces the expansion of the Jegna Early Literacy program. The word, Jegna, originates from the ancient African kingdom of Abyssinia, and is a title of honor that encompasses meanings such as hero, warrior, courage, strength, and the protection of culture, land, and people. The Jegna Early Literacy Program is a cohort model that has been shown to be an effective strategy for achieving literacy goals and objectives. Jegna facilitators will work in classrooms two to three days a week, coming together weekly for training, support, and to share success stories, solve problems, and encourage one another creating a pipeline of male educators.
The Jegna Early Literacy program is designed for students in TK-3rd grade, and includes a series of research-based books and materials for training and use in schools. The program has a strong emphasis on Belonging, Self-Efficacy, Sense of Community, and Cultural Identity—four key pillars that have been shown to support the success of African-American children. Jegna facilitators will also receive ongoing professional development in early literacy and, if available, training opportunities will be extended to teachers in the classrooms where Jegna facilitators are placed. Two Jegna facilitators are currently assigned in Oakland and have recently experienced an unprecedented opportunity to travel to Panama on a literacy initiative through the program demonstrating the need and potential reach within the African diaspora.
Kingmakers of Oakland is committed to expanding these evidence-based programs to schools and districts nationwide, aiming to cultivate environments where African-American boys feel emotionally safe, supported, and capable of achieving academic success, while fostering cultural awareness and leadership.For more information about the Crowns Curriculum, the Jegna Early Literacy Program, or to inquire about bringing these programs to your community, please contact matin@kingmakersofoaokland.org.
About Kingmakers of Oakland
Kingmakers of Oakland reimagines systems of education, culture, and wellness while driving narrative change that celebrates African-American culture and improves educational and life outcomes for African-American boys from Pre-K to Ph.D. The organization’s mission is to empower these young men, helping them to see themselves as brilliant, beautiful, and capable of reaching their full potential. By working in solidarity with other organizations and engaging in transformative dialogue, Kingmakers of Oakland is committed to creating opportunities and advancing equity for African-American boys in education and beyond.
CONTACT: Chris Chatmon Kingmakers of Oakland chris@kingmakersofoakland.org
