Six. C.O. high schools receive Nike Innovation Fund grants
NIKE, Inc. and the Nike School Innovation Fund announced the newest round of grant recipients for the 2016-17 school year, including six schools in Central Oregon.
With the goal of supporting programs that drive innovation and help make transformative improvements across Oregon in high school success and post-secondary readiness, 71 Oregon high schools have been awarded a total of $1.6 million in grants.
Since 2007, the Nike School Innovation Fund has invested more than $12 million by partnering with school leaders to support teachers and engage students in realizing their full potential. In 2015, the Nike School innovation Fund launched a statewide initiative focused on accelerating college and career readiness for Oregon high school students. This focus began last year and total grants given to date now total $3.4 million to support school implementation of the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) in 50 high schools. 2015 was also the first year Nike partnered with the James and Marion L. Miller Foundation and The Oregon Community Foundation to expand its reach into more Oregon schools. For the 2016-17 school year, all 50 schools have implemented college and career readiness best practices and applied to renew funding to continue this work. Nike will continue to support these 50 schools, plus the program will expand to an additional 21 schools.
“It’s in Nike’s DNA to inspire and innovate, and we believe that one of the most important ways we can contribute to better, stronger communities is to take that inspiration to our classrooms,” said Keith Houlemard, Executive Sponsor of Nike School Innovation Fund, VP and GM of the Olympics at NIKE, Inc. (and a Portland Public School District parent).”Our goal is to help support amazing teachers, counselors and principals so we can improve graduation rates, narrowing the achievement gap and preparing more students for college and beyond.”
The grants represent the second year of partnership with AVID. AVID’s research-based strategies and curriculum provide educators with training to better prepare students for success in high school, college or a career — especially students traditionally underrepresented in higher education. A full 99 percent of students who participate in the AVID program graduate from high school on time, with the skills, academic behaviors and knowledge needed to succeed in college and beyond.
“Nike has done a fantastic job inbringing educators together to collaborate and create a network of support within Oregon in regardsto AVID implementation, graduation rates and school improvement,” said Molly Ouche, Principal of Parkrose High School in Portland. “High schools are really isolated and because of Nike’s role those walls of isolation have really been broken down. Now we are not only speaking the same language about what is best for our students, we have been provided the structure and support to have those conversations.The training that we have received through this grant is by far thebest professional development I have received as an educator.”
Of the 50 schools that received grants during the 2015-16 school year, 12 have been paired with Nike Leaders and receive additional support and funding for school-based innovations and programming that directly impacts students. Each principal and Nike Leader work to develop innovative solutions to address the most urgent and unique needs of their students and school.
“It is a true testament to the power of AVID that all 50 of the schools from last year reapplied for the program again this year. It is an honor to continue our work with those schools while extending the opportunity to an additional 21 schools throughout the state,” said Vanessa Wilkins, Director of the Nike School Innovation Fund.
2016-17 Recipients of the Nike School Innovation Fund grants are:
Alliance High School, Portland
Aloha High School, Aloha
Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, Beaverton
Ashland High School, Ashland
Beaverton High School, Beaverton
Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland
Century High School, Hillsboro
Chiloquin High School, Chiloquin
Churchill High School, Eugene
Clackamas High School, Clackamas
Cleveland High School, Portland
Community School/Merlo Station High School, Beaverton
Corvallis High School, Corvallis
Crater Academy of Health & Public Services, Central Point
Crater Renaissance Academy, Central Point
Crook County High School, Prineville
Culver High School, Culver
Dayton High School, Dayton
Eagle Point High School, Eagle Point
Franklin High School, Portland
Gervais High School, Gervais
Glencoe High School, Hillsboro
Grant High School, Portland
Grants Pass High School, Grants Pass
Health & Science School, Beaverton
Hillsboro High School, Hillsboro
Hood River High School, Hood River
International School of Beaverton, Beaverton
John F. Kennedy High School, Mt. Angel
Klamath Union High School, Klamath Falls
La Pine High School, La Pine
Lakeview High School, Lakeview
Lebanon High School, Lebanon
Liberty High School, Hillsboro
Lincoln High School, Portland
Madison High School, Portland
Madras High School, Madras
Mapleton High School, Mapleton
McKay High School, Salem
McLoughlin High School, Milton-Freewater
McMinnville High School, McMinnville
McNary High School, Salem
Milwaukie High School, Milwaukie
Multnomah Learning Center, Portland
New Urban High School, North Clackamas
Newberg High School, Newberg
Newport High School, Newport
North Eugene High School, Eugene
North Medford High School, Medford
North Salem High School, Salem
Oregon City High School, Oregon City
Parkrose High School, Portland
Rex Putnam High School, Milwaukie
Reynolds High School, Troutdale
Ridgeview High School, Redmond
Roosevelt High School, Portland
Sam Barlow High School, Gresham
Siletz Valley Early College Academy, Siletz
Sisters High School, Sisters
South Albany High School, Albany
South Salem High School, Salem
Southridge High School, Beaverton
St. Helens High School, St. Helens
Stayton High School, Stayton
Sunset High School, Beaverton
Taft High School, Lincoln City
The Dalles High School, The Dalles
West Albany High School, Albany
Westview High School, Portland
Wilson High School, Portland
Woodburn High School, Woodburn