http://www.openmeadow.org/open en Open Meadow Copyright 1971 - 2008 Open Meadow 2008-05-05T17:46:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/2nd_annual_open_meadow_poetry_reading/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/2nd_annual_open_meadow_poetry_reading/#When:17:46:00Z Open Meadow poetry students will be reading their poetry on Thursday, May 8.  The event will be held at Anna Bananas, 8617 N. Lombard, 7:00 pm -9:00pm.  Working under the instruction of teacher/advocate Paige Knight, Open Meadow’s students find their voice through poetry.  In addition to the reading, a compilation of the students’ work will be published later in the school year.  The 2007-08 poetry program has been made possible through a generous grant from The Safeway Foundation and individual donations to Open Meadow. Please join us for a creative and fun evening! Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-05-05T17:46:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/alternative_education_a_bridge_for_disconnected_youth/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/alternative_education_a_bridge_for_disconnected_youth/#When:17:07:00Z Open Meadow is proud to have provided supporting testimony and evidence to the attached Government Accountability Office report (PDF) commissioned by US Representative George Miller on the role of alternative education as a bridge for disconnected youth to employment and education.  We are, of course, disappointed that the title of the report reads “Federal Action COULD Address Some of the Challenges...” and believe that the COULD should be changed to SHOULD.  Nonetheless, the report provides strong content that highlights KEY ELEMENTS of programs effective at re-connecting disconnected youth, and ultimately recommends increased flexibility and technical assistance at the program level to assure that services are available and accessible to the youth most in need of support. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-04-29T17:07:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/connected_by_25/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/connected_by_25/#When:16:46:00Z From its very beginning, Open Meadow has played a critical role in Connected by 25, a city-wide initiative designed to engage disconnected youth in careers, college, and community by age 25.  The article below by the Mayor and a board member from Connected by 25 highlights the importance and stepped-up urgency of the initiative.  Open Meadow continues to expand its STEP UP program that provides essential transition support for public middle school students in need of additional attention as they enter high school.  Get connected to STEP UP and Connected by 25! Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-04-29T16:46:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/open_meadow_student_art_show/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/open_meadow_student_art_show/#When:21:58:00Z Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-04-22T21:58:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/high_school_choir_performs_we_are_open_meadow/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/high_school_choir_performs_we_are_open_meadow/#When:17:35:00Z Eric Parsons, CEO of The Standard, recently donated studio recording time at Michael Allen Harrison’s studio to Open Meadow.  Our high school choir took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to record an original song ‘We are Open Meadow’.  You can listen to the song by downloading the file and playing it on your computer using Quick Time, iTunes, Windows Media Player or another audio device.  The lyrics to the song are below.  Open Meadow’s mascot is the goat. OPEN MEADOW SCHOOL SONG Composition & Lyrics by; Silvia Lopez, Sade Hollis, Peggy Maher, Samantha Rodriguez, Chareese Ottelle, Michelle Blackshear, & Laura Modena Musical Score; Newel Briggs; Michael Allen Harrison CHORUS:  We are Open Meadow We give Respect We are Open Meadow Nothin’ but the Best! Verse #1:  We are Strong We are Intelligent We are Goats We gone Represent CHORUS:  We are Open Meadow We give Respect We are Open Meadow Nothin’ but the Best! Verse#2:  Goats are Tough With Integrity Goats are Strong Like our Family CHORUS:  We are Open Meadow We give Respect We are Open Meadow Nothin’ but the Best! Verse #3:  Green and White Our Colors fresh and sweet Like our School You know we can’ be Beat! CHORUS:  1.5X We are Open Meadow We give Respect We are Open Meadow Nothin’ but the Best WE ARE OPEN MEADOW!! Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-04-22T17:35:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/the_open_meadow_advocate/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/the_open_meadow_advocate/#When:15:47:00Z Open Meadow CRUE student Pat Rhodes put together a newsletter for his senior project.  