REAP News

We need your help! Right now, Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill to create a state-level Racial Equity and Justice Student Collaborative. This would be huge for students across Oregon. Submit your testimony in support by 1 p.m. April 7, 2021.

The past few years have been filled with many challenges. A global pandemic has highlighted systemic racism, poverty, inequity, and social justice. There’s much work to be done, and much of it, moving forward, will fall on the shoulders of young people.

One of nonprofit REAP’s many in-school and after-school offerings for Portland-area kids who don’t have many advantages is the Young Entrepreneurs Program. It teaches business skills, including marketing and networking as much as bookkeeping and labor law.

Over the past several years, the term cultural diversity has been bandied around a great deal. Community organizations talk about it. Businesses work hard to weave it into their corporate fabric. Politicians sprinkle it liberally in their words and, hopefully, into their actions. The importance of cultural diversity has taken on a new urgency as the nation’s national politics and discourse have grown increasingly divisive.

Every year in February, America spends 28 days focused on black history. Posters of well-known black figures are prominently displayed in hallways and classrooms (for those who have returned to in-person classes). Assignments are handed out to students to read essays about courageous civil rights activists and important milestones and moments that shaped America’s black experience and US history.

Thanks to the pandemic, much of our world is now virtual. Technology has made it possible for people to connect, even when they need to practice social distancing. Students are learning remotely, friends are hosting all sorts of celebrations online, and telehealth has made access to health professionals easier. Virtual programming and remote learning are an absolute necessity for education. But what happens when students don’t have internet access or a computer to use?

REAP students from Oregon share their experiences, and challenges they face relating to equity and disparities in education and suggestions for improving board member-student relations. Questions were asked about running for a board position, the election process, board work, and student engagement!

Milwaukie High School will work with a Portland-based nonprofit that starts year-round multicultural youth programs committed to empowering the next wave of leaders.

The big news today was that Oregon’s graduation rate jumped to an all-time high of 82.6 percent for the 2019-2020 School Year. The data also shows steady growth in graduation rates for students of color, students with disability, and students navigating poverty. In this story, PPS also mentions the importance of community partnership and how organizations like Latino Network and SEI are contributing to these improved outcomes. Great work!