Spokane Public Schools

Connecting students to community mentors: This program focuses on connecting students to community mentors. Through intentional recruitment of individuals with experience and backgrounds that resonate with the challenges facing young people in the community, RISE mentors regularly engage with students and offer a caring and supportive relationship to students who are struggling in school and the community. A key focus is centered on helping students of color build capacity as leaders to foster student groups that share a sense of connection and inclusion

Personalized support toward graduation: On Track Academy is designed for students who are not on the trajectory to graduate and may benefit from personalized support. Staff utilize a personalized learning approach to meet the needs of all students and offer a flexible and tailored plan for each student using a blending learning model. Students have the opportunity to accelerate their learning and not only graduate on time, but also be prepared for success in their chosen post-secondary pathway. Every On Track student has a dedicated advisor who knows them personally, supports them in setting educational and personal goals, and partners with them to achieve those goals.

Cutting-edge learning in cohorts: The Institute for Science and Technology (IST) is a rich and engaging community where students experience highly personalized and cutting-edge learning in small but diverse cohorts, in a 21st century science facility that provides research opportunities for student scientists. This includes immersion into hands-on science, sparking curiosities and keeping alive childhood fascinations with engineering, life sciences, archaeology, chemistry, discovery and experimentation. Classrooms are led by teachers who not only teach content and skills, but who are also trusted advisors whose daily focus is to assist students in the navigation of the increasingly complex challenges of adolescence and, ultimately, college readiness. Students participate in activities that are reflective of higher education and industry level scientific practices.