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ELSO is kicking off a capital campaign to both establish our permanent Headquarters in Albina or North Portland and to acquire our Texes Hube Space in Beaumont. These efforts root ELSO deeper in the communities we serve while creating new chances for growth and belonging. This campaign is not just about buildings, it is about investing in spaces where Black and Brown youth and youth from all walks of life can learn, design and thrive.
As this work moves forward, ELSA may also see that it is in the best interest of our mission to partner with the Center for Black Student Excellence, combining efforts and resources to make a space that reflects community voice and vision. No matter the final form, funds raised will go to create places where our youth can gather, grow and lead for generations to come. Needs a pitchy name for this unorthodox campaign.
Since 2015 ELSO has provided Black and Brown youth as well as youth from all walks of life from kindergarten through adulthood with liberatory science, technology, engineering, arts, math, environment and design (STEAMED) education, paid internships and career pathways rooted in culture, joy and justice.
Our programs have grown quickly, serving more than 760 youth each year with over 1,500 hours of hands-on learning at more than 50 outdoor sites. But this growth has also stretched us across borrowed classrooms and temporary spaces. To keep up with demand and continue to grow we need a permanent headquarters — a home where learning, community and opportunity come together.
OUR WHY ?
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Portland’s Historic Albina District was once the heart of the city’s Black community. Decades of redlining, displacement and highway construction fractured that community and pushed out generations of families. Today, rising rents and gentrification continue to push Black and Brown families further away from resources and opportunities.
In 1970 Albina housed over 80% of Portland’s Black residents. Today fewer than 15% remain. Black and Brown youth, and youth from all walks of life, face barriers in STEAM fields, higher drop out rates, and fewer career pathways. Families have lost spaces built with their culture and needs at the center. A headquarters rooted in Albina restores access, dignity and belonging.
Albina or North Portland is our ideal spot. By placing the ELSO Headquarters here we reclaim space, restore justice, and ensure future generations can thrive where their roots have always been.
Why PDX, Why Now
CENTERING YOUTH VOICES
At ELSO, youth help lead the way. Through the Youth Design Forum, young people from our neighborhoods are shaping the vision for the Headquarters.
As we’ve heard from our youth and families, a permanant headquarters is not just wanted, it is needed. Youth have said they want spaces where they can learn, design and belong, and families have asked for consistent safe and culturally rooted places to gather.
Youth have joined in design workshops to re imagine classrooms, maker spaces and outdoor areas. Their ideas are shaping plans for Studio Justice, gardens, an amphitheater and cultural art spaces. The Headquarters will be a reflection of their creativity, culture and community.
The ELSO Headquarters will anchor our programs in Albina or North Portland and extend to Houston and Beaumont Texas. Designed with sustainable principles and aiming for net zero energy use, this HQ will include:
Training and teaching spaces for programs and consulting
Studio Justice and maker spaces for design and innovation
Workforce development center with internships and pre professional training
Community areas, gardens and an outdoor amphitheater for events, camps and after school programs
Affordable coworking and office space for small biz and community groups
Access to the Willamette River to connect youth with nature and stewardship
Achievements and Partners
Over the past decade ELSO has:
Served more than 5,000 youth and families across Oregon and Texas
Provided 1,500+ hours of liberatory STEAM education each year
Created paid internships linking students to science, design, and sustainability careers
Hosted community events like the Harvest Party drawing 600+ families
Earned national recognition as a Black and woman-led nonprofit in STEAM
Partners include: NAACP Portland Chapter, Historic Albina Advisory Board, Center for Black Student Excellence, Harpers Playground, Project LEDO
