Self Enhancement, Inc. (SEI) serves primarily African-American youth (ages 8 to 25) and their families in Portland, OR with in-school, after-school, summer, and post-secondary programs to help them reach their full potential. SEI’s program model, centered on staff becoming a “parent, mentor, and instructor” to each youth participant, is long-term and intensive; coordinators stay with youth from second grade to age 25. Through this combination of comprehensive services that includes in-school case management, parent involvement, mentoring, and tutoring assistance, SEI enables youth to succeed academically, gain entrance to post-secondary education, and obtain sustainable employment.

Evaluation Status: High-Level Apparent Effectiveness

Internal evaluations show promising results, with two-thirds of participants improving attendance, grades, and school behavior. Ninety-eight percent of participants graduate high school, of which 85 percent go onto post-secondary education. Self Enhancement, Inc. is currently undergoing a quasi-experimental comparison group evaluation, conducted by the University of Oregon, to demonstrate the core program’s effectiveness.

EMCF Investment

Since 2006, the Foundation has invested $3.75 million in Self Enhancement, Inc. to help develop and implement its business plan.

For more information, visit Self-Enhancement, Inc.’s website at www.selfenhancement.org.