Self Enhancement

Youth servicesself Enhancement Inc. is one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful youth development organizations. Self Enhancement has a 40 year history serving the portland community. Over 90% of the program participants have overcome significant barriers to success such as poverty, family substance abuse, gang involvement, absent parents, and low academic achievement. These students have gone on to become positive contributing citizens, which is defined by Self Enhancement as at least 2 years of post-secondary education or living wage employment. The core program services are based on the relationship model in which adults take on the roles of teacher, parent, and mentor. Self Enhancement services are offered within a culture of success; (sch o) are comprehensive (summer, in-school, and after-school); and offered on a continuum (serving students from age 8 through 25). Each student is assigned to a coordinator who monitors the student's attendance, behavior, and academic achievements.an individual success plan is created for each student that sets academic, personal, and social goals. Academic support, arts experiences, recreation activities, community service opportunities, leadership training, and social and life skills classes are offered through the after-school program. An intensive 5-week summer program helps keep students engaged year-round.

Community + family programs Self Enhancement recognizes that at-risk youth most often come from at-risk families. The positive work sei does with young people during the day and after-school can easily be unraveled by an unhealthy situation in the home. For this reason, Self Enhancement's programs include outreach services to families including case management, parenting classes, energy assistance, job placement, and referrals to outside resources. Self Enhancement provides culturally competent support services through the in-home safety and reunification program, the domestic and sexual violence prevention program, the parent-child development program, the healthy homes program, and the community works program. Self Enhancement also provides assistance (cont sch o) with basic needs such as housing and energy assistance. Self Enhancement currently serves over 9,000 individuals and families for all age groups through community and family programs.

Schools uniting neighborhood youth programself Enhancement serves nearly 5,000 youth each year, through a variety of programs. Self Enhancement manages 18 schools uniting neighborhoods (sun) community schools and provides social and support services for educational success under the multnomah county sun service system for both region 2 and african american target outreach population. Self Enhancement also provides services to youth under multnomah county's school attendance initiative and portland children's levy foster care program.

Other programming includes capacity building programs.