Our Empowered Youth
Providing access to a fully resourced education that helps our youth to realize their highest ambitions
Guiding Principles
- Let community lead: Leverage and uplift justice-oriented voices to ensure resources are equitably distributed.
- Look from cradle to career: Understand that education starts at birth and extends well past graduation. Focus on individual and system-level impacts at all stages of the continuum.
- Commit to transformation: Invest in long-term solutions within communities and support their vision for a student-centered and just educational system.
Portfolio Themes
- The system is broken: We need system-wide, education reform to prepare young people for a changing world.
- Culture matters: Culturally-relevant and culturally-affirming programs and policies are central to student success.
- Diverse leaders are essential: BIPOC educators, leaders and advocates need specific support and additional capacity to work sustainably.
Portfolio Goals + Strategies
- Build power for a thriving education
- Close the opportunity gap for our most marginalized students
- Cultivate educators and decision-makers that reflect our diverse youth
Goal 1: Build power for a thriving education
Oregon invests billions of dollars into its schools. For these resources to be equitably invested, we need community members at the table to guide where they go.
Strategy 1: Strengthen community capacity to engage in systems and policy change for educational justice
Strategy 2: Ensure equitable implementation of educational policies and practices
Goal 2: Close the opportunity gap for our most marginalized students
Until schools can fully meet the needs of our most vulnerable students and families, we must invest in programs, efforts and organizations working to ensure they thrive.
Strategy 1: Uplift promising educational models that repair harm, create belonging and address educational gaps
Strategy 2: Strengthening transitions from cradle to career so youth and families can thrive
Goal 3: Cultivate educators and decision-makers that reflect our diverse youth
While a growing percentage of Oregon’s students are students of color, far fewer of the state's educators are diverse. Educational equity requires that our educators and school leaders reflect the communities they serve.
Strategy 1: Invest in growing and retaining educators of color who center justice
Strategy 2: Increase leadership opportunities for youth and community to advocate for educational justice
