Share the Spirit: An East Oakland teen’s grades plummeted during COVID. Then he met a ...

OAKLAND — There are shared languages that transcend what is written down or spoken aloud. Young people seem to understand this better than most. The teenagers at a recent after-school study hour in East Oakland spoke mainly in Spanish, but when they exchanged knowing grins, or burst into sudden laughter, it was clear that even behind a language barrier, this was an environment they trusted. The session was held by Oakland Genesis, a nonprofit that since 2019 has tried to steer economically disadvantaged youth in the city toward a more positive life trajectory. Although the organization focuses on improving academic outcomes, its method of achieving that involves another familiar,...