Meet Our School Partners

Arts & Technology High School

WEST LINN-WILSONVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT (WILSONVILLE, OR)

Arts and Technology High School is a small option high school that serves teens in 9th-12th grade. The vision of Art-Tech is that all students graduate equipped with the character and skills to step into lives that meet their personal, self-defined goals. They approach students as whole people, and provide resources for physical, mental, and emotional health; positive relationships; and communication and social skills alongside academic engagement. Students attending Art-Tech commonly have struggled with academics, poor attendance, mental health challenges, or substance abuse, and often need more individualized and flexible support to find success in school.

The Phoenix program contributes to Art-Tech’s goal of creating a positive school culture and bolsters the school emphasis on social-emotional learning and support. The language, themes, and concepts of the Phoenix program are used within the school to foster a supportive learning community. Phoenix provides a transformative experience for students, where they can take a respite from the demands of their lives and connect with others and themselves. Students return to school with an expanded comfort zone, more familiarity with fellow students and staff members, and increased confidence and motivation.

Cascadia Technical Academy

EVERGREEN SCHOOL DISTRICT (VANCOUVER, WA)

Cascadia Technical Academy is a cooperative Career and Technical learning experience created in partnership with ten school districts and 30 high schools in Clark County, in southwest Washington state. Around 1,200 juniors and seniors attend Cascadia Tech in 15 vocational and professional programs, where they can earn college credits as well as certifications and licenses specific to their program area. Attending students include those from public school districts and private schools, as well as homeschooled or GED students. Students attending Cascadia often struggle with school engagement, and often find their first academic successes in a setting that promotes experiential and career-focused education.

The Phoenix program has helped to support Cascadia’s goal of creating an integrated community across program areas and within individual programs since 2016. Students are identified as candidates for Phoenix by teachers through two lenses: those who have leadership qualities or potential, as well as those who are struggling or disengaged and will benefit from additional support and positive relationships. Phoenix provides the opportunity for students to develop authentic relationships with one another in ways that Cascadia has formerly struggled to achieve, to connect with others whom they wouldn’t otherwise interact with, and to strengthen student-teacher relationships.

Cleveland High School

PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS (PORTLAND, OR)

Cleveland High School is a comprehensive public high school in inner southeast Portland, where positive, supportive community--both within the school and as a force in the wider community--is a central focus. Around 1700 students, grades 9-12, attend Cleveland, and represent a broad diversity of cultural, racial, and economic backgrounds. Equity and inclusion is a central focus, as well as a rigorous academic program that engages a high percentage of the student population.

The Phoenix program matches Cleveland’s philosophy and values of developing positive community, drawing students from different subgroups from within a large school to create smaller, supportive communities. It provides a safe space for students to explore their identities and values, and the bond that develops between students who go through the program together is unique to a large school. Students are referred by counselors, and identified as needing additional support, connection, and motivation to meet their potential.

Fir Ridge Campus

DAVID DOUGLAS SCHOOL DISTRICT (PORTLAND, OR)

Fir Ridge is the alternative school for David Douglas High School, with school population of between 200-300 students, grades 9-12. Fir Ridge provides a small and supportive learning community, where students who have not experienced success in a traditional high school setting are able to thrive. Fir Ridge students are expected to complete high quality work, keep attendance at 90% or higher, and approach academic learning with a growth mindset. Fir Ridge offers students a smaller classroom environment, relationships with supportive adults, and opportunities for additional credit and college/career counseling.

Fir Ridge has been participating in the Phoenix program since 2014 and the integration of the program into the school culture has affected changes in the larger school community. The goals of the Phoenix program for Fir Ridge include providing social-emotional learning support for students, fostering connection among students and staff, promoting academic resilience and self-efficacy, and creating a therapeutic school culture.

Counseling staff have identified the following social-emotional learning outcome areas as the areas of need that are fulfilled by the Phoenix program:

• Ability to assume responsibility

• Perseverance on short and long term goals

• Use of effective coping skills when faced with a problem

• Demonstration of empathy

• Ability to build positive relationships with school staff and peers

• Leadership and teamwork skills

Reynolds Learning Academy

REYNOLDS SCHOOL DISTRICT (FAIRVIEW, OR)

RLA is a small alternative high school in Reynold School District. Students are referred to or choose to transfer to RLA because the traditional high school setting hasn’t worked for them. Some students have been expelled from Reynolds High School, the District’s large main high school, while others struggle with challenges that require the more supportive environment and smaller class sizes that RLA provides.

RLA has been participating in the Phoenix Program since 2013 and has significantly influenced the school environment. The program meets a number of needs within the school community, including

• Providing social-emotional learning supports for students

• Fostering connection and positive community among students

• Promoting independence and resilience

• Providing opportunities for positive risk-taking

Merlo Station High School

Beaverton School District (Beaverton, OR)

Founded in 1993, Merlo Station High School is a public high school located in Beaverton, High School which is part of the Beaverton School District (BSD). It is considered an "options" high school, meaning that it houses several different scholarly magnet programs that differ from "traditional" high schools. This allows Merlo Station to meet the many different needs of all its students.

This is the first year Merlo will be participating in the Phoenix Program and we’re very excited to begin this new relationship!