THE GORGE — There are two trauma-informed alternative high schools at The Next Door Inc. On March 22, TNDI held the first two graduations of 2024 for the organization’s students, one at Klahre House in Hood River and one at the Kelly Avenue School in The Dalles.
Attending students are at-risk, disenfranchised, and those who have for years fallen between the cracks of the public education system. Most come to TNDI severely credit deficient, needing individualized education plans (IEP), having behavioral/mental health challenges, needing drug and alcohol interventions, and full of past trauma. Even with these challenges, the educational staff at the Klahre House and Kelly Avenue School continue to find ways to help motivate, heal, support and grow their students’ academic success.
The KH student not only graduated, but graduated a trimester early. This young man came to the Klahre House at the beginning of the school year behind in credits and needing specific courses to graduate. He is now enrolled at Columbia Gorge Community College in Hood River to continue his educational journey beyond high school.
The Kelly Avenue student also graduated a trimester early. This young student enrolled at KAS at the beginning of the year with a clear plan of what he wanted to do. He came to TNDI’s school because of social-emotional challenges and was missing a lot of school. He worked tirelessly with the education team to create and customize an educational path to success. As the student watched and lived in a classroom culture that was trauma-informed and cultivated his ability to learn, to focus and to help him through his traumas, he decided he would like to pursue becoming a counselor or do something in the social work field as a career path.
“Within the last five or almost six years, I have witnessed students forgotten by society find their voice and their purpose,” said Timothy Shampoe, TNDI’s school administrator. “I have seen an educational team shift the paradigm and cultivate a student’s connection to their class and classmates, a student’s capabilities to go beyond what they thought they could, and build their confidence to be more than what they thought they were worth. This ultimately led to building a school climate and culture that is undeniably successful for students and staff alike.
“I am honored and it is my privilege to work with staff and students who are champions and world changers,” he said. “I never would have imagined a place that aligns with the philosophy of mental health and education.”
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