Established in 1973 by the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Superintendent for whom the organization was later named, the Marcus Foster Education Institute has served Oakland for the last 44 years. Since then, the Institute has channeled resources into innovative programs and initiatives for the benefit of Oakland’s public school students. Our activities continue to support Dr. Foster’s vision that urban education can be transformed only when the community actively participates. MFEI was the first fund of its kind in the country, and has served as a blueprint for the development of more than 300 local educational funds throughout the United States.