Eduardo Caballero (he/him) is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of EDMO (Edventure More), which provides children with equitable access to afterschool and summer programs that combine a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) curriculum with social-emotional learning. These skills help kids cultivate a sense of self, own their impact, and show up in the world with curiosity, courage, and kindness. EDMO serves 15,000 TK–8th grade students annually and partners with school districts and community-based organizations across Alameda and Contra Costa counties, as well as other communities in Northern California. In addition, EDMO’s workforce development initiatives are creating a sustainable pipeline of diverse educators for local communities.
Eduardo co-founded EDMO in 2004 and has been a transformative leader in creating equitable access to afterschool and summer programs. His experience with afterschool and summer programs began at an early age—they were his “second home” because his parents both worked full-time. As a teenage summer camp volunteer for San Francisco Rec & Park, he discovered a deep sense of purpose working with youth. Eduardo says, “This work is a lever for equity and systemic change because the hours outside the school day are among the most inequitable in a child’s life. While affluent kids get access to enriching activities like science camps, dance classes, and chess clubs, kids from low-income families often get very little or nothing at all.” Eduardo’s vision is to provide every child with the opportunity for meaningful and consistent out-of-school programming—which has been shown to be transformative not only for children, but for their caregivers. Respected for his thought leadership in the sector, Eduardo serves on the Steering Committee for the CA Afterschool Advocacy Alliance (CA3), the Leadership Team for the California Afterschool Network, and has testified before the California State Assembly to advocate for expanded access to high-quality afterschool and summer programs for low-income communities and communities of color.
Having spent nearly half of his life at EDMO, Eduardo shares that “to be the kind of visionary our organization – and this movement – needs, my sabbatical will create the space for that vision to emerge.” During his sabbatical, Eduardo plans to travel internationally. “I’ve always believed that when we step into the unknown, we grow in ways we can’t predict, and that’s exactly what I’m craving.”