Tax ID #87-3741761
Kids are the future. Empower them.
We prepare students to thrive and lead in the tech workforce.
The.Circuit empowers the next generation of innovators and creators from communities with limited access by providing skills, experiences, and opportunities to pursue future careers in tech.
About Circuit EPA
Mission
The.Circuit EPA’s mission is to equip students from communities with limited access with the tools, education, and hands-on experiences needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving tech world. Through dynamic STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) programs, we empower the next generation of creators and leaders, building a foundation for their impact in Silicon Valley and beyond.
Vision
The.Circuit EPA envisions a world where every student can explore and connect with technology in meaningful ways, inspiring them to dream big and pursue careers that shape the future. Our technology and innovation hub serves as a launchpad, fostering creativity, ambition, and pathways to fulfilling tech careers in Silicon Valley.
“We look forward to our continued journey with The.Circuit EPA in the Ravenswood school community. Our partnerships in Ravenswood have inspired young learners for over two decades. The recent reopening of the upgraded 8to80 Zone has showcased the incredible potential of these young technological innovators.”
-Steve Young (#8) and Jerry Rice (#80)
Who We Are
The.Circuit EPA is a nonprofit based in East Palo Alto, dedicated to technology education and youth development. Our mission is to empower young minds through hands-on learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), equipping students with the skills and confidence to build successful futures.
Founded to address the opportunity gap facing students in the East Palo Alto community, The.Circuit EPA was built on a transformative vision shaped by local voices and dedicated partners. We believe that access leads to opportunity, and opportunity leads to achievement. Recognizing the urgent need for skills aligned with Silicon Valley’s evolving tech landscape, district experts, school leaders, and program specialists came together in 2021 to launch The.Circuit EPA. From day one, our focus has been to create opportunities for students in communities with limited access, bridging educational and career gaps to foster equitable access to tech careers.
Operating at the heart of Silicon Valley, where technology shapes our everyday lives, our programs give students in the Ravenswood City School District the tools to actively participate in this dynamic landscape—not as observers but as creators and future leaders. With the upcoming launch of a state-of-the-art Innovation Center, we are paving the way for every student to gain the skills, experiences, and confidence necessary to thrive in a tech-driven world.
Programs
The.Circuit offers hands-on STEAM programs during and after school, making us a true extension of the school day. From game design to immersive learning experiences and esports, our programs blend creativity, technology, and real-world skills. Students gain technical confidence while building collaboration, leadership, and career readiness. By partnering with teachers to bring curriculum to life during class time, we create deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.
Immersive Learning Project
The Immersive Learning Project at The.Circuit EPA is changing how students experience education. This program gives teachers the ability to bring lessons to life during the school day, using powerful tools that turn traditional instruction into hands-on, visually rich, and deeply engaging experiences. Whether students are walking through ancient civilizations, stepping inside world-renowned museums, or learning music production using industry-level equipment, the goal is always the same: make learning meaningful, memorable, exciting, and FUN!
Teachers can reserve our immersive tech lab at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (CCRMS) to enhance their classroom instruction. The space includes virtual and augmented reality, along with eight large screens that wrap around the room, creating a nearly 360-degree environment that feels like a mini IMAX theater. This setup surrounds students with content and brings subjects to life in a way that textbooks cannot.
The program was developed in close collaboration with CCRMS teachers to align with their real curriculum needs. The.Circuit provides full support, including training and equipment, so teachers feel confident using the space as an extension of their classroom.
Our mission is to expand access to immersive learning in under-resourced schools and give students new ways to explore, understand, and connect with the world around them.
As one CCRMS teacher shared:
“I could show a picture of 9/11 in a textbook, but with The.Circuit and VR, students stood in a recreated 360-degree scene, witnessing events as if they were there. It brought history to life in a way that made it deeply personal and unforgettable.”
STEAM & Creative Arts
At The.Circuit EPA, we believe that creativity and innovation go hand in hand. Our STEAM programming (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) is designed to elevate the “A” in STEAM by integrating artistic expression into every aspect of our tech-focused work. We use art as a powerful tool for learning, self-expression, and storytelling.
Through hands-on projects in animation, graphic design, digital art, music production, and virtual reality (VR) painting, students explore the creative side of technology. Our programs encourage students to experiment with professional tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, as they design original games, produce short films, create digital art exhibitions, and tell stories that reflect their lived experiences and cultural identities.
By embedding arts into our school-day and after-school programs, The.Circuit EPA is helping students see themselves not just as learners, but as artists, innovators, and storytellers shaping the future of Silicon Valley.
Club Circuit
Aimed at closing both the access, opportunity and achievement gaps prevalent in the STEAM sector, Club Circuit is an after-school technology club aimed at building a bridge towards an inclusive future. It’s where underrepresented middle school students are introduced to technology and actively mentored and inspired.
