PEAR
338 NW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 pearmentor.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: P:EAR mentors Portland's homeless youth to affirm personal worth and create healthier lives and communities

EDUCATIONp:ear instills a curiosity that creates life-long learners. While p:ears education program supports youth pursuing their GED through individualized support, academic counseling and instruction, we also offer youth experiential learning of the core competencies through project learning. We explore a living literacy, decide our physical, biological and ecological place in the world, discern how we relate to other people or how we measure and quantify everything from a star to a recipe for apple pie. p:ear also helps seek financial aid and scholarships for those wishing to continue their educational journey.ARTArt and music can leave words behind and communicate directly to, and with, the heart. Art builds bridges between people, ideas, and cultures. p:ear's Arts and Culture program brings music, art, theater and movement into the lives of youth creating opportunities for them to develop emotional, motor and cognitive skills through workshops, cultural events, and one on one instruction. We believe that the enriching qualities of the arts are powerful and important and that all of us deserve beauty and depth in our lives. p:ear also works with youth who seek a career in the arts by helping to create a portfolio and pursuing higher education in the arts.Serving as an open house where community members and p:ear youth engage in dialogue and appreciation of the art, the Trim/Vojdani Gallery at p:ear opens First Thursdays and is a celebration of the artistic achievement of p:ear youth in combination with at least one professional artist. It serves as Youth keep 90% of the sales of their art often making a differece in their ability to survive.The Going Places program opens doors to attending performances, exhibits and cultural events that would otherwise be socially or financially prohibitive and that enlarge the positive social engagements and world-view for youth.MusicMusic is a language that strengthens all forms of communication, and is a vital part of how p:ear staff and mentors connect with youth. Fostering relationships through a love for music, p:ear jam creates opportunities for youth and Portland musicians to interact through a shared musical dialog that enhances musical skill through collaborative jam sessions, recording / song writing, and one-on-one instruction. RECREATIONHomeless youth rarely have the opportunity to travel beyond their urban context. Their bodies are unhealthy, their minds are stressed and their hearts are searching for connection to trustworthy people, beauty and peace. p:ears wilderness recreation program has a direct impact on all three of these issues providing a safe place for the opportunities that empowers youth to learn, grow and heal in mind, body and spirit. Through the core activities of cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing and whitewater rafting trips, youth build the skill sets to connect with and care for the environment and build a community beyond their lives on the streets. Our trips have proven to be one of the most effective ways to promote trusting positive relationships, build self-confidence and a sense of responsibility and instill stronger critical thinking and decision making skills while encouraging a reverence for the environment and a desire for a healthier life. SAFE SPACESafe Space means having all of the things that create stability in ones life, from having stable mentors, to having milk in the fridge and food in your belly. Last year alone, homeless youth spent over 22,900 hours inside p:ears doors, with a daily average of 54 youth sharing over 13,650 meals together. p:ear youth receive a broad range of support and guidance from staff to meet their needs from bus tickets, and haircuts, to community networking opportunities, referral services for clothing, job training, counseling and mental and physical healthcare.FOODp:ears kitchen and food program offers two fresh, nutritious meals a day for youth and helps them let go of at least one worry, What am I going to eat today? p:ear strives to offer local, organic options along with healthy conversations on the importance of these practices. p:ears food program is the hub for community meals that provide homeless young people with the opportunity to create and share food with other students, staff and volunteers and instills a sense of belonging while providing an experience for them to know they are cared for, appreciated, and worthy of being nurtured. p:ear WORKSp:ear barista schoolPortland has a strong coffee culture and what better way for youth to participate than to become a barista! In partnership with Nossa Familia Coffee, the program offers an in-depth, on-site, eight week training exploring all aspects of becoming a barista in today's competitive market - from understanding bean sourcing, to milk textures, to customer service and basic money management. The program helps to build their confidence and their resumes, and provides consistent, on-going mentorship while youth engage in the activities associated with learning the beautiful art and science of preparing and serving exceptional coffee. p:ear bike mechanic school p:ears bike mechanic school, in partnership with Sellwood Cycle Repair, is a 10 week educational program teaching basic bike mechanic skills to the young cyclists at p:ear. Classes focus on the basics of maintaining bikes, from tune-ups to simple bearing system overhauls. In addition to learning the mechanical hard skills involved with bike maintenance, youth participate in on-going workshops covering resumes, interviewing skills, conflict resolution, basic finance and customer service.

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