About
RISE After School & Youth Programs offers after-school tutoring, one-on-one homework help, and academic support along with mentoring for children and teens. Participants take part in daily social-emotional learning through routines, journaling, and reflection, as well as project-based and hands-on enrichment that includes art, science, cooking, outdoor play, dance, and mentor-designed enrichment lessons and projects. The program also includes leadership development where older students plan and co-lead activities for younger students, junior mentorship opportunities where older students support the elementary cohort, community service and giving-back opportunities, life skills activities, team building, and mindfulness activities.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
RISE After School & Youth Programs is part of a not-for-profit organization that works closely with families and educators to provide children in East Palo Alto with a strong academic foundation and the self-confidence necessary to excel in life. RISE partners with children and families from birth through high school and offers early learning, after-school programming, mentorship, and family engagement rooted in trust and long-term relationships. Through the Birth-to-Five Collaborative at the Little Blue House, families with young children can access free programs such as Family Connections (Babies in Bloom, Daddy & Me), weekly speech therapy from Speech Goals, ASQ developmental screenings and individualized guidance from AbilityPath/Help Me Grow, and storytime, literacy, and movement activities from the EPA Library. Early RISErs is RISE’s signature early learning program for infants and toddlers and their caregivers, with interactive classes that include songs, books, talking, play, and hands-on activities designed to nurture early literacy, spark healthy development, and build confidence in caregivers as their child’s first teacher.
The RISE Elementary After-School Program offers a warm, structured, and supportive environment with daily academic help, social-emotional guidance, and enriching experiences, and many children join in kindergarten or 1st grade and remain part of RISE for years. The Middle & High School Program provides ongoing guidance and connection through academic support, mentorship, and leadership opportunities, including the Eastside Mentorship Program, which pairs RISE elementary students with high school mentors from Eastside College Preparatory School. RISE serves 150 students annually and supports more than 350 families through the Little Blue House Collaborative, and 100% of RISE children and families identify as BIPOC.
RISE is led by Founding Co-Directors Karen Hoopes and Sheryl Humble. Karen Hoopes brings more than two decades of experience in education, child development, and community engagement, including 15 years in classrooms and school communities in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale as a math specialist, substitute teacher, and instructional aide; she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Graphics from Chico State University and completed graduate coursework in Counseling Psychology at JFK University. Sheryl Humble has more than 20 years of experience supporting children, families, and school communities in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development with an Early Childhood Education emphasis from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and spent over a decade as an instructional aide and substitute teacher working with students from early childhood through upper elementary grades.
Families describe their experiences with RISE in several ways. The McGee family shares that their daughter felt seen, supported, and more at ease at RISE and that she has grown and found joy in school again. The Aquino family notes that their daughter loves RISE, often talks about her teachers and friends, and that they have watched her become more independent and sure of herself. The Martinez-Luna family says they bring their daughter to RISE because they do not have all the tools at home to help with every part of her homework, and they state that RISE has supported her in ways they could not do alone and that she has grown in school and as a human being and is more confident than ever.
Last updated April 12, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
RISE After School & Youth Programs is part of a not-for-profit organization that works closely with families and educators to provide children in East Palo Alto with a strong academic foundation and the self-confidence necessary to excel in life. RISE partners with children and families from birth through high school and offers early learning, after-school programming, mentorship, and family engagement rooted in trust and long-term relationships. Through the Birth-to-Five Collaborative at the Little Blue House, families with young children can access free programs such as Family Connections (Babies in Bloom, Daddy & Me), weekly speech therapy from Speech Goals, ASQ developmental screenings and individualized guidance from AbilityPath/Help Me Grow, and storytime, literacy, and movement activities from the EPA Library. Early RISErs is RISE’s signature early learning program for infants and toddlers and their caregivers, with interactive classes that include songs, books, talking, play, and hands-on activities designed to nurture early literacy, spark healthy development, and build confidence in caregivers as their child’s first teacher.
The RISE Elementary After-School Program offers a warm, structured, and supportive environment with daily academic help, social-emotional guidance, and enriching experiences, and many children join in kindergarten or 1st grade and remain part of RISE for years. The Middle & High School Program provides ongoing guidance and connection through academic support, mentorship, and leadership opportunities, including the Eastside Mentorship Program, which pairs RISE elementary students with high school mentors from Eastside College Preparatory School. RISE serves 150 students annually and supports more than 350 families through the Little Blue House Collaborative, and 100% of RISE children and families identify as BIPOC.
RISE is led by Founding Co-Directors Karen Hoopes and Sheryl Humble. Karen Hoopes brings more than two decades of experience in education, child development, and community engagement, including 15 years in classrooms and school communities in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale as a math specialist, substitute teacher, and instructional aide; she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Graphics from Chico State University and completed graduate coursework in Counseling Psychology at JFK University. Sheryl Humble has more than 20 years of experience supporting children, families, and school communities in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development with an Early Childhood Education emphasis from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and spent over a decade as an instructional aide and substitute teacher working with students from early childhood through upper elementary grades.
Families describe their experiences with RISE in several ways. The McGee family shares that their daughter felt seen, supported, and more at ease at RISE and that she has grown and found joy in school again. The Aquino family notes that their daughter loves RISE, often talks about her teachers and friends, and that they have watched her become more independent and sure of herself. The Martinez-Luna family says they bring their daughter to RISE because they do not have all the tools at home to help with every part of her homework, and they state that RISE has supported her in ways they could not do alone and that she has grown in school and as a human being and is more confident than ever.
Last updated April 12, 2026.
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