Club Circuit currently operates during after-school hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Future Ready: Career Pathways in Tech
Our Career Pathways program introduces middle school students to foundational tech skills and real-world experiences that spark curiosity and build confidence. Through hands-on learning, field trips to leading tech companies, and our signature Tech Talk speaker series where professionals from Silicon Valley share their journeys and insights, we connect students directly with the industry. This year, students visited companies like Google, Electronic Arts, Amazon Web Services, and the Computer History Museum, getting an inside look at innovation in action. These meaningful experiences help students see themselves in tech and begin to chart a course toward careers in innovation, leadership, and impact. By bridging the opportunity gap, we prepare our students not just to navigate the digital world but to shape it.
8 to 80 Zone
The 8 to 80 Zone is a collaboration between San Francisco 49ers Alumni Steve Young (#8) and Jerry Rice (#80). Located on the Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School campus, the 8 to 80 Zone serves as the home of The.Circuit’s immersive STEAM+ programs. While the Zone provides an inspiring, tech-rich environment for creativity and exploration, all programs offered within it are developed and powered by The.Circuit.
Esports
The field of esports is exploding in popularity and millions of youth are participating. Circuit EPA’s Esports program will harness middle school students’ passion for video games through organized competitions in a safe and secure format. Students will discover how the excitement of gaming intersects with the educational aspects of computer programming. Esports is about more than just playing games–it can be used to help students grow their STEAM interests and develop valuable life skills.
Testimonials
-Gina Sudaria, Superintendent, Ravenswood City School District
“The partnership between Ravenswood City School District and The Circuit EPA is a game-changer for our students and teachers. The Ravenswood Innovation Center provides an extraordinary opportunity. We are igniting curiosity and elevating our learner profile by fostering a growth mindset, joy, exploration, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The space is a dynamic hub for developing language and literacy using technology to teach relevant, connected lessons that bridge classroom learning with real-world application. Our collaboration with The Circuit is rooted in a commitment to expanding opportunities for our students and through this innovative approach, we are offering an experience of the power of learning in entirely new ways.”
-Jordan Mitchell -CCRMS Music Teacher
‘In our music program, we're committed to equitable and modern music education, and The.Circuit is the foundation of that vision. I now have access to an industry-level studio where students master programs like FL Studio and Pro Tools, developing advanced compositional and engineering skills. The sheer computing power and multimedia capabilities—multiple screens, professional sound—create an environment unmatched in the district, allowing me to teach on industry platforms and empower students to create music at a professional level.”
Meet Our Team
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jennifer Bressie, President
Community Volunteer
Siobhan Jones, Vice President
Community Volunteer
Matthew Bonner, Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Michele Sharkey, Secretary
Co-Founder, The Circuit EPA
Pablo Beramendi
Director, Startups & AI, Google Cloud at Google
Todd Gaviglio
Community Volunteer
Solomon Hill
Director of Technology, Ravenswood City School District
Christiana Jonas
Business Performance Advisor, Insperity
Losaline Kofutua
Student Culture Coordinator, Ravenswood City School District
STAFF
Shauna Smith
Executive Director
Michele Sharkey
Development & Partnership Lead
John Colleton
Technology & Program Lead
Maria Chavez-Pasana
Operations Lead
Steve Williams
Student Culture Lead
Community Partners
Ravenswood Community 8 to 80 Zone Innovation Center
In partnership with the Ravenswood City School District, Circuit EPA is working on plans to build a new 8 to 80 zone the East Menlo Park and East Palo Alto communities.
Building the Future: Ravenswood Innovation Center
Our Vision
In partnership with the Ravenswood City School District, The Circuit EPA is building a new Innovation Center for the East Menlo Park and East Palo Alto communities. This state-of-the-art facility will be a hub of creativity, critical thinking, and technological education, designed to inspire and prepare students for future careers.
Build with Us
Our students aspire to live and work in the communities they grew up in. The Innovation Center represents our commitment to helping them achieve that dream. This new space will be inspiring and future-focused, giving students a place to develop critical skills in problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. Together, we’re building a brighter future.
Invest with Us
The Ravenswood Innovation Center will go beyond traditional classrooms by embracing an apprenticeship approach to STEAM education. This space will empower students with the skills and confidence to pursue meaningful careers as creators and innovators in the tech industry.
Our Partners
Ravenswood City School District: Our primary partner, contributing land for the Innovation Center and aligning our mission with district goals.
Steve Young, Jerry Rice & the Forever Young Foundation: These Bay Area icons bring visibility and inspiration, advancing our mission of youth empowerment.
Construction and Design Partners: We are grateful for the support of our partners who are instrumental in the Innovation Center’s early phases:
Ghilotti Construction
Truebeck Construction
Page & Turnbull
For more information on the Ravenswood Innovation Center Project or to get involved, please contact Michele Sharkey at Michele@thecircuitepa.org
Donate
The Circuit EPA is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization, EIN#: 87-3741761.
or mail a check to:
The Circuit EPA
2120 Euclid Ave.
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Make checks payable to “The Circuit EPA”
To make a wire transfer or stock donation, please contact:
Michele Sharkey
Michele@thecircuitepa.org
