News and Information from the Dharma School

11/25/2025 – Dharma School Toy Drive

Toy Drive Drop Off @ Church / Mochitsuki

More Info <LINK>

12/2025 – Feed the Hood

Dharma School is supporting the East Oakland Collective Feed the Hood 35 event on Saturday, December 6th. We registered for 15 BCO participants and we would be grateful for your help and community–please volunteer your time (9am-11am or 11am-1pm shifts) and/or donate hygiene supplies, winter clothing, and other necessities (details below, see list of requested supplies at the sign-up link). Thank you to Dharma School parent, Susan Yee, for chairing this donation drive and volunteer event for Dharma School!
Sign up to help or donate supplies here:

Join Us For Feed the Hood 35, Winter Edition: Warmth, Meals and Supplies for the Unhoused
FEED THE HOOD 35
DATE: Saturday, December 6, 2025
TIME: 9 AM – 1 PM
WHERE: East Oakland Collective Hub
ADDRESS: 7800 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 94605

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Join us for Feed the Hood 35 on Saturday, December 6, 2025 — a powerful day of service, love, and kindness in Oakland.
We’re calling on community members, volunteers, and supporters to join us for a special Feed the Hood, Winter Edition. We are hosting a donation drive and joining together with our amazing volunteers to prepare and distribute 1,500+ bag lunches, water, snack and hygiene kits to our unhoused brothers and sisters across Oakland.
We are also calling for winter and cold weather items such as socks, hand warmers, gloves, hats/beanies, rain ponchos and other things to help folks keep warm during the cold and wet season.

  • Donate to support the purchasing of supplies, snacks and food –  bit.ly/feedthehood
  • Donate in-kind supplies or snacks
  • Volunteer your time
  • Help us reach 2,000+ people with care kits, meals, and dignity

Registration is required. 
Visit bit.ly/feedthehood35 to register to volunteer now. Let’s show up for unhoused neighbors in Oakland!
**Event is family friendly (kids of all ages welcome to attend with their parent(s) or guardian).
**Coffee/tea and continental breakfast will be served for volunteers.

🧸🧥🧻We are also fortunate to continue supporting the Center for Empowering Refugees & Immigrants (CERI) with a holiday donation drive for new toys, new coats, and supplies.  Please see attached flyer for details.  Thank you to Dharma School teacher, Jun Hamamoto, for chairing this drive!

Gassho,

Mel & Joemy

 

5/7/2025 Posted – Dharma School Community Project

Need your donations!  (More Info)

Please make a donation to the BCO Dharma School

Join the BCO Dharma School Registration

2024-25 Registration Link

*Updated 6/26/2024


The Buddhist Church of Oakland Dharma School will be starting our year in September and we extend our most cordial welcome to you.

Our first service of the year will be in September.  We serve welcome coffee, juice, bagels and pastries in the Social Hall, available at 9:15 am before service.  It’s a time when folks can chat with other members and catch up on news.

Our service, officiated by Rev. Harry Bridge, starts at 10:00am.  Rev. Bridge is a young and energetic minister who tailors his Dharma Talks to the Dharma School children.  Dharma School students then go to their classes.  For the first Sunday, we spend a few minutes on a “welcome back activity” for all the Dharma School families before the students go to class.

We structure our classes based on the numbers of children registered.  Classes are grouped as follows:

  • Preschool through 2nd grade;
  • 3rd through 5th grade;
  • Middle School
  • High School (supervised by Rev. Bridge).

Classes are dismissed usually around 11:45am.

The Dharma School is devoted to providing a relaxed, enjoyable introduction to Shin Buddhism, its teachings and practices.  Our teachers dedicate their time to developing lessons, crafts, and experiences that we hope build a foundation for a Buddhist life.  Some activities that are in addition to learning the teachings of the Buddha include:

We would love to see you and hope you are able to join us.

*** 2024-25 Dharma School Registration Form – Click Here***

June 2024

Graduation Day – June 2023

Dharma School Field Trip – Marine Mammal Center

Other Related Dharma School Websites

Dharma School – Oakland Fire Department Toy Drive

Please make a donation to BCO Dharma School

Past Events:

Dharma School Tote Bag and T-Shirt Sale – May/June 2023

Support our Dharma School program with a T-shirt featuring the Buddha Loves You Bunch and a large cotton tote bag featuring our Bodhi leaf on an Uchiwa fan, just in time for summer excursions!

    

The T-shirts are black 100% preshrunk cotton and are available in all-gender adult sizes from small to 4XL and youth sizes from xsmall to large.

  • Dharma School T-shirts cost: $25
  • Dharma School Tote bags cost: $25

Online Order. Sale End June 25, 2023.  Please contact the Dharma School if you are interested in a t-shirt and/or tote bag, there may be a few left in stock.

8/27/2024posted – Meeting The Moment

Live & Online
Saturday September 14, 2024

Flyer

  • Live and Online
  • Held at the Buddhist Church of Oakland – RSVP Requested
  • Streamed on Zoom – RSVP Requested

Presented by:

  • BCO’s Dharma School
  • Berkeley Buddhist Temple’s Blend Committee
  • Mountain View Buddhist Temple’s Engaged Sangha Committee

Flyer Link

10/30/2022 – Halloween Event @ BCO

         

January 2023 – Banner Raising Request

This “Banner Raising Request” was presented by the BCO Dharma School and Outreach committee to the BCO Board at the January 3, 2024 Board Meeting. After a presentation and discussion the BCO Board voted and approved the request.

Sunday, December 5, 2021 @ 9:45am – An Author’s Visit with Katie Yamasaki

Event Flyer PDF

Sunday, October 10th @ 10am – Virtual Online Event

The BCO Dharma School is holding a “Author’s Visit” Event with Joanna Ho, author of Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma. 

Sunday, October 10th @ 10am – Virtual Online Event.

Back to Church Community

 

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