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ACCESS Academy is an alternative program within ½ûÂþÌìÌà (½ûÂþÌìÌÃ) serving grades 2-8 and drawing students from all corners of the district. It is a rare, but shining example of how ½ûÂþÌìÌà has enabled opportunities for a small subset of the most talented and gifted students in the district.

This school fills a need for accelerated and adaptive learning provided for kids who have tested in the 99th percentile on nationally normed tests for aptitude and/or achievement (in any or all of the following areas: reading, math, or general intellect) and have demonstrated that their public, neighborhood school has not met their needs.

Many of these students have a high degree of asynchrony between subjects and have unique learning needs that cannot be met through standard curriculum. By employing instructional strategies and curriculum considered "best practice" in working with highly capable students, the curriculum at ACCESS Academy is taught at an accelerated pace to meet the needs of these exceptional students.

Due to significant gaps in public school funding, our school relies on parent volunteers through the ACCESS Academy Foundation to find ways to fund much-needed staffing that helps improve our students’ educational outcomes. Additional staff– teachers, specialists, and educational assistants – can only be funded through the school foundation. The Foundation is an affiliate of the  (the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Foundation).

This year we will need to raise an astounding $270,000 to ensure we maintain our staffing levels from last year, including a second counselor, a foreign language teacher, and reaching our goal of having a full-time librarian, something extremely important to this community of intelligent, curious kids who want nothing more than to bury their noses in books. 

Our biggest fundraiser, the , will be held on February 24, 2024, and we are seeking local, community-minded sponsors to help these high potential students have the tools for success to make Portland proud.  These students, with the right learning environment, will assuredly prove to do amazing things in highly sought-after STEAM fields in the future.  With your support, we can ensure our incredible students have all the teacher and staff support they need to be successful, even while the public school system has failed to provide for some basic student needs.  

If you are interested in sponsoring this year's ACCESS Academy Trivia Night & Auction, please see our various sponsorship levels .  Questions and completed forms can be sent to AccessAcademyAuction@gmail.com or submitted via the (for credit card payments).

You can also make a cash contribution without a sponsorship through our . While financial contributions are critical, in kind donations are also welcome and can be submitted using our .

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!