Our
History
All Hands Raised, formerly known as the Portland Public Schools Foundation, was established in the mid-90s with a focus on advocating for and providing funds to Portland Public Schools (PPS). In 2007, they expanded their mission with Connected by 25, which aimed to ensure that every young person is connected to education, work, and community by the age of 25. All Hands Raised brought together various individuals and organizations to present student data and inspire community action. Their first collective impact initiative, Ninth Grade Counts, provided support for engagement and education to at-risk students during their transition to high school. All Hands Raised has transformed from a PPS-focused foundation to a comprehensive organization driving collaboration and collective impact for improved equitable education for Multnomah County youth.
Since 1994, All Hands Raised has championed equity in education.
Multnomah County achieved StriveTogether’s “Proof Point” status award – a mark of the shared progress we are making and maintaining in our community.
Connected by 25 and Ninth Grade Counts, along with the partnerships established with seven partner school districts and a diverse set of community partners, laid the foundation for All Hands Raised to become the entity entrusted with adapting the StriveTogether cradle-to-career framework locally.
Since 2010, All Hands Raised has led the Multnomah County-wide effort to align the community around a common set of measurable indicators with the singular goal of improving educational outcomes for children, youth and young adults with a focus on kids of color.
In 2015, AHR began partnering with school and culturally-specific partners on the ground in school community site teams to develop, implement and measure the strategies that positively impact students.