The Zorgos Project - Oakland

The mission of The Zorgos Project is to educate parents, build and strengthen parent relationships,
and expand positive parenting practices to prevent ACEs in Oakland.

REDUCE BULLYING & CREATE FRIENDSHIPS ~ REDUCE FEAR & GROW PATHWAYS TO LOVE ~ CREATE ACTION, NOT REACTION

Read/download flyerThe Zorgos Project is a city-wide reading group of The Bullying Antidote by Oakland authors Dr. Louise Hart and Kristen Caven, In 2015, 3000 copies were donated to Oakland Parents Together (OPT) by the publisher, Hazelden/Betty Ford. The books were made available for free to school, church, work, family, and community groups to read and study together. The purpose of this give-away was to increase knowledge about ACEs and the mechanics of bullying dynamics, to teach positive parenting skills, and build literacy, connection and support among Oakland's parents. The de-centralized nature of the project allowed readers to self-pace using the author's discussion guide.

Zorgos, which is esperanto for “I will take care,” is a word coined by the authors to illustrate the positive personal power that transcends and prevents the bullying dynamic. The book shows parents how to model and teach their children this quality. LISTEN to the Zorgos PSA!

The Bullying Antidote provides a well-researched understanding of the problem of bullying—which reaches from schoolyards and jails to boardrooms and politics—and a how-to guide for transforming the problem in a generation by creating healthy families and preventing ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). In addition to guidelines for handling bullying, and insight into how schools handle bullying, the book provides a wealth of information on everything from family power dynamics to communication skills to brain science to handling technology appropriately. Readers gain an understanding of how mainstream "good-enough" parenting styles can contribute to the problem, and learn alternatives.

The Zorgos Project giveaway was completed in 2017 during National Bullying Month. Mayor Libby Schaff proclaimed October 15th as "Zorgos Day." An awards ceremony honored individuals who are getting bully prevention right in Oakland. Zorgos Awards were presented by the authors and local leaders to six awardees who make a difference. Other nominees were honored in print, and nominations continue and will be publicized on The Zorgos Reader.

10+ books to:

1st Covenant Church of Oakland • 510 Department of Make Believe • African American Male Achievement • Allen Temple Girl Scout Troup • Attitudinal Healing Connection • Bay Area PLAN • Berkeley Rose School • Bret Harte Middle School • Burbank Preschool • California PE Teachers (training) • CAPP program (The Flourishing Center) • Community School for Creative Education • Corpus Christi School & Church • Daniel Finnamore Piano School • Dimond Neighbors • East Bay Church of Religious Science • Envision Academy • Faith Network • Family First Foundation • First Christian Church of Oakland • Glenview Day School • Highland CDC • Horace Mann Elementary • Impact Hub Oakland • Joaquin Miller Elementary School • Kiwanis Club Oakland • KidPower • Laurel Elementary • Lazear Elementary • Marcus Foster Institute • Melrose Community Council • Melrose Leadership Academy • Montera Middle School • New Jim Crow Movement • Niroga Institute • Oakland Housing Authority • Oakland Natives Give Back • Oakland Parents Together • Oakland Peace Center • Oakland Police Department - Recruiting Division • Oakland Police Department - Schools • Oakland Tech Counseling Office • Oakland Tech Football Team • OUSD School Board - community • OUSD - Family Reading Nights • Parable of Sower Intentional Community • Parents for Tech • Peralta Elementary • Peter Pan Cooperative Nursery School • Pleasant New Beginning Church • Probation Officers • San Leandro SPED • Seeds of Awareness • Sequoia Elementary School • St. Jarlath's School & Church • St. Theresa School/Church • Studio One • Tapestry Ministries • The Bellevue Club • The Liminal Center • The Mosaic Project • Westlake Middle School • United Roots (Youth Impact Hub) • Upward Roots • Westlake Middle School • and more…

Single Books to Parents at:

Achieve Academy • Alliance • American Indian Middle • Andre Community United Elementary • Anna Yates • Aspire • Bay Tech • Bay Tech Middle School • Bayview Elementary • Bella Vista • Benito Juarez Elementary School • Berkeley Maynard Academy • Bret Harte • Bridges Academy • Bridges Academy at Melrose • Brookfield • Claremont • Cragmont • DCA • DeAnza High • Delta Vista • Downtown Charter Academy • Edna Brewer Middle School • Eduardo Ramirez, Madison Park • Elmhurst • Emerson Elementary • Emeryville USD • Encinal High School • EOP • Esperanza • Esperi Montessori • Franklin Elementary • Frick Middle • Frost • Garfield Elementary • Glenview Elementary • Global Family • Hidden Genius Project • Hoover Elementary • Horace Mann Elementary • Howard Elementary • ICS Elementary • Joaquin Miller Elementary • Kipf Kino • Kipp Bridge Academy • Kipp King Collegiate • Korematsu • La Escuelita • Lafayette • Lastly Gil • Laurel Elementary • Lighthouse • Life Academy • Lincoln Elementary • Madison Park • Manzanita Elementary • Markham Elementary • Martin Luther King • McClymonds, Westlake, Lafayette • McKinley • Melrose • Miner (2) • MLK • Monarch Academy • Oakland High • Oakland Tech • OIS • Oakland Military Academy • Oakland School for the Arts • Peralta Elementary • Piedmont Avenue • Pittsburg High School • Prescott Elementary • Price Academy • Reach Academy • Rodney OHA • Roosevelt Jr. High • Roosevelt, Skyline, Garfield • Sankofa Academy • Serenity • Skyline • St. Elizabeth • Stanton Elementary • Stege Elementary • Think College Now • Treeview Elementary • Triumph Tech • United For Success Academy • United Nation • Valhalla Elementary • Video Studio • Vincent Academy • West Oakland Middle • Westlake Middle School • Neighborhood Free Libraries • and more…