Connection, Collaboration, and Community: Highlights from Our June Meet & Greet
This month, SVP Portland gathered for a meaningful and energizing Meet & Greet. We’re deeply grateful to the Children’s Institute for hosting us.
This gathering marked one new and intentional approach for SVP: investing in a group of Community Partners all at once. By bringing on multiple organizations simultaneously, we’re maximizing our resources, aligning shared support, and fostering opportunities for cross-learning among groups facing similar moments of growth and transformation.
Each Community Partner gave a presentation, offering insight into their organization’s background, goals, and the kinds of support that could help accelerate their impact.
While each organization was selected for unique reasons, they also share common threads, including a deep commitment to equity, and a desire to build capacity. Together, we explored how SVP can most effectively support these organizations, both individually and collectively, as they take the next steps in their journeys.
Just as important, this was a space for Community Partners and Investor Partners to connect with one another, uncover shared opportunities, and exchange ideas. In a time when community and support are especially vital, the gathering offered room for authentic dialogue, inspiration, and discovery.
We were honored to welcome:
Casita Azul & Amanecer Academy: A bilingual, bicultural early childhood education program centering Latine identity and community-rooted learning.
Future Generations Collaborative: A Native-led collective advancing cultural healing and community health for American Indian and Alaska Native families. Their early childhood programs strengthen Indigenous identity through culturally-specific curricula, playgroups, caregiver support and trainings.
Iraqi Arabic School: A community-centered program preserving Arabic language and culture while supporting youth and families with culturally responsive education and early STEAM learning experiences, with a vision to expand early learning programs.
KairosPDX: A longstanding partner in educational justice, focused on equity-driven, culturally affirming early learning environments for Black children, and early learning workforce development.
Path Home: Working to empower Portland families with children to move into, and remain in, permanent housing, with plans underway to launch an on-site childcare and preschool to expand their impact in early learning.
Community Education Network (not in attendance): A hub for culturally responsive early education programs, CEN supports immigrant and refugee families through multilingual preschool initiatives, parent engagement, and community-led learning grounded in lived experience and cultural identity. They envision a family-focused early learning center with extended hours.
SVP Portland Director of Community Impact, Carolina Castaneda del Rio, reflected: "The energy came from people really showing up—for one another, for the work, and for what’s possible together. That kind of connection between Community and Investor Partners is where strong partnerships start."
If you are an SVP Investor Partner interested in working with one or more of these new organizations, please reach out to Ursula Garcia at ursula@svpportland.org.
