http://www.theblueprintfoundation.org/

The Blueprint Foundation, Portland, OR (2026)

04/07/2026

This Earth Month, The Blueprint Foundation is excited to share with you our 2025 Impact Report 🌟

Since 2015, we’ve strived to bridge opportunity gaps in education, mentorship, and the green economy — recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and BIPOC communities were the most negatively affected by environmental impacts.

In the beginning, Blueprint started with small experiential learning programs to foster reconnection to land and community through native plantings and restoration efforts. And 10 years later, we’re proud to say those early experiences grew into a movement. 🌱

Today, our programs help youth and adults explore environmental education, workforce development, and green career pathways.

More importantly, each of our programs plants seeds of belonging, identity, and purpose.

This Earth Month, support our mission to cultivate the next generation of Black and BIPOC environmental leaders by connecting youth and young adults to nature, mentorship, and meaningful green careers. 🌳

🔗 Donate today and take part in the Blueprint to a sustainable future by visiting:
https://the-blueprint-foundation.monkeypod.io/give/online-giving

04/03/2026

🌟 The Blueprint Foundation team is expanding, and now is YOUR chance to make a difference! 🌟

We are currently seeking applications for TWO WISE Program Assistants and ONE Workforce Development Assistant. Keep reading to learn more!

WISE PROGRAMS:
As a Program Assistant, you will support the planning and implementation of WISE programming across two tracks: Sowing Seeds (in-school mentorship) and Grounding Waters (outdoor, hands-on programming). This is an active, front-facing role that requires strong organizational skills, good judgment, and a genuine commitment to the young people we serve.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS:
The Workforce Development Program Assistant supports the planning and implementation of Workforce Development Program (Change is in the Air and Connecting Canopies) curriculum, events, and initiatives. This role ensures that courses, projects, and activities are well‐organized, properly staffed, and fully equipped. Key responsibilities include project coordination, community engagement, procurement, participant transportation, and general logistical support.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:
✨ You will ensure all projects are delivered on time, meet requirements, and are within budget.
✨ You will center racial, gender, and economic justice in all aspects of the Blueprint’s work, modeling a deep commitment to analyze equity as a crucial component of the organization and our community’s success.
✨ You will engage program participants, staff, and partners according to Blueprint’s Core Values.

If you're passionate about making a difference and have a commitment to equity, we want to hear from you!

📩 Apply now and be a part of our impactful team! View the full job description and application process:

https://www.theblueprintfoundation.org/careers/

This position will remain open until filled.

03/26/2026

Earlier this month, The Blueprint Foundation celebrated our annual Vanport Community Education and Restoration Event with Columbia Slough Watershed Council, Port of Portland, Tappin' Roots, and Dr. Ed Washington 🌱

During a bright and beautiful day, we were joined by Dr. Ed Washington, a Vanport flood survivor, who has dedicated his life to civic leadership and education at Portland State University.

He shared the joys and challenges faced in the City of Vanport, explaining that the city itself was built in less than eight months to meet wartime demands, using heavy wood rather than concrete for construction. He vividly painted his childhood in Vanport and detailed the days that followed after being displaced by the floods.

After a heartfelt speech, we planted chokecherry trees and shrubs, as well as Mock Orange and Snowberry plants. We built more birdhouses and tested our wildlife identification skills. It's always an honor to give back to a place that was home to over 18,000 individuals and see the impact of our change year over year.

We're eagerly counting down the days until next year 💚

03/06/2026

📣 We are excited to announce that our workforce development program, Connecting Canopies, is looking for new cohort members for April 2026! 📣

ABOUT CONNECTING CANOPIES:
Connecting Canopies prepares BIPOC young adults from underserved and underrepresented communities for meaningful careers in the environmental and green‑sector fields. Through a project‑based learning model, participants gain real‑world experience by rehabilitating community spaces and residential properties, restoring local ecosystems, and improving environmental health in the neighborhoods they call home.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
The program is designed as a nine‑month cohort, divided into three distinct 3‑month project rotations starting in April and ending in December. Each rotation gives participants the opportunity to work on different types of projects and collaborate with a variety of professional partners. This structure allows participants to apply their skills in multiple settings, explore different green‑sector pathways, and build a well‑rounded foundation of experience.

