August 23,2000
Page A3
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PABJ extends students scholarship deadline
CONTRIBUTED STORY
for T he
P ortland O bseryer
The Portland Association o f Black
Journalist has pushed final call to
A ug.31 The Portland Association o f
Black Journalists, are planning to
award up to four $2,500 student
scholarships later this year, recently
extended the application deadline to
Aug, 31.
Applicants previously had to submit
th e ir e n trie s by Ju n e 30.
We wanted to stretch the time a little
to get more word out about this great
opportunity,” said PABJ president
Shareefah Abdullah. “ Now we can
further expand the pool o f applicants
before we announce the recipients in
September.”
The scholarship program awards
funds to A frican-A m erican and
Latino students pursuing media-
related degrees. Though PABJ will
change som e o f the e lig ib ility
requirements for the scholarships it
will award next year, the current rules
will apply through the end o f August
2000. The future changes are a part o f
PABJ’snew 12-month strategic plan
for the period ending June 30,2001.
S tu d e n ts can get a d d itio n a l
information and an application for
the Scholarship at the group’s Web
site, www.pabj.net. Also, they can
contact Abdullah at 503/233-0100.
Applications must be postmarked by
Aug 31. Corporate sponsors have
helped fund the scholarship program.
PABJ's m ajor sponsor, Hew lett-
Packard, donated four printers and
money for computers for scholarship
w in n ers.
“ H e w le tt-P a c k a rd ’s
support, has been integral to our
scholarship program,” AbduPah said.
“And others such as State Farm, The
Oregonian, Kaiser Permanente and
the former U.S. West - now Qwest -
also helped us reach our goals.”
PABJ wants to ensure it helps future
communication professionals.
Education crisis team holds parent
rally for support
• Parents must get
involved to save
their children from
academic failure
cfltaaiaviEosiflKi
for T he P ortland O bseryer
M an y p a re n ts , som e o f them
Education Crisis Tearn members, have
been surprised to discover that good
grades d o n ’t n ecessarily reflect
academic success. They have seen
A ’s and B ’s on report cards all year,
only to find out that their child is two,
three or more grade levels behind in
reading and /or math State and District
achievement tests. Unless there is
immediate action to change what
happens in the classroom s they
attend, these children will be doomed
to the lowest paying, least jobs in our
society.
Parents have more power than anyone
to hold schools accountable for
successfully teaching their children
does. In addition to reviewing grades
on report cards, parents can ask
teachers what those grades are based
on. Then, they can ask whether or not
their child is meeting state and local
standards in core subjects, and what
kinds o f tests are being used.
Parents can find out more about how
to make adifference for their children
by attending a PARENT RALLY on
T u e sd a y , A u g u st2 9 th at S e lf
Enhancement,Inc,3920 North Kerby,
starting at 7:00 p.m. The Education
Crisis Team is sponsoring the rally to
provide recent statistics on school
achievement, information on testing
and test scores, and questions that
parents can askSchool District for
immediate, comprehensive changes
will also be available for parents to
review. Plans will be made fora“Parent
V isita tio n D a y ” to c h ild re n ’s
possible boycott o f schools.
In the face o f continued failure by the
District to outline plans that would
address the low achievem ent o f
minority and low-income students
when classes start in September,
Education Crisis Team members have
met weekly throughout the summer.
Crisis Team Leaders have continued
to talk with PPS administrators, and
demonstrations were held at school
board meetings during the spring.
Two nationally known education
reform experts, Katie Haycock and
Jeff Pratt, visited rapid changes in
low achieving schools. Despite all
these efforts, nothing has changed
for the children whose basicskills are
years behind their white and wealthier
counterparts. The District has nothing
different in place to raise achievement
levels. Children who are behind will
face a bleak future if action is not
taken NOW. Parent action is urgently
needed.
Growth at Portland Community
College soared last year
CONTRIBUTED STORY
m a T m iP o B T L A N D
O bserver
Portland Community College, Oregon’s largest post­
secondary school, got considerably larger last year;
Enrollment jum ped 8.2 percent, setting a record for
growth. For the 1999-2000 academic year, 96,869
students took classes at PCC.
“We continue to serve an increasing number o f
students each term ,” said PCC President Dan
Moriartry. “However without additional resources to
keep up, we cannot continue to keep the doors wide
open forthe demand that is clearly there. Growth was
expected, but frankly not at this magnitude. W e’re
stretched to the limit.
This fall, Portland Community College goes to the
ballot to ask voters to help ease the strain on filled
classrooms, on technology that is dated and on
buildings that need upgrading and repairs. The
college has placed a $ 144 million bond measure on the
ballot for the November general election. The cost per
thousand will average 11 cents for district property
owners, approximately $16.50 a year for a house
assessed at $ 150,000.
The ballot measure number is 26-7.
“The bond is critical,” “The college will have to pull
money from its already taxed instructional budget
without added funds.” “In May, PCC proposed the
same measure, and it was narrowly defeated. The
measure won approval by more than 57 percent, but
the voter turnout was 49.6 percent, a fraction o f a
percent short needed for approval. In Oregon, in all
but general elections, money requests require a 50
percent approval and 50 percent voter turnout for
passage.
In June, the 17 state community colleges requested
$ 16.4 million from the Legislative Emergency board to
help ease crowded conditions, but received only $1.9
million. O f that amount, PCC was given $438,000.
“The one-time money certainly helps, but given our
growth, it cannot begin to meet the need,” said
Moriarty. ‘It doesn’t speak to any o f the issues
covered in the bond, and only inadequately to our
operational costs.”
Local mentor makes impact in youth’s life
CONTRIBUTED STORY
EUKlUt£UKILANJ)JJjSSJEBY£S
Portland Impact is a non-profit social
service agency in Southwest Portland.
Portland Impact partners with the
community in providing services to
decrease the effects o f poverty in our
communities. Along with the national
Mentoring and Volunteer Initiative
(Colin Powell’s America’s Promise),
Portland Impact began an in-school
mentoring program for grade school
children in Southwest Portland.
Peter Caimey is a volunteer mentor.
He has devoted one hour each week
to meeting with his student mentee,
Jake. Jake and Peter meet after each
week when school is in session and
also with Portland Impact programs
during the summer. Peter has taken
his time to become a role model and
social support for child who does not
have enough role models in his life.
Since they began meeting last school
year, Jake and peter takes time out o f
his busy life to spend time with Jake
hanging out, playing games, helping
with school work and talking about
what may be going on in each or their
lives.
The goal o f the Portland Impact
mentoring program is to place a
meaningful role model in as many
students’ lives as possible. Grade
school staff refers children to the
program who need extra social and/or
academ ic support. T he agency
carefully matches local volunteers
who have been screened, interviewed
and trained to meet with children
throughout the school year. Mentors
commit one year to meeting with their
mentees, and matches may continue
past that time if willing.
T hree are very few m entoring
programs in the Portland Metro area,
and there are many children who need
them. Volunteer only need to spend
one hour a week with a child to make
a difference in their life.
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