In Portland, Cradle to Career focuses on student development from pre-kindergarten all the way through their career. There are many different community initiatives that fall under this umbrella, including Ninth Grade Counts.
Ninth Grade Counts offers summer programming for incoming ninth-graders to prepare them for high school, with a focus on culture and academics. That program continues on to Summer Youth Connect, which is additional summer programming for all other high school grades. Students that participate in all of these summer programs are eligible for the Future Connect Scholarship, which gives them tuition assistance and support all through college, ensuring not only college attainment but also full completion.
Also in Portland, the Northwest Education Loan Association is focused on helping high school seniors be successful in applying to and attending college. Students are connected with mentors, are assisted through the whole financial aid process, and are supported through the duration of their academic career to ensure their success.
Finally, the Act Six Leadership and Scholarship Initiative, in partnership with the Portland Leadership Foundation, focuses on selecting multicultural students to apply for needs-based full-tuition scholarships that emphasize community involvement and fostering future community leaders. They spend their whole senior years being trained for college readiness and also doing social justice work. They then go on to attend one of two partner schools, George Fox University and Warner Pacific College, where their tuition is covered in full and they continue to receive on-campus support and pursue leadership opportunities in community service and social justice.
Writer: Nicole Rupersburg
Source: Tina Shantz, Oregon Campus Compact