In Pat’s words, “ I created this newsletter to expand and elevate the participation from parents and the community alike.” You can read the first edition of The Open Meadow Advocate by clicking on the link below. The Open Meadow Advocate (PDF) Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-04-10T15:47:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/step_up_in_the_news/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/step_up_in_the_news/#When:15:37:00Z Open Meadow’s STEP UP program was recently featured in a video and in a newspaper article by the Spokane Spokesman Review for its success in preventing dropout with its after-school mentoring program. The video states that STEP UP is mostly funded by Portland’s Children’s Investment Fund (CHIF). While CHIF does fund the eighth grade portion of the program at Clarendon-Portsmouth school, many other funders share the cost of the STEP UP high school program serving ninth graders at the Roosevelt, Madison, and Marshall campuses. Open Meadow is grateful to the following who have provided funding for the high school STEP UP program: Portland Public Schools, Comcast Foundation, Gear Up, Oregon Department of Education, Portland Schools Foundation, PGE Foundation, The Collins Foundation, Qwest Foundation, Portland Trail Blazers, Piper Jaffray Foundation, NW Natural, and many individuals. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-04-10T15:37:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/now_you_can_plan_a_legacy_for_open_meadows_students/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/now_you_can_plan_a_legacy_for_open_meadows_students/#When:18:24:00Z In 2008, Open Meadow will celebrate 37 years of changing young lives in small, relationship-based educational programs. Community support has made it possible for Open Meadow to give struggling students the tools to thrive. Have you ever considered what your legacy will be? Would you like to make a lasting impact that reflects your values? By naming Open Meadow Alternative Schools in your estate plan, you can create a lasting legacy. Your bequest or other legacy gift will help us to ensure that Open Meadow is equipped to continue its rich tradition of youth advocacy into the future. For more information call Open Meadow’s Development office at 503.488.5184 or click here. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-02-25T18:24:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/recent_update_from_technology_crew_at_open_meadow_crue/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/recent_update_from_technology_crew_at_open_meadow_crue/#When:20:57:00Z Last week the Technology crew conducted an interview with the Social Services crew to see what they are doing to make the community a better place. So our technology crew students sat down with the Social Services crew and asked them a few simple questions to find out more. We found out that they are working with PGE and the Northwest Health Foundation. They are writing a grant for a non-profit organization to make the Portland community a better place and to help someone in need, when they come for help. Social Services Crew conducted a wide range survey and they gave one to our schools as well. By looking through the surveys, the biggest concern to the community is teen pregnancy.  So they are thinking they will give the money to a teen pregnancy non-profit organization. They have not made decisions on who they will give the grant to. We will keep you posted when we find out more about their project, and who they are giving the money to. Photo: Students from the 2006-07 Social Services crew present grants to local non-profit organizations as part of the Community 101 project. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-02-12T20:57:00-08:00 http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/open_meadow_students_offer_parks_recommendations_to_portland_city_council/ http://www.openmeadow.org/open/meadow/blog_post/open_meadow_students_offer_parks_recommendations_to_portland_city_council/#When:21:01:00Z February 6, 2008 – One is a park located next to a popular shopping mall.  The other is a trail that cuts through the heart of the St. Johns neighborhood.  Both are important public resources that could be made safer with a few changes to their environmental design. That was the finding of a study conducted by members of Open Meadow’s CRUE (Corps Restoring the Urban Environment) class.  Three members of the crew - Adrian Thompson, Elizabeth Brenneman, and Sherman Taylor – presented their findings to Portland’s City Council on Wednesday as part of the City Corps project. Working with staff from the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, and Portland Parks and Recreation, the students evaluated the safety and design of NE Portland’s Holladay Park and the Peninsula Crossing Trail in North Portland.  They found that both parks experience criminal activities. The class then developed recommendations for improving the parks’ safety and appearance such as trimming trees and bushes to allow for better security camera access, adding more garbage cans, and changing the design of benches to prevent sleeping and loitering. After viewing the crew’s Power Point presentation, Mayor Tom Potter told the students: “You have produced a very professional and valuable product.  This is the kind of thing the city pays professional consultants to put together.  I commend you for your excellent work.” Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who oversees Portland Parks and Recreation, told the students that the department would work with park security to implement as many of their recommendations as possible. City Corps is a collaborative project between Open Meadow and the City of Portland that is funded by Worksystems, Inc. Open Meadow Blog Headlines 2008-02-06T21:01:00-08:00