Ninth Grade Counts Wraps Up Summer 2013

Earlier today, district representatives, community organizations, and AmeriCorps volunteers, along with sponsors and other partners, gathered at NAYA Family Center to celebrate a fifth successful summer preparing soon-to-be ninth graders for high school and beyond. Representatives from the 17 Ninth Grade Counts programs that ran this summer shared highlights and success stories, then broke into small groups to debrief around specific topics. The 34 AmeriCorps VISTA members placed at Ninth Grade Counts sites by Oregon Campus Compact were also recognized for their service.

Ninth Grade Counts began in summer 2009 as a response to local graduation rates as well as data on the impact of unequal access to summer learning and the importance of ninth grade credit attainment on high school graduation. As a result, the community came together to focus on the eighth to ninth grade summer transition, and the multiple programs and partners that make up Ninth Grade Counts now serve over 1000 students each summer.

Ninth Grade Counts is one of four Collaboratives in the All Hands Raised Partnership and receives generous funding from U.S. Bank, as well as Bank of America and Safeway.