FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SisterWeb Partners with City College of San Francisco to Launch Credited Community Doula Training Course
San Francisco, CA (Nov. 18, 2025) — In a groundbreaking move to expand equitable access to pregnancy, labor, and postpartum support—and to increase workforce development opportunities for Black community members—SisterWeb has partnered with City College of San Francisco (CCSF) to offer the Blossoming Birth Community Doula Training Course (HLTH 210, Community Birth Worker/Doula Education). This three-unit credit course is the first of its kind in the Bay Area.
“As a liaison between CCSF Black Student Union and SisterWeb, I helped bring the right people together to make this happen,” says Brianna Smith, CCSF Black Student Union President and SisterWeb Advisory Committee Member.
This new partnership brings culturally rooted, community-driven doula training into the classroom, allowing students to earn academic credit while preparing to provide life-saving perinatal support to families in their own communities.
“The CCSF Community and Public Health Department is thrilled to partner with SisterWeb to offer a credit-based doula training course that is free to San Francisco residents and low-cost to people outside of San Francisco. This innovative collaboration will have a profound impact on community health and workforce development,” said Beth Freedman, CCSF Community and Public Health Department Chair.
Created by SisterWeb and the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative (OKBEI), the Blossoming Birth Community Doula Training is a full-spectrum doula training program centered on Black, Brown, and Indigenous birthing people. It prepares doulas to develop skills in perinatal emotional, physical, and educational support. The curriculum exemplifies a strengths-based approach to birthwork, using in-person, hands-on learning facilitated by midwives, experienced doulas, and community leaders and advocates.
“Because we co-developed this training with doulas and educators from different backgrounds, we were able to make it adaptable to different communities and cultural contexts. Oklahoma and San Francisco are very different but we are both able to offer Blossoming Birth Community Doula Training in a way that fits our local community needs. Having a full-spectrum doula training that integrates evidence-informed practice with local community and ancestral wisdom is essential for training doulas that can help address maternal health disparities across the country,” says Martyne Farris, OKBEI Curriculum and Training Manager.
The course includes classroom instruction, hands-on experiences, participatory activities, discussions, and guest presenters. It covers topics such as prenatal nutrition, labor comfort measures, postpartum mental health, and the social determinants of health that shape birth outcomes.
“When we train community doulas, we’re not just teaching a skill, we’re restoring a sacred tradition of care that our communities have always known. The Blossoming Birth Community Doula Training plants seeds of wisdom, sovereignty, and unity in the soil of San Francisco. Because when birth is honored, our whole community begins to heal,” says Marlee-I Mystic, SisterWeb Co-Executive Director of Doula Programs and Partnerships.
The first cohort of students will begin class in Spring 2026 and will receive instruction and mentorship from experienced midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, OB-GYNs, reproductive health advocates, and public health professionals. Graduates will gain the foundational knowledge and skills needed to begin their journey as professional community doulas and contribute to a growing movement to improve birth equity.
“Being part of the second BBCDT cohort was such a powerful and emotional journey. To grow alongside a group of amazing Black women; sharing stories, healing together, and holding space for one another, is something I’ll never forget. It was more than just training; it was a holistic experience that touched every part of me. This journey made everything come full circle, reminding me why I want to do this work to make sure Black women receive the love, care, and beautiful birth experiences we truly deserve,” says Jordyn Lily, a graduate of the Blossoming Birth Community Doula Training.
About SisterWeb
SisterWeb’s vision is to center and uplift Black families in San Francisco in their reproductive journey to welcome their children with respect, dignity, joy, and pride, leading to thriving families and communities and increased birth equity and justice. SisterWeb works to dismantle racism in health care, strengthen community resilience, and advance economic justice for birthing families and doulas in San Francisco. Since being founded in 2018, SisterWeb has supported over 650 clients and trained over 100 community doulas in San Francisco.
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About City College of San Francisco
Bringing higher education opportunities since 1935, and now celebrating its 90th anniversary, City College of San Francisco is an urban community college serving over 40,000 students annually at six locations throughout San Francisco. The College offers an affordable opportunity to earn associate degrees, prepare for transfer, pursue career and technical education, and personal development and enrichment. Visit: https://www.ccsf.edu.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Marlee-I Mystic, SisterWeb Co-Executive Director of Doula Programs and Partnerships
Email: m.mystic@sisterweb.org
Phone: 415-470-7011
Martyne Farris, OKBEI Curriculum and Training Manager
Email: martyne@okbei.org
Phone: 539-239-7380
CCSF Contact:
Alexandra Céspendes Kent, CCSF Spokesperson
Email: alexandra@volersa.com Phone: 510-413-8445