PPS Receives $10.9M Grant For College And Career Readiness

PORTLAND, OR - From Portland Public Schools: Portland Public Schools has been awarded a federal grant to expand services to students, families, and teachers in the Jefferson, Madison and Roosevelt high school attendance areas to prepare students for college and careers.

The grant is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) initiative. PPS will receive $1,566,400 per year over a seven-year period. The program is intended to help students starting in sixth grade, with particular focus on historically underserved populations.

The program hires PPS alumni from participating high schools to serve as College Advocate Mentors who will help students aspire to success after high school. It will give underserved students opportunities for advanced coursework, to earn college credit, and to participate in Career Pathways and CTE (Career & Technical Education) programs that help them prepare for careers after graduation.

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In addition, the grant will allow PPS to develop data collection tools and processes that utilize student voice and out-of-classroom factors. The data will be used to create assessment and teaching methods, and curriculum that incorporates student voice and life experiences.

The grant, in collaboration with Portland State University, Unite Oregon, Portland Community College, Campus Compact of Oregon, and Parent Teacher Home Visits (PTHV), will also help teachers form partnerships with parents through voluntary home visits designed to build trust and collaborative relationships.

Learn more at www.pps.net.

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