This content was published: December 8, 2004. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Grant from Gates Foundation opens more doors to college
Photos and story by James Hill
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Community College (PCC) received a major follow-up grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its innovative dropout- recovery program, Gateway to College. The $5.2 million grant supplements an earlier $4.85 million grant awarded in 2003. With the additional funds, PCC will expand replication of its nationally recognized program from eight to 17 community colleges across the United States. This award is part of a $29.6 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to seven organizations, including PCC, working to expand the Gates Foundation’s Early College High School Initiative. The foundation announced the grant awards on Dec. 7. Early college high schools are designed to increase high school graduation rates, as well as increase the number of underserved youth earning a post-secondary education."PCC’s program is unique because it focuses on youth who have dropped out of school, and offers them a second chance for success," said Linda Huddle, director of PCC’s Alternative Programs. "We are excited that we will be able to bring Gateway to College to twice as many communities. This grant speaks to the need for creative ways to re-engage youth who have not been successful in traditional high schools." Five colleges have already been chosen to replicate Gateway to College. Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Md. and Riverside Community College in Riverside Calif. opened their doors to Gateway to College students in September 2004 after nearly nine months of planning and training. Clackamas Community College in Oregon City, Ore.; Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas, and Georgia Perimeter College in Decatur, Ga. were selected in October of this year, and will begin serving students in the fall of 2005. Colleges from around the country are now visiting PCC to begin the process to apply for replication funds in the next round of selection."Gateway to College is a nationally recognized education model that serves at-risk youth between 16 and 20 years old, who have dropped out of school. The Gateway to College program gives students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and college credits," said Huddle. This past summer the Congressional Black Caucus honored the Gateway to College model and other Early College High School Initiative partners for their exemplary service and inspiring leadership to the nation’s under-served youth. In addition, on November 16, the Department of Education TV Program, "Education News Parents Can Use," featured the Gateway model with a series of interviews with students and staff.Portland Community College is a multi-campus system covering a 1,500-square-mile college district in northwest Oregon. The college is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon. It offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life long learning. The college serves approximately 86,000 full- and part-time students each year.Program headquarters are located at PCC’s Southeast Center, 2305 S.E. 82nd Avenue.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »