Our Mission

The mission of Oakland International High School is to provide a quality, student-centered learning experience for recently arrived immigrant students that values the multilingualism, cultural diversity and many ways of understanding the world that our students, families and communities contribute to our school.

As educators  we develop and sustain a variety of authentic learning opportunities for students, aligned to their future aspirations in college, career and community work.

As a community school, our work is grounded in restorative practices, wellness support, and a spirit of both mutual accountability and collective transformation.  

As a media academy we integrate media literacy, amplifying student voices through participatory, work-based and project-based learning.

All OIHS students, families and staff collaborate toward a more just society, recognizing that OIHS students are leaders shaping our future world.

Our History

Oakland International High School opened in August 2007 with the support of the Internationals Network of Public Schools, Oakland Unified School District, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The school targets a population of students, newly arrived immigrants, who have historically been underserved nationally, in California, and in Oakland.

Our Model

OIHS is a member of the Internationals Network for Public Schools a non-profit organization that grew out of the work of a group of International high schools in New York City. It now supports more than twenty schools based in New York, Virginia, California and elsewhere.  The network’s mission is to provide quality education to recently arrived immigrants by developing and networking small high schools based on the Internationals approach.

All our teachers are trained in the Internationals Approach to teach students to improve their speaking, writing, and reading skills in English. We believe that English language acquisition is best fostered in an academic environment in which students participate in 1) Heterogeneous groups 2) Project based curriculum 3) English development is integrated into all content areas. Working in small groups, students learn academic content, art, music and technology through exciting, rigorous, hands-on projects as they learn their new language.

At Oakland International, no student is anonymous. Our small size and our team structure allow personalization, growth, and success for our students. All students participate in our multi-media California Partnership Academy that gives students the technology skills required for college and careers in the 21st century.

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