Community Resources

Hello. We are Emerald Tech, a student led club in Emerald High School, Dublin, California. We are a group of high schoolers who are hosting a hackathon event soon that we would like the students of your school to be notified of.

Students participating in this event could yield valuable experiences alongside garnering an interest in the field of STEM, helping shape the future of innovation. Montera students are welcome!

Register at: Hack.EmeraldTech.org

With appreciation,

-Emerald Tech Board

Community Members,

Children's Fairyland is reaching out to share an exciting opportunity for young aspiring authors ages 8-14. Applications are now open for our Youth Writers Workshop, which starts March 14, 2026.

The Youth Writers Workshop is a completely free program that puts students in the author’s chair and allows them an empowering experience of learning from a published author and developing an idea from seed to published story!

The Youth Writers Workshop includes four in-person sessions with optional office hours to help your youth finish their story. Participants meet at Fairyland on four Saturdays for 2 hours each and learn with a cohort of peers from a published author and the education team at Fairyland.

This year, we are excited to partner with Natasha Tripplett, an award-winning local children’s author. During the workshop, participants work on community-building games and fun activities to help open their creative minds. Participants will then be invited to submit their stories to be published in the Children’s Fairyland Youth Writers anthology and present their work alongside the best of the best in children’s literature at our annual Children’s Book Festival in September, when over 30 local authors, illustrators, and KidLit creatives come together at Fairyland for a beloved community event!

The deadline to apply for this workshop is March 8, 2026.

Learn more by visiting our website!

Registration is open for our Middle School Scholars Leadership Program for sixth and seventh grade girls. This program is perfect for girls interested in exploring, discovering, and deepening their passion for leadership and making a positive impact in their communities. Students will learn from expert faculty through experiential activities, be mentored by current Santa Catalina students, participate in an off-campus excursion, and more!

Program Details

• Dates: April 24–26, 2026

• Location: Santa Catalina School in Monterey, California

• Participation: This tuition-free program includes on-campus housing, meals, and all activities

• Application Timeline: December 1, 2025–January 31, 2026

• Selected Scholar Announcement: February 13, 2026; students not selected for the three-day weekend will be invited to a one-day program on-campus March 15 or regional events in fall 2026

Scholars Will

• Create connections with student leaders across the country

• Identify personal leadership strengths and improve communication skills

• Participate in a team design challenge

• Explore Santa Catalina School's signature programs of Marine Ecology, Engineering, and Musical Theatre

Please consider applying if you are a sixth or seventh grade girl who is interested in problem-solving real-world issues. Download our flyer, and visit santacatalina.org/scholars for more information.

Sincerely,

Ange Atkinson
Director of Auxiliary Programs
Santa Catalina School

msscholars@santacatalina.org

Dear Montera Community,

My name is Saanvi Juneja, and I am the Communications Director of the SWENext Chapter at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, CA. I am reaching out to share a free STEM opportunity for female-identifying middle and high school students.

On Saturday, February 7, 2026, we are hosting our first-ever InnovateHER Conference, a one-day STEM conference from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM designed to inspire and empower middle and high school girls through hands-on engineering experiences, mentorship, and exposure to real-world STEM pathways.

The conference will feature:

• A keynote speaker from industry or higher education

• Hands-on STEM station rotations

• A panel of women in engineering, technology, and entrepreneurship

• A collaborative Innovation Challenge, where students design and build a bridge using popsicle sticks and painter’s tape

• Opportunities for teamwork, creativity, and mentorship

Register here

Attendance is completely free, and the event will take place on a Saturday. Additional details, including registration information, are included in the attached flyer. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Saanvi Juneja
Communications Director, SWENext Chapter, Saint Francis High School
saanvijuneja@sfhs.com

Oakland Technical High School’s student-led robotics team, Oakland Tech CyberDogz (Team 24381), is hosting a special event called FishTank Girls, designed to introduce middle school girls to STEM, business, entrepreneurship, and teamwork in a fun and supportive environment.

During the event, students will work in teams to develop and pitch creative product ideas, learning the basics of problem-solving, and presentation skills. Teams will compete in a friendly pitch competition for cash prizes!

No prior experience is required. This event is intended to encourage confidence, business, creativity, and interest in STEM fields.

https://tinyurl.com/OT-Fishtank2026

Event Details:

Event: FishTank Girls
Date: January 24, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: Oakland Technical High School 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA
Who Can Attend: Female middle school students

 

Hi Montera Middle School Students!

