Welcome to the neighborhood!

Welcome to the Pickathon Creative Neighborhoods newsletter. This will be the place where we announce new programs and give progress reports. So, without further ado.

ACE Mentor Program and the Portland Workforce Alliance

We have been on the hunt for partners to help us with the new vision for Pickathon’s sustainability and non-profit outreach. This year we are building relationships with the ACE Mentor Program and the Portland Workforce Alliance. Their students will get hands-on training while working on Pickathon neighborhood design and build. ACE Mentor is an after-school program that connects Portland-area high-school students to the build and design industry and careers in architecture, construction, and engineering. The Portland Workforce Alliance works with local employers to educate students about career opportunities as part of a strategy to boost Oregon’s graduation rate and build a resilient, prosperous, and well-educated workforce. 

Portland State University

You might have heard about our relationship with the PSU School of Architecture. Each year, a class designs and builds Pickathon’s Cherry Hill Stage. It’s a rarity in education to get hands-on experience at such a cool venue. In 2025, we are expanding the PSU relationship and have already begun working with the PSU student-led ad agency,  interns from the School of Film, and the School of Business at PSU, where we’re developing a class with the supply chain program.

AfroVillage

Have you heard about AfroVillage? It’s a movement focused on addressing the needs of our most vulnerable population — unhoused individuals — with a focus on racial disparities and inequalities. AfroVillage provides a variety of critical services to community members and has started important conversations around fundamental basic needs, such as hygiene and sanitation, food scarcity, and mental and physical health. At this year's festival, we’ll work with them to design and build an installation that will be used at their new property, which will feature retired Tri-Met trains.

Our goals

Lastly… the elephant in the room. We need your help with our seed-funding campaign. We are currently falling short of our goal. Without this funding, Pickathon and all the good we can do is at risk. If you are able, please consider donating. If you know folks or companies that are in a position and want to kickstart this do-good machine, please send them our way.