I have worked in and around education my entire 22-year career. I’ve coordinated youth programs in a small rural community in Eastern Washington, worked in higher education at public and private colleges, awarded grants to fund educational programs in philanthropy, and led educational initiatives at the state level. I also currently serve on my local school board.
All that is to say I have experienced different sides of the educational world and I’ve witnessed more than a few educational initiatives that began with great promise, only to be abandoned or defunded before they had the chance to yield real transformation.
And yet, stability and commitment are more important than ever as we work to support young Oregonians in school and life. It takes time to see significant change in education and we need to stay the course to allow efforts to mature.
The cumulative impact of historical underinvestment in education, learning losses exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and current efforts to dismantle the Department of Education threaten to further destabilize the structural and funding supports that are in place to ensure equitable access to opportunity. Even with increased funding from the state in the last five years, our student outcomes have not improved and in most cases have continued to get worse.
It’s no surprise that our youth-serving organizations and educational institutions are strongly signaling the need for more support. We received 330 applications for funding through Our Empowered Youth — the most of all three portfolios in our 2024 funding opportunity
I am incredibly proud to announce that we have invested in 47 organizations with awards totaling $7.3 million. Here are some highlights from the awards, followed by the full list of all 2024 funding opportunity grantees. Congratulations to all!
Community-Driven Approach
When we launched the Empowered Youth portfolio last year, we listened to our community, followed the research and considered the educational policy landscape to understand where Meyer dollars could have the greatest impact. One enduring lesson is that our chances of success are much improved when we follow the lead of our communities. That is, when we invest in efforts that empower students, families and educators to advocate for the policies and programs that will best serve them.
A standout example of this is a partnership between the Jefferson 509J School District and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to develop a Native dual language immersion program so that Indigenous students can learn in a culturally affirming environment ($200,000).
A Workforce that Reflects Our Diverse Youth
More than 41% of Oregon’s K-12 classrooms are filled with students of color, yet fewer than 14% of today’s educator workforce share their racial or ethnic backgrounds. Culturally relevant, community-led programs are essential in addressing this disparity. By funding initiatives that support historically underserved students, we are working to close the opportunity gap and ensure that every child has access to an education that meets their needs.
Chemeketa Community College is collaborating with five other community colleges across Oregon to develop a Bachelors of Applied Science in Education consortium. Their shared goal is to develop accessible and affordable pathways for diverse educators in rural communities ($300,000).
Expanding Access in Rural and Underserved Areas
Rural communities face unique barriers to education, from limited financial resources to geographic isolation. Some of the grants that are specific to those communities include: Project Youth+, an organization working to engage first-generation, low-income and under-represented college students in Southern Oregon ($100,000); Four Rivers Community School, a public charter school working to strengthen transitions from early education to college and career for bilingual and bicultural students in Malheur County ($175,000); and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, dedicated to bringing more BIPOC artists into rural coastal schools and enriching arts education for all students through their K-8 Create program ($140,000).
Addressing Root Causes of Inequities
In addition to direct student support, many of our grantees are working to address the root causes of inequities in education.
The Early Childhood Equity Collaborative is working to improve pay and training for early childhood educators ($90,000). Vision to Learn is advocating for state funding to provide free vision screenings and glasses for all students ($60,000). Better Together Central Oregon is bringing school districts, higher education, social service agencies and community leaders together to improve systems alignment and track student outcomes in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties ($290,000).
Defending Education in a Challenging Political Landscape
I want to close by acknowledging the reality of our world right now. Our democratic institutions are under attack, especially our educational institutions.
Many critical efforts which support our most marginalized and vulnerable students, including children with disabilities, English language learners and students of color are being dismantled under the guise of fairness and equality.
Our team at Meyer is working hard to respond knowing that at the end of the day, our grant dollars can only go so far. So we will work alongside our community and fight to maintain and protect these important programs. We must support each other and advocate for a future in which all of our students can thrive in a just and equitable educational environment.
— Michael
Our Empowered Youth Grantees
2024 Funding Opportunity applicants submitted proposals under one of the following portfolio goals. Here are the awarded organizations organized by those goals.
Goal 1: Build Power for a Thriving Education
Afghan Support Network
Better Together Central Oregon
Black Educational Achievement Movement
Black Parent Initiative
Children's Institute Early Childhood Equity Collaborative
Disability Rights Oregon
Eastern Oregon University Foundation
Elevate Oregon
Jackson County Community Services Consortium
Muslim Educational Trust
Oregon Trio Association
Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center
Project Youth+ College Dreams
Southern Oregon Child and Family Council
Vision to Learn
Young Roots Oregon
Goal 2: Close the Opportunity Gap
Chemeketa Community College Collaborative
College Possible
Columbia Gorge ESD Collaborative
Four Rivers Community School
Get Schooled Foundation
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
Jefferson County School District 509J
Josephine County Foundation
Marshallese American Network for Interacting Together
Neskowin Coast Foundation
Northwest Alliance for Alternative Media and Education
Northwest Regional Education Service District
Portland All Nations Canoe Family
Reading Results
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Youth Empowerment Project PNW
Goal 3: Build an educational system that reflects our students
Be BLAC Foundation
Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization
Clackamas Education Service District
Eugene School District 4J
Mentoring Individuals Into New Territory Through Education
Multnomah Education Service District Collaborative
Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native PLC
Northeast STEAM Coalition
Oregon Alliance of Black School Educators
Portland Community College Foundation
Portland State University Foundation*
Samoa Pacific Development Corporation
The Fathers Group
Transponder
United Way of Southwestern Oregon