Tax ID #87-3741761
Kids are the future. Empower them.
We prepare students to thrive and lead in the tech workforce.
East Palo Alto students don't need to travel to Silicon Valley to access it. We brought it to them. The.Circuit EPA is an independent nonprofit running the 8 to 80 Zone inside Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School. Students in the Ravenswood City School District learn through immersive technology and AI, integrated directly into their school day and out of school hours, preparing them to succeed in a world built on the skills they're learning right now.
About The.Circuit EPA
Mission
The.Circuit EPA’s mission is to ensure students in East Palo Alto have access to immersive, hands-on learning experiences that build real skills, spark creativity, and open pathways to future opportunity through technology and innovation.
Vision
The.Circuit EPA envisions a public education system where every student has transformative access to immersive learning and emerging technology. We believe innovation should begin in the communities that have the most to gain from it, and that students in places like East Palo Alto shouldn't just benefit from technology. They should be the ones defining what it looks like.
“The.Circuit has completely transformed the way I teach. My students are exploring, innovating, and dreaming big in ways they never could in a traditional classroom. As a Title 1 school teacher, I see firsthand how important this space is. Many of my students don’t have access to this kind of technology at home. The Circuit gives them not just tech skills, but real opportunities to engage with the future.”
-Gianna Baldini, CCRMS ELA & Social Studies Teacher
Who We Are
The.Circuit EPA is a nonprofit built in and for East Palo Alto, partnering with the Ravenswood City School District to bring immersive learning and emerging technology directly into public middle school education. We operate the 8 to 80 Zone, an innovation lab inside Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, where students don't just observe Silicon Valley's innovation economy. They see themselves as creators, problem solvers, and future leaders within it.
Founded in 2021, The.Circuit grew out of a shared belief that students in communities like East Palo Alto deserved more than access to technology as an afterthought. That belief brought together community leaders, educators, and the Ravenswood City School District to build something real and lasting. Today that partnership goes deeper than shared space. The district is actively involved in shaping future programming so that what happens in the 8 to 80 Zone aligns with real academic goals and student outcomes.
We also train teachers, because the impact needs to outlast any single program or school year. Our long term goal is to build an Innovation Center for the community, making this kind of learning the standard for every student in East Palo Alto.
Programs
The.Circuit runs programs during and out of school hours in partnership with the Ravenswood City School District, from virtual reality field trips to AI-powered language learning and career pathways. We work directly with teachers so innovation becomes part of the school day, not separate from it.
AI & Immersive Learning
AI and Immersive Learning at The.Circuit is transforming how students and teachers experience education. This program combines AI, virtual and augmented reality, and other emerging tools to make learning interactive, visual, and deeply engaging. Students can walk through ancient civilizations, explore world-class museums, or practice language skills with AI-powered avatars—all within the walls of their school.
Teachers at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School reserve our innovation lab to enhance instruction with immersive experiences. The space includes VR/AR headsets and a nearly 360-degree wraparound screen setup that surrounds students with content, bringing lessons to life in ways textbooks cannot.
The program was co-designed with CCRMS teachers to align with real curriculum needs. The.Circuit provides full support, including teacher training and equipment, so educators feel confident integrating AI and immersive tools as an extension of their classroom.
Our mission is to expand access to these innovations, giving Ravenswood students new ways to explore, understand, and shape 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.”
Club Circuit
Club Circuit is an after-school technology program for middle school students at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School. The program introduces students to hands-on learning in areas like game design, digital media, and engineering, while providing opportunities to explore new tools, build skills, and work on real projects.
Club Circuit runs after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with extended sessions on Wednesdays for field trips, guest speakers, and project work.
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.
“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. We are happy to assist with the next big step—the development of a state-of-the-art Innovation Center in East Palo Alto. This new center will house a Premier 8to80 Zone, providing students with enhanced opportunities to develop their skills on industry-leading equipment and embark on successful careers in Silicon Valley and beyond. Join us in turning this vision into a reality.”
-Steve Young & Jerry Rice
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
Eric Lane, Board President
Community Volunteer
Pablo Beramendi, Vice President
Director, Startups & AI, Google Cloud at Goggle
Michele Sharkey, Secretary
Co-Founder, The Circuit EPA
Joya Balk
Director, Categorical Programs, Berkeley Unified School District
Jennifer Bressie
Co-Founder, The Circuit EPA
Todd Gaviglio
Community Volunteer
Solomon Hill
Director of Technology, Ravenswood City School District
Christiana Jonas
Business Performance Advisor, Insperity
Siobhan Jones
Co-Founder, The Circuit EPA
Losaline Kofutua
Student Culture Coordinator, Ravenswood City School District
STAFF
Michele Sharkey
Co-Founder & Interim Executive Director
John Colleton
Technology & Program Lead
Maria Chavez-Pasana
Operations Lead
Steve Williams
Student Culture Lead
Community Partners
Ravenswood 8 to 80 Zone Innovation Center
The Ravenswood Innovation Center — a school-based home for the 8 to 80 Zone, serving and supporting East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park students.
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
