Across Multnomah County, 80 future educators are learning the ropes to acquire the skills that their aspiring career pathways require.
Multnomah Educators Rising, a regional initiative of Multnomah Education Service District, has been hosting the youth-based MER Summer Academy since 2022, encouraging BIPOC juniors and seniors from the county to enter careers as educators.
"We operate from a philosophy that as districts and communities we can and should 'grow our own' diverse future educators by nurturing the talented individuals in our schools and communities who might be interested in education careers but who face systemic barriers that can prevent them from earning an education degree and teaching license," Alejandra Nava, of MESD, said.
The overall MER initiative started in 2020 and offers opportunities for both adults and youths.
Depending on available funding, about 100 students can participate across MESD's component districts, which includes: Centennial, David Douglas, Gresham-Barlow, Parkrose and Reynolds school districts, and Portland Public Schools.
Daisy Jimenez, a junior from Reynolds Learning Academy, found out about the program through her teacher and principal. Her goal is to become a student counselor.
"I think this program gives me an opportunity to work with kids who need accommodations, guidance and reassurance for the upcoming school year," Daisy said.
And the best part, she gets to look forward to a game of musical chairs when their work time ends early.
How the Summer Academy works
The structure is two fold: students attend Portland Community College classes from late June to early August to earn up to four credits in an education course and a college success course; then students work in their home district's summer learning program as paid interns.
MER pays the tuition for PCC and cost-shares wages for students with their home districts.
Students are taught by BIPOC instructors at PCC, recruited specifically for this program, and engage in intro to education, multicultural education and college success courses.
Within their home districts, they work as educational assistants to instructors in their summer learning programs. The activities they are involved with depends on the district.
For Reynolds School District, its summer learning program is focused on the Freedom Schools curriculum, whereas for David Douglas School District, bilingual interns were placed in the English Learning Development department's programs.
The reason behind MER
In 2020, a regional collaborative of school districts, community-based organizations and higher education institutions came together to address the issue of educator diversity and equitable access to teaching careers.
Nava said the group identified two distinct populations that present significant opportunities for diversifying the workforce: the current paraprofessional employees in the local districts and the students themselves.
"Both groups are significantly more diverse than the licensed teaching workforce, and given the right access and opportunities, partners were convinced that they hold immense potential to transform the face of education in our community," Nava said.
"Together we envision a future where every student can see their own narratives, identities, assets, and resilience reflected back at them from the front of their classrooms."
According to a Learning Police Institute report shared by Nava, students of all backgrounds report feeling cared for and academically challenged by teachers of color.
"The benefits for students of color are even more striking, according to the Learning Policy Institute report. Students of color demonstrate greater academic achievement and social and emotional development in classes with teachers of color," an excerpt said.
Nava said a "game-changing" grant from Nike has supported the program since its inception. Other funding comes from The Collins Foundation and from the Grow Your Own Grant Program of the Oregon Department of Education.
Additionally, the program collaborates with several nonprofits, including Latino Network, which is hosting six interns for its summer youth programs.
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