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Andrea Quezada’s transitional kindergarten classroom at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy is decorated with colorful posters, a play kitchen, dollhouse, hands-on tools and boxes of toys and nearly all of it was funded by a grant from the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation (EPAK).
“When my students first came in, we only started with one box of Magna-Tiles, blocks and some Play-Doh,” said Quezada.
This year marks her first year teaching in her own classroom in the Ravenswood City School District. When she first walked into her new room, it was completely bare, she said. The district was only able to provide desks, chairs and a few shelves for her 24 students. Luckily, she was familiar with EPAK’s grants from her time as a teacher at All Five, a Menlo Park preschool and beneficiary of the nonprofit.
Volunteer-run EPAK was founded in 1993 and focuses on helping historically underserved schools and programs in East Palo Alto and the Belle Haven neighborhood in Menlo Park.
“We are always happy to bring little things like goodie bags, but when it comes to materials, that can be a bit more expensive,” said Quezada.
She added that even though there are certain supplies she’d love to buy for her students, she often doubts whether she actually needs them for her classroom. When lack of funding is a concern, she said she holds off on buying supplies that could be beneficial for her students but are not crucial to their learning experience.
On average, educators are spending between $500 to $900 of their own money on classroom supplies, according to a National Education Association. Thanks to EPAK funding, Quezada was able to get $1,875 -worth of materials for her TK classroom without digging into her own pockets.
EPAK offers regular grants of up to $750 twice a year, special grants of up to $5,000 for large-scale projects and a $375 grant for new teachers. For the 2024-25 fiscal year, the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation awarded over $378,000 to local teachers, according to its annual report. That includes 84 new teacher grants, 383 regular grants and 18 special grants.
EPAK is currently supporting 12 local schools including all Ravenswood district campuses, TIDE Academy in Menlo Park, East Palo Alto Charter School and Kipp Esperanza High School. The nonprofit’s grants are also open to school counselors, athletic coaches, pathologists, librarians, special education teachers and wellness staff.
Students of Andrea Quezada’s transitional kindergarten class play with materials funded by an East Palo Alto Kids Foundation grant at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto on April 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
A transitional kindergarten student puts away materials funded by an East Palo Alto Kids Foundation grant in Andrea Quezada’s classroom at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto on April 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
Students of Andrea Quezada’s transitional kindergarten class put away materials funded by an East Palo Alto Kids Foundation grant at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto on April 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray. 
Students review the alphabet on a whiteboard during Andrea Quezada’s transitional kindergarten class at Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy in East Palo Alto on April 30, 2026. Photo by Seeger Gray.
Last year, the nonprofit received $387,785 worth of contributions from community members, local foundations and corporate donors.
Mary Ruth Leen, an EPAK board member, said the foundation awards teachers who are looking to buy materials that will have a positive and long-lasting impact on students for years to come. The organization also funds field trips, books and subscriptions to educational sites for students.
Leen, who is a former Palo Alto nursery school teacher, said EPAK is trying to “equalize the differences” between schools across low-income neighborhoods in Silicon Valley.
Ravenswood City School District is currently preparing for an influx of students as The Primary School, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative-backed tuition-free private school, plans to shut down this summer. With over 400 students in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven being displaced and expected to enroll in public schools, Ravenswood teachers will need additional materials as they welcome more children into their classrooms, Leen said.
Quezada, who benefited from a new teacher grant, said that there can be significant differences in what each classroom has to offer its students, depending on whether it has a veteran or a newcomer as its teacher. Teachers who have been on campus longer will have built up a larger collection of learning materials and toys for their children, but new teachers have to stock up their classroom a few items at a time.
“My students are very excited all the time and just the little things make them very happy,” Quezada said about the newly purchased supplies. But she added that even without the extras, students can still thrive. “The learning is still going, even if we don’t have the money.”
As a board member, Leen said that she is focusing on creating more awareness about EPAK and the resources it has to offer, especially during Ravenswood’s anticipated enrollment increase. She hopes to be able to help teachers apply for grants once a semester to go over an application process that could seem intimidating to some staff.
“We want teachers to use the money in whatever way they can and need for their kids,” said Leen.
For more information on EPAK visit epak.org.
