Project celebrates promise of black youth
By Kimberly Melton, The Oregonian
April 03, 2010, 6:00AM
For the first time, Portland Public Schools specifically recognizes achievements of African American studentsFor many high schoolers, the class that challenges them the most is often the one that they dread to attend and love to skip.
Roosevelt campus freshman Alize Gaston said his most challenging class -- social studies -- is also his favorite one. Why? The class pushes him to study harder, think more deeply and develop his own perspective on what's happening in the world.
"As teens, we don't always know or care about what's going on around us," Gaston said. "But in this class, we have a voice. It's my biggest challenge because I have to come up with my own opinion. But it's my favorite class because what I say matters."
For the first time, Portland Public Schools is recognizing the achievements of African American students like Gaston. Next week, the district will honor 10 African American middle and high school students in a project called "Young, Gifted and Black."
African American students in Portland are more likely to lag behind their
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