Building on “I Have a Dream” – Oregon’s past success –  including doubling or better high school graduation rates for our student Dreamers – we have adopted a bold new “Dreamer School” model to expand our impact from 300 to 3,000 kids per year over the next decade.

In July 2010, we selected Alder Elementary School led by Principal Paz Ramos, on the eastern edge of the City of Portland as our first of three Dreamer Schools.  Alder has one of the highest poverty rates in the state, with 94% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch and 20% of students as homeless. Because of these barriers to education, Alder Elementary proves to be a perfect site for the first Dreamer School in the nation.

Ultimate Dreamer School goals are consistent with “I Have a Dream” -Oregon’s long-term mission of helping low-income kids achieve academic success in school, college and career.

Our immediate goals for our Dreamers at Alder are focused clearly on academic achievement:

-                80% of Alder students will finish a post-secondary degree or certificate;

-                50% of Alder students will “exceed” and 90% “meet” expectations on 3rd, 5th and 8th grade statewide benchmark tests.

We also know that, in order to accomplish these goals, we must establish Alder as a different kind of school – one that significantly decreases student/family transience and that serves as a hub for community services and stability.

We will accomplish these ambitious goals by:

1)            Delivering our proven combination of three core services:  long-term relationship with caring adults, academic and personal/social support services, and creating a “culture of college” within the school and within families.

2)            Attending to the entire birth-through-college-completion continuum, using the research-based STRIVE model to guide our efforts.

3)            Greatly expanding collaboration with other education and nonprofit partners, including a comprehensive Dreamer School planning process (see Planning Committee Schematic below).

Join the effort!  Contact Traci Rossi for more information about our Dreamer School model, make a gift to “I Have a Dream” – Oregon or fill out a volunteer application to become a mentor at Alder Elementary. 

Dreamer School Resources

Dreamer School Planning Committee (leadership schematic)