The following story updates us on the first year work of our first grantee partner. It is based on the information shared by PDX Bridge with our Impact Team at our year one check-in.
“Just stepping onto a college campus changes the family culture.” (Allison Trowbridge, PDX Bridge student coach)
When the students served by ninety-nine girlfriends’ very first grantee partner started classes at PCC this fall, the campus environment was nothing new. They had four college writing credits and a college guidance class under their belt AND a minimum of six months of personalized support behind them. This support meant that during their senior year of high school, with the help of an experienced teacher / coach, they enrolled at PCC , set up an online college account, took two evening classes, and waded through the financial aid maze of higher education.
“I realized how important it is to get college credit, so I wanted to have that done. And I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.” (PDX Bridge Student)
If you need a reminder about who these students are, they are youth in foster care, or youth experiencing homelessness, or youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system or youth who experience any combination of the above. They are students who are vulnerable to a self-perpetuating cycle of neglect, abuse, incarceration, and homelessness. PDX Bridge’s goal is to identify and recruit these students in high school and get them through their senior year and into college. With access to higher education and a community of support, opportunities multiply, including the possibility of securing a family-wage job and someday providing safe and supportive homes for their own children.
“My college success coach, throughout the whole entire term, she was by my side to help me with all the work and any support I needed.” (PDX Bridge student)
The first group (or cohort) of students piloted the program and taught the team quite a bit. Fewer students enrolled and fewer students completed the program than predicted, providing valuable information about what’s needed to help a student be successful. PDX Bridge is now providing a 10-week “readiness” training program (using a research-based proven curriculum from USC) to a large swath of students through the network. They have trained 50 practitioners from collaborating partners and 150 students have completed the program. This year’s cohorts are maxed at twenty-five students each, with wait-lists, and with additional support to address the obstacles that were identified in the pilot year (e.g. support for transportation, childcare and more.
PDX Bridge increased its partnerships from twelve to now thirty-five community groups - public and private organizations with shared goals of engaging and supporting vulnerable youth. The Bridge Team is furthering the goal to improve communication and lessen the overlap and red tape involved when multiple agencies work separately to support the same youth.
If you’re in this program, you know what no support feels like. What I love is that students are super-grateful. There’s a lot of awareness around the value of this kind of support. (Allison Trowbridge, PDX coach)
Says Jeremy, the PDX Bridge Team Lead and Senior Manager at Gateway to College National Network,
“Our outreach and programmatic efforts/adaptations have completely paid off. We have already recruited our Winter quarter to capacity and have a waitlist. Many of these youth came from referrals from the general public schools (PPS mostly) and DHS caseworkers. We also already have over ten youth enrolled for Spring quarter. It was a slow start, but we’re in full stride now.”
And says Glenn Fee, another Gateway Leader:
The momentum that we’ve enjoyed as a result of the 99 girlfriends award has been significant for our efforts here in Portland.
Ninety-nine girlfriends members stepped up individually to help guide PDX Bridge - in so many ways. Special shout outs to Barbara Hilyer, Marnie Frank an Michelle Hynes who are all taking their own time to participate as members of the Ambassadors Council or Steering Committee.
The ninety-niners should feel great about our very first $100,000 dollar grant PDX Bridge and excited about who their next projects will support!!
