Our Mission- To provide a safe and nurturing environment in which the children and youth of East Oakland can feel secure as they achieve success in school, learn life skills, and build self-esteem in preparation for their futures.

Programming

• The EOBA Smartmoves Program has been successfully providing free services to over 20,000 youth and their families since 1987.
• The lure of the tough sport of boxing coaxed otherwise hardened youth to curiously investigate the EOBA Smartmoves Program. Youth can tell their friends that they are going to the boxing gym when in fact they are getting help with their homework, learning the arts such as photography, crafts, theater, and music, learning computer skills, working in the all organic garden, going on fun field trips, and learning about health and nutrition.
• We implement mandatory violence prevention and anger management classes at the EOBA Smartmoves Program, so that participants attain tools that enable them to feel safe in their everyday lives.

Flexibility

• The Smartmoves Program attempts to keep youth actively engaged at the program by talking to youth about what they want to do. Mentors have the opportunity to join into the already existing activities or organize their own.
• A year round program that offers after-school and summer activities.

For the safety of our children, all volunteer mentors must complete an on-line application and undergo a background investigation.