UPDATE FROM NINETY-NINE GIRLFRIENDS IMPACT AWARD WINNER

2018 IMPACT AWARD WINNER

Kairos PDX

Kairos aims to “eliminate the prolific racial opportunity and achievement gaps by cultivating confident, creative and passionate leaders.” They focus on “transforming education through a model built on love and inclusion that elevates the voices of historically underserved children, their families and their communities.”

Kairos is using their impact grant to codify their curriculum with the hope of being able to share their program with others.

This Spring ninety-nine girlfriends members were invited to tour the school and see the KairosPDX team in action!

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School is in session! Kairos PDX Charter School, one of ninety-nine girlfriends’ impact partners, invited us to tour the campus and see a school assembly in action.

As we entered the school in the morning, we heard upbeat music playing, smelled coffee, and saw warm welcomes from staff for families. Deliberate steps and conscious choices were made at Kairos to instill a sense of belonging and community.

In the assembly, students were publicly acknowledged for achieving goals and displaying leadership qualities such as kindness and resilience. There was joyful cheering. It was clear from the proud smiles on the students’ faces that these accolades meant a great deal.

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We then made our way down the halls, looking at artwork that exemplified the school’s core values of “grit, discipline, optimism, curiosity, empathy, self-control and zest”. Teaching children to understand their behaviors and emotions and empowering them to self-regulate is a key part of Kairos’ approach to success. We visited the library and learned of the school’s partnership with Powell’s Books to acquire books that highlight experiences of people of color. Finally, we checked out the Calming Center (“home of Kairos love”), a safe place for students to recenter.

We were struck throughout our visit by the school’s compassion and thoughtful approach to programming. Kali and her team did a great job in answering our questions and we all left feeling informed and inspired!  

Please take the time to learn more about this wonderful school here. If you’d like to get more involved or volunteer, please reach out to: volunteer@kairospdx.org