2022-23 IMPACT REPORT
IMPACT
In4All impacted over 3,000 students during the 2022-23 school year, thanks to the dedication of our business and school partners and new partnerships across Portland communities.
We now have 32 business-school partnerships serving more than 100 classrooms in the Portland metro area, with over 500 co-learners (formerly volunteers) delivering our programming and guiding students in exploring new possibilities.
The 2022-23 school year marked a return to normalcy post-pandemic, allowing us to focus on future growth. We’re expanding partnerships at the middle and high school levels to support students throughout their K-12 journey.
Below, you’ll see how our programs are making an impact at each level and our plans to expand in the current school year.
Implementing our student engagement model
Our model connects with historically underserved students throughout their K-12 experience. We measure success by the number of students reached and the quality of learning, based on feedback from teachers, co-learners, and students. Here’s our assessment of the 2022-23 school year.
“I just want to say, I want to work for NASA when I’m older”
- Elementary School Student
Elementary School: Building Interest
The STEM Connect program now reaches over 2,600 fourth and fifth graders in more than 100 classrooms, making it our largest initiative. The program aims to spark interest in STEM careers through hands-on learning about topics like acids and bases, water filtration, and kinetic energy. As one student noted, “STEM is important because literally everything runs with STEM!”
Educators reported high engagement, with many students expressing excitement about science activities that enhanced their overall interest in school. One educator mentioned, “Students are so excited about science after these activities, and it carries through to other subjects.”
Business co-learners were eager to participate and became more aware of the structural barriers that students face. One co-learner observed, “Students may have barriers to their education, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to learn.” We encourage co-learners to share their own experiences in the classroom, enriching the learning experience while challenging assumptions about student engagement.
“We had very limited time with them but we were still able to connect with them - it was an amazing experience.”
- Middle School Co-learner
Middle School: Finding Relevance
The Design Thinking program now reaches 14 classrooms and 435 middle school students—nearly double last year’s participation. This initiative aims to connect STEM subjects to students’ lives by engaging them in solving local community issues. Over eight weeks, students and co-learners explore the design thinking process, focusing on iteration, prototyping, and fostering a growth mindset.
Excitement peaks in week 4 when students create their first prototypes. One costume design enthusiast noted, “I realized that prototyping is something I have been doing with my designs for a long time.”
Evaluations show that most co-learners had a positive experience and appreciated the students’ creative problem-solving. One co-learner reflected, “We had limited time, but we still connected with them. It was an amazing experience.”
“Seeing the kids open up and also seeing the folder and their finished work was very cool.”
- High School Co-learner
High School: Creating Connections
In the 2022-23 school year, In4All piloted a design thinking program at two alternative high schools, engaging seven co-learners and 40 students over six weeks. The program aimed to help students connect their projects to potential careers by identifying problems and developing solutions.
Students reported a positive experience, expressing enthusiasm for their projects and recognizing the relevance of STEM topics to their identified issues. Educators are eager to continue exploring design thinking challenges in the upcoming school year.
Co-learners from the business sector found the experience enlightening, gaining insight into the challenges faced by their students. One co-learner noted, “It was inspiring to see the students open up and produce such great work. This experience highlighted the need to give back to the community, especially since alternative schools often receive even less funding than public schools.”
Growing our impact in 2023-24
In the 2023-2024 school year, we aim to impact approximately 3,500 students through our partnerships, which now include 32 business-school collaborations: 22 elementary schools, eight middle schools, and two alternative high schools.
Our goal is to establish new partnerships in existing communities for the 2024-25 school year. We plan to strengthen our presence in North Clackamas and East Portland, focusing on areas where we’re just beginning to engage.
We also aim to expand our middle school programs in communities with significant populations of historically underserved students. We have identified 12 middle schools that would benefit from our design thinking program, and we’re committed to mobilizing community support around these initiatives.
In high school, we plan to introduce our design thinking sprint to another alternative high school, where a business partnership can create meaningful change. We will continuously improve our programming based on feedback from last year, ensuring we respond to community needs and enhance our impact.
This year, we’re focused on refining our programs by investing time in preparing co-learners for their classroom visits, prioritizing hands-on learning, and upgrading materials to support impactful experiences for all participants.
We are excited about the future of the In4All mission and our collaboration with educators, co-learners, and the community to enhance our programming.
We are focused on expanding business-school partnerships in existing communities this year to build a pathway of learning experiences for K-12 students.