Blueprint's secures permanent facilities for Yu Ming Charter School

Yu Ming Secures Permanent Campuses to Serve Alameda County Families

After 15 years of relocating across Alameda County, Yu Ming Charter School is celebrating a significant milestone in our facilities journey this year. We now own two more permanent campuses that will serve our community for generations to come.

Since our founding in 2010 as California's first dual-immersion Mandarin charter school, finding stable facilities has been our greatest challenge. Even as we earned multiple National Blue Ribbon and California Distinguished School honors, ranking in the top 1% of California public schools across student demographics, we have had to move students no fewer than ten times in 15 years. Each relocation disrupted commutes for hundreds of families traveling from 37 cities across four counties.

This year marks the beginning of a more stable chapter. With the purchases of our Adeline campus, a former school site in Oakland, and our Carolyn campus, a former church property, we are finally able to set deeper roots in the communities we serve. While we still need one last permanent site, these campuses mean that our students are no longer in borrowed space and that we can continue planning for the future with more confidence.

We deeply appreciate the ongoing partnership with Blueprint, our non-profit real estate partner, who has stood with us since 2018. Blueprint helped guide negotiations on both property purchases and navigate a complex process we could never have managed alone. They saved us countless hours and allowed us to stay focused on what we do best: serving students well.

The demand for our program has remained high over the years, with approximately 2.5 applicants per kindergarten seat and over 1,000 students enrolled this school year. As students move through grades each year, this added capacity is an investment in our ability to ensure reliable, continuous access to a rich TK-8 Mandarin immersion education for students across Alameda County, including those from historically underserved communities who have often faced barriers to high-quality schooling.

Ultimately, these campuses are a direct continuation of the whole-child, global citizens education we offer to students and families across the county. They strengthen our mission by creating permanent environments where all students can flourish socially, emotionally, and academically. After years of instability, these campuses give us a stronger foundation to focus on what matters most: educating the multilingual global citizens who will build a better tomorrow.

Author’s Note

This blog is written by Emily Wood, COO, Yu Ming Charter School. Emily is a former Head of School and longtime educator, she brings deep experience in school operations, personalized learning, and whole-child education. Emily is passionate about creating stable, student-centered environments where children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Photography by Jerry Yoon Photographers

People gather outside near a large sign for Yu Ming Charter School, one of Alameda County's permanent campuses, on a sunny day. Children and adults stand and walk around, with trees and playground equipment visible in the background.
People gather outside near a large sign for Yu Ming Charter School's Adeline Campus.

A group of people cutting a red ribbon at one of Yu Ming’s permanent campuses in Alameda County.
The Yu Ming team cutting the ribbon at the Adeline campus.

A diverse group of people gathers in a spacious room with wooden ceilings at Yu Ming’s permanent campuses in Alameda County, socializing and sitting at round tables. Some children and adults mingle, while others are seated, conversing in a lively atmosphere.
Yu Ming community joining together to celebrate the new Adeline campus.

A group of nine adults stands side by side indoors, smiling at the camera. The setting, possibly in Alameda County, has large windows, exposed beams, and natural light. The casually dressed group reflects Yu Ming's diverse and welcoming community.
The Yu Ming team along with Sam Davis, OSUD Board of Director, at the Adeline campus.

Four girls perform a traditional Mexican folk dance outdoors at Yu Ming in Alameda County. The center dancer wears a colorful, ruffled blue dress, while the others wear red skirts and white or black tops. Trees and buildings form the background.
Four girls perform a traditional Mexican folk dance outdoors at Yu Ming Adeline campus.

A woman speaks on stage at an indoor Mid-Autumn Festival event in Alameda County, with banners, lanterns, and a large moonlit backdrop. The celebration appears to be organized by Yu Ming on one of its permanent campuses.
Stacey Wang, CEO of Yu Ming. speaking at the Carolyn campus celebration.

A diverse group of people, including adults and children, sit on folding chairs in a gymnasium in Alameda County, smiling and applauding while facing a speaker or stage out of view. The atmosphere appears cheerful and engaged.
The Yu Ming Carolyn campus community.

A group of adults and children stand together in a Yu Ming classroom in Alameda County, attentively looking forward. The colorful artwork and papers on the walls add vibrancy as some stand while children sit or lean on chairs.
Inside one of the classrooms at the Yu Ming Carolyn Campus.

Children play on a colorful outdoor climbing structure at one of Yu Ming’s permanent campuses in Alameda County. Some kids balance carefully while others climb or hold the bars, all set on green grass beneath a partly cloudy sky.
Children playing on the playground at the Yu Ming Carolyn campus.

Two young children slide down a bright red playground slide at Yu Ming in Alameda County, smiling with arms up. More kids and adults are in the background, enjoying the play area on one of the school's permanent campuses.
Children enjoying the slide at the Yu Ming Carolyn campus.

Four women from Yu Ming stand together outdoors in Alameda County, smiling and dressed in business casual attire, each wearing name tags. They pose in front of a building with greenery, representing their school’s commitment to permanent campuses.
Blueprint and Yu Ming teams at the celebration at Carolyn campus.