THE CENTER FOR BLACK STUDENT EXCELLENCE
From Healing to Joy
Location : Portland, Oregon
Client: Portland Public Schools
Year : 2023
Status: Visioning - Completed
Collaborators: Imagine Black Futures
The CENTER FOR BLACK STUDENT EXCELLENCE is a community-initiated effort to consider a Place, an Approach, and a Redesign of the Portland Public School System to address the problem of decades of underinvestment, systemic racism, lack of coordinated systems of support, and discriminatory practices have resulted in an enduring opportunity and achievement gap for Black students in Portland. The opportunity ahead is to redefine the future by advancing a culture of Black excellence while meaningfully integrating joy and healing, unifying and elevating the Black educational experience, and improving outcomes for Black students.
Colloqate team members supported this effort by collaborating with a large team of engagement event organizers, and leading engagement activities that focused on the architecture conceptualization of what the Place of the Center for Black Student Excellence should be, and understanding how the implications of policies, processes, and community narratives impact place.
