A group of Cleveland High School students is reaching the world – by crossing the street.
Paige Hazard is a social studies teacher at the school, which is across Powell Boulevard from Catholic Charities of Oregon headquarters. Hazard wants students to make a difference in the world they are learning about.
This year, her classes collected clothing and household items for the Catholic Charities refugee services program. She and a student dropped the supplies off and met Tanja Brady, a member of the refugee services team, plus a set of refugee services interns from Portland State University and the University of Portland.
“We study war and racism, and I try to give students a tangible way to make an impact,” Hazard said.
Some of the students at Cleveland are from refugee families who were resettled by Catholic Charities. Some even live in Catholic Charities housing nearby.