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OUR WORK
Elevate Youth empowers students to rise—academically, socially, and personally. Through one-on-one relationships with racially diverse Teacher-Mentors who reflect students’ lived experiences, youth are guided, supported, and truly seen. Our Teacher-Mentors show up—on good days and hard days—to listen, lead, and uplift.
Through daily in-classroom programs and out-of-school activities, youth set and achieve meaningful goals including: igniting vision, discovering confidence, exploring character, improving attendance, raising grades, graduating high school, and building future opportunities.
My Teacher/Mentors accepted me for who I am, and was able to support me through all my hard times. I really found my second family. I found my community. I found my place…
- Vanessa
Our Mission
“With the help of my Teacher/Mentors I’ve found my purpose and understand the value of my life. Every person at Elevate has been there for me, whenever I needed help, inside and outside of school.”
— Elevate Youth Senior
Our Vision
The Needs
We primarily serve Black, Latino, and multi-racial students and their families who are from over 20 countries across six continents. They speak over a dozen different languages.
At Home, many of our students face hunger, instability, and poverty. In schools where most staff identify as White, the lived experiences and cultural perspectives of Elevate’s team are especially valued—100% of our staff are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (B.I.P.O.C.).
Our Students receive consistent, culturally relevant support, both in and out of the classroom, to ignite authentic vision and help them build futures they can achieve. By helping kids thrive beyond home and systemic barriers, we strengthen school attendance, boost graduation rates, and promote lifelong well-being.
Language Spoken - Elevate Families
- English
- Spanish
- Somali
- Chuukese
- Oromo
- Arabic
- Vietnamese
- Amharic
- Swahili
- Romanian
- Tigrinya
- Burmese
- Haitian
- Creole
- Lao
- Tagalog
- 92% of high school students feel Elevate has exposed them to future careers they hadn’t considered before.
Mentors shared:
Teacher/Mentor
Student shared:
Elevate Senior
- Elevate Youth is deeply rooted in the communities we serve:
100% of program staff, and 81% of all staff, represent the cultural diversity of our students and families.
Our History
2010
2011
2018
2015
2018
2020
2021
2023
2024
Our Theory of Change
We’ve developed a Theory of Change that guides our programs and services. We understand that many youth and families face environmental conditions such as poverty, instability, lack of support, structural racism, hunger, and health concerns; all of which impact kids’ abilities to thrive. We also hold bold assumptions that underlie our work: youth can succeed; parents want to be successful; a multi-faceted approach works; relationships matter; and, partnerships are critical.
Through applying key strategies of educational support, social and emotional support, and addressing basic needs, we offer critical interventions that make a difference. The evidence is inspirational: attendance and grades improve, behavioral incidents decrease, and students graduate. We take pride in the resulting outcome: Youth of Color are able to ignite their visions and build their futures.
Our Programs
Elementary School
Student success begins through deeply-integrated partnerships with schools. In elementary school, Elevate partners with SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) Community Schools to deliver comprehensive services including educational enrichment, recreational, social and health services.
High School
We currently partner with school districts in Oregon and Washington, including Parkrose, David Douglas, Reynolds, and Vancouver. These districts are rich in talent, culture, and community strength.
Our program interventions begin in 3rd grade and continue through high school graduation. Kids develop trust over time and from long-term support. We partner with schools that serve diverse youth who have deep capacity to thrive beyond economic and systemic barriers—and with districts that seek Elevate’s collaborative approach to student success.
Once Elevate Youth is available at a school, kids join by referral—from a teacher, counselor, friend, or even by referring themselves.
School leaders and classroom teachers value Elevate Youth as a culturally-responsive, relationship-driven program led by B.I.P.O.C. Teacher/Mentors who reflect the identities and lived experiences of the kids they serve.
- Teacher, David Douglas School District
We empower kids to set and achieve their own goals. Central to our approach are the 13 Character Qualities we teach across all programs, supported by an age-appropriate curriculum aligned with school district goals. Youth build real-life skills through experiential learning, group activities, and meaningful discussions that bring these qualities to life.
- Kesha Roper, Elevate Youth Chief of Staff
13 Character Qualities and Life Skills
- Vision
- Courage
- Respect
- Caring
- Responsibility
- Positive Work Ethic
- Integrity
- Career-mindedness
- Communication
- Leadership
- Problem-Solving
- Decision-making
- Goal-setting
My Teacher/Mentor helps me see me, and the value of me, and value of the future me.
Elevate Youth Middle School Student
- In 2025, 100% of Elevate Youth’s students graduated High School
A Closer Look At Our Programs
Ninth Grade Counts
This transitional summer-support program is for incoming 9th graders. It helps students elevate grades with confidence during a vulnerable precipice. They get ready for high school with STEAM programming, fun outings, career development, and skill-building activities.
Dream Reachers/Boys2Men programs
Dream Reachers focuses on empowering girls, while Boys2Men supports boys. Both programs help youth strengthen self-worth and develop leadership skills. Teacher/Mentors coordinate volunteers to provide tutoring in math, science, history, and English. Students also gain career exposure through workshops, volunteering, field trips, guest speakers, and college tours—transforming classroom learning into real-world experience.
Little Lift
5th to 6th Transition
We extend support beyond students to include families because when families thrive, kids do too. We involve immediate and extended family members through events that create connection, celebration, and care. From Black family socials, to free back-to-school supplies and clothing, families feel supported and informed. We also help families stay up to date on their child’s progress and offer emotional support when needed.
Community Events
Elevate Youth actively engages with broader communities of the schools we serve. These include social events where our kids, their families, and the community at large are welcomed to make connections.
