Mayor Sam Adams

Mayor Adams has made a commitment to increasing graduation rates by 50% and doubling the number of young people who go onto post-secondary education and training. We know that in order to reach this goal, we need to see improvement for all students, particularly students of color who are dropping out at the highest rates.

Locally, 34% percent of youth ages 16 to 24 are youth of color, nearly 1/3 of our youth. Less than half of them graduate from high school on time and even less go onto post-secondary education. If students are to graduate high school, they must first reach academic proficiency at the very basic levels.

The reports below highlight the gap in academic achievement between African-American and Hispanic youth in comparison to their Caucasian peers. This is a gap that has been persistent for more than a decade.

We, as a community, can choose to sit on the data, or we can use it as an impetus to make real change. We can use it to make real commitment to our community youth who need our support. This is not about placing blame. Rather, these reports focus on the problem and leave it to us to develop actionable solutions that yield results.

Photo Credit: James Collins

Many of us are thinking about our expenses lately. What can’t I live without? What am I willing to give up? Citing the economic downturn and increased tuition fees, the Oregonian reports that today’s prospective college students are more concerned about costs than ever before and with good reason. Take a look at the table below. Committing to a degree is not an easy choice, but it helps to weigh both the financial and opportunity costs of sacrificing education.

Source: Nellie Mae

Everyone has a different passion and different goals in life. Luckily, there are several educational paths to meet individual needs. The data provide a good look at what a person can expect out of his or her education. Dropping out of high school costs some serious cash – the average high school graduate will earn $400,000 more over a lifetime than a high school drop out. A high school dropout may avoid spending $12,000 toward schooling, but earns an average of 46.5 percent less each year than those with associate degrees. Similarly, a person with a bachelor's degree acquires $19,000 of debt, but earns an average of 48 percent more than a high school graduate. Perhaps the economy has given us a necessary wake-up call. It’s important to look at the options and consider the costs – the costs of going to college as well as not going.

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, a PBS series recently featured the Season of Service in Portland, an effort organized by Kevin Palau that demonstrates why Portland is Better Together. 26,000 volunteers turned out for the Season of Service, providing needed maintenance to Roosevelt High School that would have cost the city around $200,000. Take a look at the video or click here to view a transcript of the broadcast.

Portland is known for taking risks and tackling tough issues with originality. The latest report by the National League of Cities (NLC) highlights Portland's progressive youth engagement strategies, recognizing them as some of the most innovative city models for advancing youth civic engagement.

"The success of our city is only as good as the success and prosperity of our youth," says Mayor Sam Adams. "We are working hard to support youth in our community as leaders, thinkers and innovators."

The report applauds several of the city's innovative efforts to engage youth and provide them with opportunities to grow and be successful. Among the city's accomplishments, Portland is the first city in the nation to adopt and implement a Children and Youth Bill of Rights, which gives youth a key role in shaping city policy and planning. See the NLC news release for a full list of initiatives included in the report.

National League of Cities

The National League of Cities is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a series of documents to guide state and local policy-makers through stimulus spending on education. Education counts for a significant portion of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). More than $100 billion is allocated for direct education funding during the next two fiscal years. An additional $39 billion is available in bonding authority and tax credits.

The documents address several issues within education, including elementary and secondary education, higher education, adult education, vocational education and civil rights. Take a look at some of the guiding principles and tell us what you think. Education is a community endeavor so voice your opinion and help shape Portland's education system.

SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) is gearing up for its 19th year. This year’s goal is to provide programming to 9,078 kids at 234 sites across Oregon. Currently, SMART is prepared to open programs at 161 sites and needs your help to reach its goal.

There’s more than one way to show your support! Donate here or sign up to volunteer! Volunteer positions include:

Reading aloud to a child is critical for his or her development. Children’s brains develop rapidly, enthusiastically absorbing large amounts of information. Research shows that people who are exposed to literature in early childhood are more likely to be academically successful later in life. Volunteer or donate now and together, we can give our youth the opportunities they need to achieve.

Join Community Warehouse in its effort to provide hundreds of local children with beds and other basic items they need to be successful. A $40 donation will supply a child with a bed, sheets and blankets. Check out the Web site for more details.

Community Warehouse works with more than 80 local non-profit and social service entities, recycling donated furniture and household items for people and families in need. Click here to learn more.

Last week the 25 Youth Corps students had the opportunity to go on a personal tour of the Oregon Health & Science University Aerial Tram. City of Portland’s Transportation Supervisor, Rich Eisenhauer and two members of the Tram team provided the youth with exciting tour filled with great information about the Tram.

The Portland Aerial Tram was designed to provide a link between Marquam Hill and the new South Waterfront district. In addition, it provides a vital connection for OHSU and the community serving as a catalyst for economic development and urban renewal.

It was all of the students' first time riding the Tram and their emotions ranged from excited, scared and for some of the students, shear panic. The tour began with the mechanical room below the platform where all of the power and cables needed to operate the Tram are located. The first question asked by the students was “What if it stops working in mid-air?” The staff assured them that the redundant driver system and independent generator will ensure the safety of the passengers, even during a grid-wide power outage. This seemed to put the students at ease.

During the actual Tram ride Rich Eisenhauer had the operator take us full-speed over the “infamous dip” so we could get the full effect of the ride. “It was like a slow version of a carnival ride,” said some of the students. When asked, “What was the most interesting part of the ride?” student Ryan Landry replied, “How big and powerful the cables are that operate the Tram.”

Thank you City of Portland Water Bureau Staff, Erin Stillwell and Julie Goodrich who joined Bureau Support Manger Tiffani Penson on the field trip and a special thanks to Rich Eisenhauer and Tram Team who shared a wealth of information and contributed to a very exciting day for the students.

The City of Portland’s 2009 Youth Corps Program is going well according to participating youth and city staff. Mayor Adams hosted the youth and staff in Council chamber on July 20th to discuss the progress advantages and give the youth the opportunity to provide feedback about the program.

Youth Corps is a pilot program designed by Mayor Adams and Multnomah County chair Wheeler to provide targeted youth ages 14-15 years old academic credit recovery, job skills and work experience with the City of Portland. The 25 youth were identified by the school districts as fitting the criteria of 9th or 10th grade needing academic credit recovery and work experience. For the first 3 weeks of the program the youth attending Benson High School for summer school giving them the opportunity to make up credits missed during the regular school year.

The Mayor previously met with the youth at Benson High School prior to the start of their internship and answered questions about the City of Portland, Youth Corps and himself. At today’s “check-in” meeting, the questions were more detailed for example a student from Police Activities League asked “where does the funding for these types of programs come from?” Mayor Adams provided the youth with an answer of general fund dollars and then followed up with more definitions and details as to what that means. This clearly shows that the youth are interested in the City of Portland’s processes.

Mayor Adams, was thoroughly impressed with the youth and the participating staff and thanked all of us for our participation. For more information on this program contact Youth Corps Bureau Support Manger Tiffani Penson at 503.823.1109 or email tiffani.penson@ci.portland.or.us.