- Tuition-free program for grades 9-12 will build on 40-year history of Rosemary Anderson High School
- Offering post-secondary prep, entrepreneurship program, and athletic program
PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rosemary Anderson High School (RAHS) announced that it is enrolling students in its Rosemary Anderson Prep program for the upcoming school year in August 2023. The school program will expand the alternative, community-based model at Rosemary Anderson High School, adding increased post-secondary preparation through advanced classes, an entrepreneurship program leveraging local business relationships, as well as an athletics program featuring boys basketball and girls volleyball.
Rosemary Anderson Prep is accredited, tuition-free, and offers an alternative to both conventional high schools and conventional prep schools. Education plans are tailored to individual students, providing access to self-paced coursework with tutors, small classes focused on project-based learning, AP classes, and college-level classes offered through Portland Community College (PCC). The entrepreneurship program will pair students with local leaders and offer paid work experience. Students playing on the boys basketball and girls volleyball teams will have access to year-round training, sports medicine, mental health support, and elite competition.
“Rosemary Anderson Prep is excited to serve kids who are ready to be challenged. It’s a prep program because it is preparing kids for success in their whole lives, whether that’s AP coursework, entrepreneurial mentorships, or elite athletics,” said Jeffrey McGee, Principal of Rosemary Anderson High School’s Lents Campus. “This program is designed to meet the whole student where they are, provide unique wrap-around services, and get them ready to excel at the next level in their life.”
Rosemary Anderson High School has always served students who want more whole-life support and responsive teachers as they work toward their educational success, and the prep program will expand these services even further. The initial cohort at Rosemary Anderson Prep will consist of 60 students, and the added offering will increase resources for all students at the High School, most notably a wider variety of classes to the implementation of intramural sports.
“Rosemary Anderson Prep program expands our school community and creates even more paths to success for our students. It’s similar to adding an International Baccalaureate or honors program you might see at another school,” said Joe McFerrin II, Portland native, President, & CEO of POIC + RAHS. ”Our high school has been serving youth, young adults, and families in our community for four decades, and the RA Prep program is the next step toward expanding new opportunities and creating better results.”
RAHS
Rosemary Anderson High School (RAHS) provides the highest quality services in alternative education, mentoring, and family outreach. A nonprofit organization 501(c)(3), the high school was founded in 1983 by its namesake, Rosemary Anderson. It has an annual enrollment of 450 students, more than 80 percent of whom are students of color.
Post-Secondary Preparation
Rosemary Anderson Prep students will receive a customized education through a rigorous curriculum that includes Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, access to college-level classes at PCC, self-paced learning, and a low student-to-teacher ratio. In its pilot year, 60 total students will be enrolled in this program.
“The academic opportunities that we’re bringing to Rosemary Anderson High School are truly exciting,” said Destiney Clark, Academic Advisor at RAHS. “When a student is interested in the program, we start with a conversation because that’s the basis of the program itself. It’s about unlocking the potential of the students, giving them the tools they need to succeed here and then keep finding success in the next stage of their life.”
Entrepreneurship Program
The program will inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and young professionals to pursue successful careers––no matter which avenue they choose upon graduation. Through a unique combination of career exploration, career preparation, career coaching, resume building, paid internship opportunities, and mentorship, Rosemary Anderson Prep students will develop presentation, communication, and networking skills many of their peers won’t achieve until their junior or senior years of college.
“Rosemary Anderson Prep will be a great addition to the wraparound services that POIC + RAHS provides Black, Latinx, and other historically marginalized communities in the Portland Metro Area,” said Anthony Herrington, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Providence Health Services and POIC Board Chair. “The entrepreneurship program will create opportunities for students to strengthen business acumen, apply learning via internships, and foster economic empowerment in our community.”
Athletic Program
The Rosemary Anderson Prep Prospects–a boys basketball team and girls volleyball team–will offer talented athletes the opportunity to hone their skills in an educational setting that combines excellence, support, and flexibility. Fifteen student athletes on each team will have an opportunity to make a name for themselves while representing the school against elite competition. This exposure, combined with fostering a strong mind and body, ensures RA Prep Student Athletes are competitive candidates for earning athletic scholarships.
The girls volleyball program will be led by Director of Volleyball Operations Trisonya Abraham and Head Coach Latoya Harris-Alexander. Team members will have access to all academic programs at Rosemary Anderson Prep and have all their club fees covered, creating an equitable path forward for both academic and athletic success.
The boys basketball program will be led by Director of Basketball Operations Canaan Chatman and Head Coach Kendrick Williams. Team members will have access to all academic programs at Rosemary Anderson Prep and receive national exposure by playing games against elite teams around the country.
Rosemary Aderson Prep Advisory Board
- Trisonya Abraham is the CEO of TTM Management, an all-female sports agency.
- Joel Andersen is the CEO of Andersen Construction.
- Canaan Chatman is the Business Relationship Manager at Andersen Construction. He formerly served on the men’s basketball coaching staff at University of Detroit Mercy.
- Nico Harrison is the President of Basketball Operations & General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks.
- Anthony Herrington is the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Providence Health Services. He is also POIC Board Chair.
- Alicia Fratto is a community leader and POIC Board Member.
- Joe McFerrin II is the President & CEO of POIC + RAHS.
- Damon Stoudamire is the men’s basketball Head Coach at Georgia Tech. He played for the Portland Trail Blazers from 1997-2004.
- Tenisha Tevis is a Professor in the Adult + Higher Education Program at Oregon State University.
- Orlando Williams is the CEO of Motus Recruiting & Staffing. He played basketball for the University of Oregon from 1991-1995 and for the Harlem Globetrotters from 1995-1998.
Contacts
Nicole Erickson
[email protected]
503-470-0732
