STOak is a community-based experiential learning course that features a unique summer internship that focuses on social or environmental justice. STOak is hands-on and project-based, with a mix of structured course work, field trips, group discussions, and independent research. Students engage with Oakland’s past and present through a lens of indigenous history, social justice movements, and community development. Students research the social, political, and economic landscape of their individual focus topic while learning the professional conduct they will practice in their summer internships at community-based organizations.

During the internship, students are paired with mentors to learn how their organization operates and to support its mission. The program concludes in the fall when students share their experiences with one another and prepare a formal presentation for the College Prep community. Students emerge from STOak well versed in local history and current events, with concrete professional experience, tremendous leadership skills, and the confidence to understand how they can positively impact their community.