The Roses in Concrete Community School is a dual-immersion (Spanish/English) lab school in East Oakland, California--the first of its kind to serve predominantly African American and Latino/a students in grades K-8.  It is founded on the belief that schools should emphasize knowledge of self, character, and intellectual growth to prepare students to fundamentally impact the global society while learning to live, learn, work and thrive in their own communities. We are committed to justice and interculturality to build a world where many cultures can coexist. Our principal goal is to develop youth committed to lives characterized by self-discipline,integrity, love and hope in the pursuit of justice and equity for all communities. Rather than continually investing in models that try to save the “deserving few” who can escape from these communities, our school cultivates Warrior-Scholars who understand the importance of developing careers and returning to vulnerable communities like East Oakland, to invest and serve as community leaders. By creating a sustainable community, centered around a school that gives students and families love, security, nourishment, care, and education, we can create a model of success and revitalization that reverses decades of disinvestment. The name of the Roses in Concrete Community School was inspired by the book of poetry based on the writings of Tupac Shakur released in 1999, The Rose That Grew from Concrete. This vivid image captures the need to celebrate the tenacity and will of the rose that against-all-odds, finds a way to grow in the inhospitable and toxic environment of the concrete that it might transform the concrete into a rose garden. More about Roses in Concrete here: http://rosesinconcrete.org/videos/