Alternative Pathways
Alternative Pathways
Alternative Pathways, a program of the Multnomah Education Service District, is an educational program designed to assist alternative high school students who are the first in their family to go to college, are from low-income families, and/or who have the potential to succeed in postsecondary education. Our goal is to increase the number of youth who graduate from high school or earn a GED and enroll in a postsecondary institution. To achieve that goal we provide students with academic, career, social, and cultural opportunities. We have been in alternative high schools throughout Portland since 1998.
The Alternative Pathways program began as a collaborative effort between eight alternative programs in the late 1990's. Funded through the Department of Labor, the goal was to help alternative high school students complete high school and successfully transition to the world of work or post-secondary education. In the fall of 2002, the program was awarded the TRIO/Talent Search grant to help continue services to students.
TRIO/Talent Search is funded through the US Department of Education. TRIO is an educational opportunity for low-income and first-generation students to pursue postsecondary education. The goal of TRIO is to assist students to overcome financial, class, social and cultural barriers to higher education. Once in college, there are TRIO programs available to assist students so that they can earn a college degree.
Alternative Pathways employs two advocates, one director, and one administrative assistant to deliver services to nine area alternative high schools and programs: Alliance High School,
Alpha High School,
Centennial Learning Center,
Helensview High School,
New Avenues for Youth,
Open Meadow High School,
POIC/Rosemary Anderson High School,
Portland YouthBuilders and
Reynolds Learning Academy.
Throughout the year, a minimum of 600 alternative high school students are enrolled in Alternative Pathways. Alternative Pathways has worked to enhance partnerships with Portland Community College, Mt. Hood Community College and Portland State University as well as developing partnerships with other post-secondary institutions. Alternative Pathways has been and will continue to be committed to working with low-income, first generation college students in their effort to attain a postsecondary education.
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