The Multilingual & Multicultural Center of Portland Public Schools supports refugees, immigrants, and language learners to ensure equal access to educational opportunities for all students. The Center provides intake for new families at the Family Welcome Center, which includes assisting in-school registration, language access testing, resources, such as an in-house food pantry, and more. In addi
tion, a team of skilled interpreters-Family & Community Engagement Specialists provide interpretation and translation for the many forms as well as a direct link to the communities that new families need. The Center also hosts Make It Happen, a college readiness program for multilingual high school students at Portland's three high schools. Working with Site Coordinators and Academic Coaches, students have access to on-site tutoring and assistance with both the college application and financial aid process. And, there is Parent University, a monthly forum for PPS families to engage in topics of interest, often around trending topics. Over the years, Portland's multilingual community has grown exponentially and become increasingly more diverse. Currently, the district has over 2,400 students who come from homes where over 60 different languages are spoken. The students represent about 36% of Portland Public Schools' total enrollment.
