Douglas County Partners for Student Success
Education
Douglas County Partners for Student Success( DCPSS) is the Regional Achievement Collaborative serving youth and families of the Umpqua Valley. The vision of DCPSS is that EACH child in Douglas County will receive effective and meaningful support to achieve economic and social success by graduating high school, completing post-secondary education and / or entering a career. Our work is targeted to ensure each child has supports in and out of school to be successful; leaves high school ready for post-secondary education and / or career; and completes a post-high school degree, career credential or training needed for personal well-being. Current projects promoting the mission of DCPSS include the management of the Umpqua Valley Regional STEAM Hub, Education Matters campaign and Youth Mentoring.
Two AmeriCorps members have joined our team of partners this year to help us create a sustainable mentoring model for middle and high-school students across the county. Erika McIntyre and Erik Wood work at a growing number of sites, building essential relationships with students and developing an understanding of the needs students have to effectively prepare for their future. They are currently serving youth at Phoenix School, the Boys & Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley, Glide High School and the Lancer Academy at South Umpqua High School through programs such as ASPIRE, Great by Eighth and Upward Bound. They will soon be at Camas Valley. With a focus on academic support aimed at high school completion and building college / career readiness, Erik and Erika are gaining valuable experience that will be passed on to future youth mentors through volunteer recruitment and training. They will also develop the Douglas County Mentoring Guidebook 1.0 for ongoing use.
Gwen Soderberg-Chase Host Site Mentor Director