The Intern Life: My Summer at Elevate Oregon

by guest blogger Antonio Raphael My name is Antonio Raphael and I am a Journalism student in my senior year at the University of Oregon. This summer I decided to push myself outside of my comfort zone to find an internship where I could hone some of the skills that I have been learning in school. I grew up in …

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Elevate Oregon 2022 Community Basketball Camp

by guest blogger Antonio Raphael This past month 98 Parkrose students took part in the annual Elevate Oregon basketball camp at Parkrose High School. 1st through 8th graders learned basketball and life skills from Elevate high school leaders and staff. Coach Xavier Dupree created an atmosphere to get kids active and engaged with their peers. We hope this gives you …

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Damarcus and Jaelen

Damarcus and Jaelen “What is your big goal?” Jaelen Blake asked his after-school class of Elevate kids a few weeks ago, “and what is the purpose of that goal?” All the other kids immediately wrote down their goals, but Damarcus’s paper was empty. “I don’t know how to do it,” the 4th grader said. “I don’t understand the question.” Jaelen …

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Dream Reachers Family Circle

The last Dream Reachers gathering of the 2021 school year was an intimate family circle. TeacherMentors Sarah Dougherty and Shannon Petrina asked each student to do an overall check-in about how life is going for them and also tell the group one role model they have and why. Most of the young ladies spoke about their parents as the people …

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Supporting Families—A Success Story

Elevate’s TeacherMentors understand that to empower their students to achieve, they must establish connections with families. This starts the moment a student is assigned to the Elevate classroom. Brand-new Middle School TeacherMentor Laticia Huchin hit the ground running in January, reaching out to parents to introduce herself and make sure they understand what Elevate is all about.

We Will Never Stop – from Donell Morgan, Elevate Executive Director

I, like many members of the Black community, feel frustrated and tired. The mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual strain on me as a Black man is a reality. It is painful to continue watching Black people be profiled, victimized, and murdered by law enforcement across this country.

We’re on the Job – remotely.

We hope that everyone is safe and taking care of yourselves and your loved ones, following the suggestions of medical professionals and your best judgement. These are strange, challenging times that we face.

Staying Safe

As the situation with the novel coronavirus COVID-19 continues to evolve we are monitoring all available resources for up to date information and paying attention to our school partners to ensure that the youth we serve and our staff stays safe.

Being there for Kids

Sarah Dougherty describes being a TeacherMentor at Elevate as life changing…”I absolutely love it. I brag about my job everywhere I go, because it doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like I’m meant to do this.”