Are you looking for volunteer opportunities in the community this year? My name is Claire Wood, and I work with Community Reading Buddies (CRB), an Oakland-based nonprofit that trains high-school and middle-school students to become reading mentors for elementary kids in Oakland. We're looking for more student volunteers to help us during our next reading program that will begin on January 20, 2026 and run for 10 weeks through March 26, 2026.

Our program is simple: we pair one middle or high school student with one elementary student each after-school reading session (in person or virtual) on Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs. The older student helps their younger buddy with their reading using pre-planned lessons from our digital literacy platform, BookNook, as well as with some of our favorite books like "Fly Guy" and "Elephant and Piggie." Our volunteers learn communication, leadership, SEL, and early education skills while in the program through mentor meetings with CRB staff that focuses on skills they need for the program and beyond. Please scan the QR code in our flyer (or send a message to the email address below) to apply or learn more.

Happy New Year!

Claire

crb@aspireeducation.org

OGSL’s mission is to bring the sport of softball to players aged 5-14. The spring season will start in February and run through May. 1-2 practices on weekdays, games on Saturdays.

Registration Fees are 6U: $215 and 8U, 10U, 12/14U: $275. Sign up before December for an Early Bird discount! If cost is an issue, please email info@ogsl.org BEFORE completing the registration form for more information on requesting a ½ off fee discount. No one will be turned away for lack of funds!

OSGL Information: https://www.ogsl.org/

Registration: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/485569

Dear Montera Middle School Friends,

We are excited to invite students to participate in the Mineta Transportation Institute’s annual essay contest! This year’s theme, Ride On, Ride Safe—E-Bike Style!, encourages students to explore the growing popularity of electric bicycles (e-bikes) among teens and the important safety questions that come with this trend.

In recent years, more tweens and teens are riding e-bikes, bringing both big benefits and serious safety concerns. E-bikes offer kids independence, exercise, and a more sustainable, cheaper alternative to traveling by car. But hospitals are seeing more and more kids injured while riding e-bikes, and communities are asking whether there should be more limits on how kids ride and whether schools should teach safe riding skills.

Contest Details:

• Who: Students in grades 6–12 (public, private, or homeschool) across the U.S.

• Theme: Ride On, Ride Safe—E-Bike Style!

• Prizes: $2,250 in total awards, with $1,000 for the 10th–12th grade 1st place winner and $500 for the 6th–9th grade 1st place winner.

• Publication: Winning essays will be published on MTI’s website and in our newsletter, shared with over 2,000 readers!

How to Participate:
Learn more about the contest, review the rules and essay prompts, and access resources here: MTI Essay Contest.

The deadline to submit entries is February 2, 2026, so encourage your students to join us in shaping the future of safe and sustainable transportation!

Reach out to alverina.weinardy@sjsu.edu if you have any questions, including about getting assistance with procuring supplies for participation or bringing in a guest speaker to get students excited about the theme.

We look forward to your students’ inspiring ideas!

Mineta Transportation Institute

210 North 4th Street, 4th Floor
San José, CA 95112
(408) 924-7560
San Jose State University
mineta-institute@sjsu.edu

On Tuesday, November 19, 2024 OUSD will host a virtual Family Info Night on zoom from 5:00-5:45pm to explore math acceleration options for high school students. While we hope to see many 8th grade families, this info night is open to families of students of all ages. During our info night, we will:

• explore math course options at each grade level in high school
• learn about the various math acceleration options that are offered at each high school
• learn about the options for math acceleration before 9th grade, and hear from our students and teachers their experiences with different Algebra 1 course options
• collect questions from our community
• provide feedback and input around middle school math enrichment opportunities

Please register here for the zoom webinar. To begin the conversation, please submit any questions that you have in this google form.

Have questions or want to learn more about Math Acceleration Options in OUSD? Check out this FAQ in 2023 with links to a webinar for more information!
 

Thank you,
Courtney Ortega, Secondary Math Coordinator for Middle Schools
Keely Machmer-Wessels, Secondary Math Coordinator for High Schools

Each year, we have different programs reach out to us to recruit students for their programs. These programs support students while they are in high school. Some programs include Boost@Berkeley Haas and the Upward Bound program at Mills College.

Typical requirements for Students:

• Low-income (Qualifies for free and/or reduced lunch)
• First generation to go to college (Neither parent has completed a four year degree in the United States)
• Attend a public high school (might be specific schools depending on the program)
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident

--> High School Outreach Programs Interest Form <--