Our job at PWA is pretty simple: We help young people find work they believe in and can do well.
We do this because teenagers with career aspirations are more likely to graduate from high school and college (even when those aspirations change along the way). We also do it because Oregon employers want to hire locally for their best jobs.
We can’t do this work alone. PWA depends on hundreds of volunteers to help organize career days, mentorships and other career-learning experiences. Just as much, we depend on individual donations from supporters like you.
This holiday season, we ask you to include PWA in your year-end giving. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and 100% of your individual donation is tax-deductible. An active board of directors allows us to have a small staff and low overhead, so your donation directly benefits Oregon schools and our future workforce.
We are fortunate to have strong support from the business community through the annual NW Youth Careers Expo and the PWA Breakfast, both set for Feb. 24, 2016. Our sponsors cover these events and help us provide career education year round. A contract with Portland Public Schools allows us to create additional career-learning opportunities specifically for PPS students and teachers.
Individual donations make up the third part of our funding. Together, we can create more career days in growing sectors such as health care, technology and construction. We can teach students about career paths that reward creativity and artistic skill. We can intensify our work at higher-poverty high schools, where college completion rates are lower and families have less access to professional networks.
Thank you for your support of PWA. Wishing you a good holiday season and happy New Year.