Participants are encouraged to take part in all three rotations, but only required to commit to one 3‑month project to enroll, ensuring the program remains accessible and flexible for those balancing school, work, or family responsibilities.

HOW TO APPLY:
Fill out this interest form by March 20th and attend one of our upcoming information sessions to learn more:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfr0fN13HUQIY0-0y20LSsYRdq9RPbE3jW7nZh5xmAzh0Z_qw/viewform

Info Date Sessions: March 10th, 2026 & March 13th, 2026.

03/05/2026

Do you have what it takes to be a Grounding Waters mentor? 🤔 Now is your chance!

We are seeking mentors to join our legacy program, Grounding Waters, which is a hands-on, nature-based mentorship program for Black and BIPOC youth (grades 6-12). Through multi-generational mentoring, civic engagement, and environmental restoration, youth explore sustainability, green building, and STEM pathways while building leadership skills and confidence.

As a Grounding Waters mentor, you have the opportunity to serve Portland’s Black-identified youth, support their aspirations, cultural enrichment, and success through environmental education and stewardship. The mentor-mentee relationship is founded on trust and respect to leave a lasting impact! 💚

Mentors are encouraged to:
🏞️ Attend our weekly Saturday outings (weekday during the summer months)
🚗 Transport students to and from activity sites to bridge accessibility barriers
🛝 Facilitate quarterly micro-outings

🔗 If this sounds like something you’re interested in, visit: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSergbIC-9i6e_wS9xAP96AmRHr0Gpd6Dn0eogAOwQNnmXRBfg/viewform

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

03/04/2026

There's no better way to spend a gloomy day than to spend it with Friends of Tryon Creek! 🌿

Last week, Grounding Waters enjoyed an ITEK Dyeing and Basket Weaving Workshop led by our friends at Tryon Creek. We kicked off the day with a presentation introducing students to the foundations of traditional dyeing using resources found at home or in nature. Things like plants, flowers, and bark can be boiled down to create natural color pallets, making upcycling old clothing—or in our case, yarn—more accessible and sustainable.

Once we learned the foundations, it was time to move on to the basket-weaving portion of the workshop. We got to choose from several different colored yarns (all naturally dyed) to weave our very own baskets. Some students chose to collaborate and work on baskets as a group, while others worked independently.

A day that started off sleepy and slow turned into a day where excitement and creativity energized us all! 💚

03/01/2026

📣 OUR FIRST PLANT SALE IS LIVE! 📣

If you're looking for a way to green-ify your space with pollinator and bird-friendly plants while supporting community organizations, Sparrowhawk Native Plants' Native Plant Pop-Up is the perfect way to do so!

Starting TODAY, March 1st at 9 AM until March 29th at 12 PM, you can choose from over 115+ species of plants to get your garden spring-ready.

Proceeds support The Blueprint Foundation and Columbia Slough Watershed Council's Columbia Slough-based projects, including our annual Vanport Stewardship Event, which connects students to the watershed’s history while addressing the disenfranchisement of Black communities following the 1948 floods through environmental restoration.

All you have to do is place an order online and set your pick-up to Level Beer in NE Portland on May 8th or May 9th.

🔗 Visit www.sparrowhawknativeplants.com to browse this year's plant collection!

02/27/2026

Are you ready for our first plant sale? 🤔

The Blueprint Foundation and Columbia Slough Watershed Council are teaming up with Sparrowhawk Native Plants for this year’s Native Plant Pop-Up Sale! 🌿

Starting March 1st at 9 AM through March 29th at 12 AM, choose from over 115 diverse species of plants that support climate resiliency, pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

At checkout, select to pick up your plants at Level Beer in NE Portland on May 8th or May 9th to support Blueprint and CSWC.

