East Bay School for Boys

2340 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, California 94704, United States

The East Bay School for Boys focuses on how best boys learn and believe boys participate more and learn more in a stimulating and engaging learning atmosphere that blends hard work with exploration, imagination, fun and intent. They teach and do at EBSB. They provide opportunities for boys to design , build, nurture, and grow their world, empowering boys to influence, connect, reflect, and, most importantly, love to learn. Boys are going to high school, prepared and passionate.

The East Bay School for Boys started out with the girls. Parents and educators at Julia Morgan School for Girls in Oakland saw girls grow up, stretch, learn and go home with a smile on their faces about school — and they thought boys deserved the same thing.

They also knew that preparing confident girls meant we had to prepare confident people. This can only be achieved by envisioning a place for boys to be insecure, to make mistakes, and to improve their self-reliance and self-reliance.

Conversations around coffee tables in living rooms about the education of boys developed into monthly committee meetings, which then became a structured planning session in the spring of 2009. This session documented the community 's thoughts about what a dream school for boys might look like. Many of the driving goals and values recorded on this website have emerged from this screening session.

The school was born out of the clarity of the planning session. The members of the Steering Committee were board members who drafted a business plan, applied for incorporation and 501(c)(3) status, and gathered their first class of sixth graders. They  had a strong vision and an enthusiasm for hard work on their side — and now, a culture that had confidence.

By the fall of 2010, they were able to hang a small sign at 1798 Scenic Avenue in Berkeley and welcome four staff members and eighteen boys to the very first day of school at EBSB, the first step towards educating the committed, diligent and courageous men of tomorrow.

Now, ten years later, they've moved to a larger home that welcomes everyone with a beautiful sign, wood-burned by an EBSB alumnus; their adult community has grown to 20 faculty and staff and 16 board members that you can meet below; they serve 100 lively 6th, 7th, and 8th grade boys; and they've developed a uniquely innovative program, rich in opportunities for all kinds of boys to become all sorts of great men.

Though EBSB is perhaps best known for its Job Program, its 21st Century Shop Class, its creative and comprehensive academic curriculum is also deeply rooted in humanities, mathematics , science, Spanish and physical education at all levels. The sixth grade students also take advantage of the music and capoeira classes, while the seventh and eighth graders choose two elective enrichments per week per trimester.

Their program is consistent with the best practices used in both independent and public schools. They also developed an creative and flexible program that is tailored to the learning needs of middle school students. Their teachers incorporate 21st Century skills, design thinking and design , social justice pedagogy, and common core standards into their curriculum design. EBSB's curriculum design is a collaborative process, and teachers are encouraged to incorporate cross-curricular integration into their planning as much as possible. Teachers are also asked to identify purpose and design their lessons to build autonomy, creativity, critical thinking, identity development, and a sense of equity and social justice to prepare their students for high school and beyond.