Lots of kids don’t have parents, or their parents aren’t engaged in their lives. Every student needs an adult to be a part of their life.
What is Connected by 25?
Connected by 25 is an unprecedented effort that harnesses the extraordinary commitment of Portland citizens in order to connect every young person to school, work and community by the age of 25.
A significant number of Portland teens and young adults are not engaged in either work or school. These 8,000 young people need education and workforce training to ensure they can succeed in an increasingly competitive economy. Connected by 25 focuses on producing real results for these young Portlanders by:
- implementing research-driven initiatives
- coordinating a citywide network of programs and services that improve the lives of at-risk youth
Why age 25?
By age 25, most young adults have made the transition to higher education or the workforce. Connected by 25 was created to give the young people most at risk for not making this transition the resources they need to be successful. We recognize that these young people need support much earlier in their lives, support within and outside of school, to keep them connected.
What prompted this work?
Portland has made solid gains to help at-risk youth through innovative programs like Step Up. But it’s not enough. A growing number of Portland teens and young adults are not ready to succeed at work or school, or to contribute to our community in a productive way. Unemployment among young people is on the rise. Not enough students are graduating from high school and college graduation rates. Too many young people enrolling in Portland Community College need remediation in math.
We need to pull together to make sure future generations can strengthen the unique quality of life that makes Portland … Portland.
How is Connected by 25’s approach different from other groups?
Three ways: Research, best practices and a hands-on strategy.
Connected by 25 is leading the way in using hard data on how young Portlanders are really faring. We’re also taking a good look at what else is working across the country and internationally. Finally, we are implementing a hands-on strategy which provides multiple opportunities to connect every Portland teen and young adult.
How does Connected by 25 connect with other groups?
The job is too big for any one organization to take on alone.
That’s why we have a growing army of supporters (educators, business and community leaders) who are standing shoulder-to-shoulder on common ground and a new awareness of research-based data. Many of these organizations already have strong, effective programs in place – but until now, those programs have been operating independently. We aim to coordinate and integrate all of these individual parts into a citywide network of programs and services that irrefutably improve the lives of at-risk youth.
Is this just about kids who struggle?
This work will benefit every student, but the impact on students of color and students living in poverty will be especially profound. Although these students are less likely to graduate, students’ performance on the academic indicators is far more accurate than any demographic data in predicting whether or not a student will graduate – which means we can better identify which individual students of color and poor students are most at risk, eliminating inaccurate and unfair stereotyping based on race, ethnicity, immigrant status, or family income.
Who’s paying for this?
Portland is one of five cities in the country to receive joint support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust. These philanthropic powerhouses – along with a growing list of local corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and education and advocacy groups – are committed to expanding Portland’s role as a national model for what ALL communities can and should be for young people.
Wouldn’t that money be better spent directly in the classroom?
Young people need more than a strong education. What happens outside of the classroom and off school-grounds is equally important.
Are Portland schools in crisis?
No. Teachers, principals and administrators all over the Portland metro area are working hard to better prepare high school students for success in college and in life: A more rigorous and uniform curriculum, adding back counselors, the small school environment, increasing graduation requirements, and the development of pathways, internships and mentoring programs.
Our local schools and the educators working in the trenches deserve enormous credit for their willingness to open themselves to the scrutiny of researchers and for their commitment to help drive Connected by 25 momentum.
How are you measuring success?
We’re still in the building phase of this work, and we’re committed to establishing quantifiable measures of success. We will report back in the fall with more information on these key indicators.
What’s next?
We have an ambitious schedule:
- May 2007: Convene a Connected by 25 leadership forum of participating organizations to develop a specific action plan
- Summer 2007: Build the coalition by engaging stakeholders and gathering targeted public input
- Fall 2007: Convene a Connected by 25 citywide summit of community groups, educators, parents, students and policymakers, to expand participation in the coalition; unveil the action plan detailing specific activities, timeline, and measurable outcomes for increased student achievement
- Fall 2007-Summer 2008: Implement action plan to support the first cohort of at-risk students identified by academic indicators
- Spring 2008: Report back to the community on the initial results of our efforts and plan for expansion of program success targeted to the next cohort of at-risk students. Develop additional Connected by 25 initiatives to further increase the number of young Portlanders connected to school, work and community by age 25.
How long will you be at this?
As long as it takes. This is hard work, but we hope to achieve the kind of impact that renders this work obsolete. One day, Connected by 25 won’t have to exist. Nothing will make us happier.
Where can I get more information?
Contact Tripp Somerville at the Portland Schools Foundation: tripp@thinkschools.org, 503.234.5404.