Proceeds from the sale will support our Columbia Slough-based projects, including our annual Vanport Stewardship Event, which connects students to the watershed’s history while addressing the disenfranchisement of Black communities following the 1948 floods through environmental restoration.

🔗 Eager to see what plants are available? Click the link in bio to view this year’s native plant collection!

If you read this far, comment down below what you’re planting in your spring garden!

📸 Credit: Slide 1, Tara Lemezis & Slide 2, Columbia Slough Watershed Council

02/24/2026

The Change is in the Air Program (CAP) equips BIPOC youth with the skills and know-how to address data gaps concerning climate-related air pollutants in Black, BIPOC, and low-income communities throughout Portland.

These quarterly Community Education Events (CEE) are student-led symposiums designed to empower BIPOC communities to take ownership and drive action in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Students will share their experience in the program, review and explain collected data, and address various climate-related concerns at each session.

Attendees will receive one free air quality monitor (per household) built by students, participate in a hands-on DIY air filter, and have access to live and recorded installation demos.

Join us in shaping a cleaner, more equitable future—one breath at a time!

📆 When: Saturday, March 21st, 2026
📍Where: Charles Jordan Community Center,
9009 N Foss Ave, Portland, OR 97203
🕓 Time: Event starts at 12pm!

🔗 RSVP to secure your FREE spot by visiting: https://forms.gle/Ud7nb2XXsgyF3mJv8

02/13/2026

📆 MARK YOUR CALENDARS! 📆

The Blueprint Foundation and Columbia Slough Watershed Council are teaming up with Sparrowhawk Native Plants for this year's Native Plant Pop-Up Sale.

Starting March 1st at 9 AM through March 29th at 12AM, choose from over 115 diverse species of plants that support climate resiliency, pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

At checkout, select to pick your plants up at Level Beer in NE Portland on May 8th or May 9th to support Blueprint and CSWC.

Proceeds from the sale will support our Columbia Slough-based projects, including our annual Vanport Stewardship Event, which connects students to the watershed’s history while addressing the disenfranchisement of Black communities following the 1948 floods through environmental restoration.

🔗 Visit https://sparrowhawknativeplants.com/ to learn more and browse this year's native plant collection!

02/10/2026

Grounding Waters is back out in the field! 🎉

On Saturday, February 7th, Blueprint youth went to Dharma Rain Zen Center in NE Portland, where we've stewarded the lands for the last 8 years. During this year's annual stewardship day, students took a trip down memory lane, visiting sites of past restoration efforts and seeing how well they've kept up over the years. We're proud to say the trail signs we put up years ago are still standing strong! 💪🏿

After the walk, students split up into two groups. In one group, the youth focused on composting and got to learn how to operate a tractor for the first time! In the other, students broke down mulch, laying a tarp down in three different areas near the orchard, where we carefully rolled—and tossed—tree stumps. After a day of maintaining a quarter acre of the Center's trails, we found time to wind down with the chickens and offer them some snacks.

We'd like to give a special shout-out to Roshiyah, who was nervous around the chickens at first, but was able to step outside of her comfort zone and feed them from her hand. 🐣

12/31/2025

🚨 If you're looking for a reason to donate during this FINAL day of Give!Guide — don't worry, we got TEN 👉🏾 Swipe through to learn more!

With the support of over 100 donors, Blueprint is 44% of the way towards our $15,000 goal. Each gift pours right back into our programs, so we can continue doing what we do best: empowering the next generation of Black environmental leaders.

Help us reach our goal by visiting:

🔗 https://giveguide.org/nonprofits/blueprint

The Blueprint Foundation

04/07/2026

04/03/2026

03/26/2026

03/06/2026

03/05/2026

03/04/2026

03/01/2026

02/27/2026

02/24/2026

02/13/2026

02/10/2026

12/31/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category