Oakland Adult Education

Edward Shands Adult School
2455 Church Street
Oakland, CA 94606
(510) 879-4040

Oakland Adult Education provides programs and courses to over 30,000 students per year throughout the Oakland Unified School District. The program offers hundreds of courses in Career Technical Education, ESL, Adult Secondary Education and Adult Basic Education, Older Adults, Adults with Disabilities and Parent, Family and Consumer Awareness.

Edward Shands Adult School primarily serves adult learners in the East Oakland area. Last year 10,500 students were enrolled. The main campus consists of 18 classrooms, including three computer labs, a Certified Nursing Assistant Center and classrooms for ESL, High School Diploma and GED.

The focus of Edward Shands Adult School is on the Adult Secondary and Career Technical Education programs. Classes are designed to support limited English speakers with the development of job-related language skills with emphasis on providing targeted employment training to those residing in this low income area of Oakland.

Edward Shands graduates over 100 people per year with a High School Diploma and another 100 people complete the GED. 150 people per year receive certificates of completion from the Career Technical Education programs including CNA, accounting, and computer education programs. Students consistently indicate that when they complete the rigorous requirements at Edward Shands, they are equipped with the skills needed to obtain and maintain employment.

Project Search

A vocational training course and job placement program offered through the joint efforts of Oakland Adult & Career Education Adults with Disabilities Program &East Bay Innovations.

Program Overview and Goals: The East Bay Innovations/Oakland Adult & Career Education Project SEARCH program is a year long internship for adults with disabilities that takes place entirely at Children Hospital in Oakland. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration and on-the-job training. The goal for each student is to have exposure to careers in health care, to build their resume and/or to attain competitive employment somewhere in the community using the skills they have acquired at Children’s Hospital.