Sharing Their Accomplishments

We are proud of the wonderful

Watch Harrison Park students share their success

strides students in The Shadow Project are making to meet their academic and social goals. At Harrison Park in Southeast Portland, Shannon Cooper’s 60 hard-working students are becoming enthusiastic readers and writers who enjoy school, turn in homework and take the opportunity to give to others. “Not only are my students developing strong a work ethic, they’re developing empathy and caring for each other,” says Shannon. “And they wanted to say thank you.”

Only $6,000 Shy of our Goal!
Your year-end gift will ensure we reach our goal of raising $20,000 through the Willamette Week Give!Guide to empower The Shadow Project’s 1,300 amazing students to succeed in school. The Miller Foundation will be matching new and increased gifts of $100 and up – more than $6,000 to date! Plus, there are still great incentives to be earned. Click here to check them out! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and inspiring stories.

Every Child Counts
Read the Oregonian’s Guest Commentary by Shadow’s Executive Director and learn three simple things we can all do to help Oregon’s 74,000+ special education students succeed. Do you have ideas to raise awareness and appreciation for these remarkable students? Send your ideas to: shadow@shadow-project.org and help us spread the word on Facebook.

Thank You for Making a Difference

• The Stimson Miller Foundation is helping The Shadow Project build its capacity through a $10,000 grant that will help us strengthen school district partnerships and implement recommendations from the Harvard Business School Association of Oregon.
• The Charlotte Martin Foundation awarded Shadow a grant of $5,000 to increase educational opportunities for our 200 students in five McMinnville elementary and middles schools.
• The Standard Charitable Foundation awarded Shadow $5,000 to provide copies of The Boy Who Learned Upside Down (Black Heron Press, 2013) to distribute to many low-income students in our program. Boy tells the Shadow story and celebrates the courage and accomplishments of children with learning challenges. Illustrated by Winky Wheeler, the 40-pg picture storybook will be published next fall.
• The City of Hillsboro has provided $2,000 to support Shadow’s expansion to Mooberry Elementary, where The Shadow Project is serving 35 students.
• Thank you to Portland Public Schools employees for supporting The Shadow Project. We were honored to be part of the district’s Fall Giving Campaign for the first time!

Give!Guide Goes Live!

Starting now, you can

Click to watch 2-minute Give!Guide video celebrating our kids’ courage!

help our 1,300 amazing students turn “I can’t” into “I CAN!” by donating to The Shadow Project through the Willamette Week Give!Guide. Plus, you’ll earn fabulous prizes for yourself. From dinner at your favorite restaurant to one-of-a-kind jewelry from a local designer and ice cream galore, giving has never been so rewarding. Donate now. Scroll down to “Education” and select Shadow Project. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates about our incentives and giveaway dates! During its first eight years, WW’s Give!Guide has raised over $5.33 million for local nonprofits.

Sponsor a Child; Double Your Impact!
New and increased gifts of $100 or more through the Give!Guide will be matched by The James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation. That means $100 sponsors two children for an entire year!

Junior League Aids Shadow Kids
All of us at The Shadow

Project are immensely grateful for the hard work and enthusiasm of 45 Junior League of Portland volunteers who dedicated a day of service to The Shadow Project at Portland Public Schools last month. Among other activities, Junior League members sorted books and school supplies and compiled goal-setting materials for our 1,300 remarkable students. Their hard work will help provide effective, life-changing services to the children, educators and families we serve. Junior League members make such a difference in the community and really have a heart for kids. We look forward to continued collaboration. Check out more event pictures on Facebook.

Helping Shadow Students Reach for the Stars Goal-setting is a huge part of The Shadow Project program. So we’re excited to introduce a prototype of goal-setting booklets designed to empower struggling students to take greater ownership of choosing and tracking what they most want to accomplish. The booklets include illustrations by Winky Wheeler from The Boy Who Learned Upside Down (Black Heron Press, 2013), the upcoming children’s book that tells the Shadow story and celebrates the accomplishments of kids with learning differences. The ability to set and meet goals is one of the key attributes that determine life success for this population, according to longitudinal research highlighted by the National Center for Learning Disabilities. One hundred students and their teachers will use the booklets over the next few months, and we’ll modify this tool for broader use in the next school year.

Thank You for Making a Difference

• Spirit Mountain Community Fund awarded Shadow a grant of $5,000 to help improve educational outcomes for students in special education by implementing program enhancements recommended by the Harvard Business School Association of Oregon. Spirit Mountain was one of Shadow’s earliest supporters.
• Fred Meyer Stores awarded Shadow $2,500 in program support. Fred Meyer has consistently helped our students to become confident, engaged readers and writers who thrive at school!