Midway through the Timbers Corporate Cup

PYB and the Portland Timbers have a long history of teaming up to support at-risk youth, dating back to the days before the Timbers became a Major League Soccer team. When the Timbers front office asked if we wanted to create a corporate soccer tournament with the proceeds benefiting PYB, we jumped at the opportunity.

For this year's inaugural Timbers Corporate Cup, teams from adidas, CMD Agency, Microsoft, Nike, Tursi's Soccer Supply, UPS, and Wieden + Kennedy competed against each other in both a men's and co-ed brackets. We have nothing but thanks and admiration for all of the athletes who came out to PCC's Rock Creek campus earlier this month to fight their way through three rounds of qualifying play.

In the end, Nike and UPS came out on top in the men's division, while Tursi's and Nike led the co-ed teams. We're looking forward to watching each team battle it out during the finals at JELD-WEN field this Saturday morning!

And the winner is...

As we prepare for our annual Celebrations of Achievement - what we call our annual graduation ceremony - we've been waiting to hear which one of our deserving students will be picked for the Acosta Scholarship.

The Acosta family has provided support to a deserving PYB student every year since Jesse Acosta passed away in 2003. In addition to being the patriarch of the Acosta family, Jesse was also a beloved member of PYB's family and a valuable employee of Portland YouthBuilders.

Jesse brought a tremendous positive attitude to work every single day. He wore a smile every day, rain or shine. He continues to be missed.

After Jesse's passing, his family created an annual scholarship in his honor. The PYB student who receives this award is expected to use the gift to better their life, typically through further education or advanced training after graduation.

Today we found out that the Acostas had such a hard time narrowing down this year's choice that they have decided to award two scholarships to deserving PYB students! Congratulations to Lucy and Eric for being named the 2011 Acosta Scholarship recipients, and many thanks to the Acosta family for their ongoing support of our students.

PYB is coming to Groupon!

We are happy to announce that Portland YouthBuilders has partnered up with Groupon.com for an exciting online campaign coming up next week!

While most of us know Groupon as the place to go for online daily deals, they also have a community outreach initiative to help programs like PYB as we work to make a difference in young people's lives.

We need your help to make this a successful campaign! Here's how you can pitch in:

1. Subscribe to Groupon's Portland site if you're not on Groupon already.

2. Check the daily Groupon email to view our campaign, which will be featured in the lower right corner of one of your upcoming daily Groupon emails.

3. Support the campaign with a pledge and spread the word to friends and family, encouraging them to do the same.

Thank you so much for your support!

Whole Foods BBQ to Benefit PYB!

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, May 7th, the Whole Foods Market in NE Portland is closing the street for a Spring block party. They've invited us to cook up a benefit BBQ at this fun event and we want to invite YOU to join us and chow down!


Saturday, May 7th, 10:00 - 2:00

Hollywood Whole Foods in NE Portland (NE 43rd & Sandy)

$5 gets you a burger or portobello burger plus a soda & chips

All proceeds to go PYB!




See you there!

Video from YouthBuild Philly

Amidst recent national talk about failing schools and looming budget cuts, this inspiring video manages to provide some much need optimism around the potential for low-income youth to finish high school and continue their educational careers into college. YouthBuild: Building Youth was presented by the Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern created the film, which features students and staff from our colleagues at the YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School. Take a look at YouthBuild: Building Youth yourself - it's only six minutes long, but contains an extraordinary message of lasting hope for YouthBuild students like ours all around the country.

Gratitude

At Portland YouthBuilders, students graduate and move on to other opportunities throughout the year, not just during the traditional June graduation season. Last week one of our most recent graduates, Cameron, stopped by a staff member's office to say thanks for all that PYB has offered to him over the past year.

He told her, "If it weren't for PYB, I would've still been living with my mom, drinking and doping. I'd probably be dead by now. So PYB literally saved my life."

Obviously PYB played a part in helping to change Cameron's life around, but all of the hard work and dedication came purely from him. So Cameron, you're welcome... and many thanks to YOU for not giving up. We're all very proud of you.

Sharing our 15+ years of experience

For the next two days, PYB staff and students have the privilege of hosting guests from the Heart of Oregon YouthBuild program in Bend, Oregon. The visitors, all staff from Heart of Oregon Corps, have come to PYB to immerse themselves in our program and perhaps learn some “tricks of the trade” that they can bring back to their relatively new YouthBuild program in Bend. Little do they know that we are just as excited to learn from them!

This is the first of numerous immersion experiences that Portland YouthBuilders will be hosting over the next six months in our role as one of only three teaching sites in the country for YouthBuild USA and the US Department of Labor.

Mud!

When new students enroll in Portland YouthBuilders, they have to make a choice between our construction or computer training program. If a young person is on the fence and doesn't have a clear preference, one of the first questions we ask them is whether they like working outside.

And to clarify, that would be outside in an Oregon winter. Which means lots and lots of rain.

It's a good thing our students have positive attitudes and good raingear (thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Portland!).

PYB's Internship Program is in Full Swing

For much of 2010, PYB staff have been developing a new internship program that provides students with opportunities to acquire real world job perspective and the chance to enter college or the workforce with increased skills and a strengthened work ethic. In mid-November, PYB's first cohort of interns began their 5 week placements with local businesses and organizations. Students from this inaugural corhort have reported having incredibly valuable and eye-opening experiences. One student shared, "I am so grateful to PYB for helping me complete another chapter of my life and the Quango team for inspiring me to start my next one. I never thought I would hear myself say this, but I cannot wait to see what my future holds".

PYB is excited to further evolve this program and make it available to a growing number of students in the coming months. Furthermore, more area businesses and organizations are expressing interest in partnering with PYB as internship host sites. We are grateful for the support these institutions and look forward to further growing our relationships in the years to come.

PYB students rescue a drowning man

Words can't describe how proud we are of Andrew and Mikey, two current PYB students who stepped in to help a stranger in need. Andrew and Mikey pulled the man out of a local creek and, using the CPR skills they had learned at PYB, worked to keep the man stable until paramedics arrived.

Check out the video link for additional news coverage of this story.