At HOLLA School, a tuition-free Kindergarten through fifth grade (K-5) public charter school in Rockwood, community leaders and advocates are changing “the academic narratives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous youth by honoring lived experiences, catalyzing genius, and centering joy,” says Eric Knox, its Executive Director.

Rockwood, a neighborhood in northwest Gresham, is a predominately Black, Brown, and Indigenous. It is also largely under-resourced with an increasing wealth gap. Households earn 30% less than the median household income in Oregon, and beneficial programs are often neglected by traditional investment sources. The neighborhood is considered a food desert, with limited access to affordable grocery stores for low-income residents. Additionally, there are few spaces for the community to gather safely.

Despite these challenges, Rockwood families remain resilient. Community leaders are actively building programs and adapting systems to address the unique needs of current and future generations. CareOregon has provided investments to support these leaders in building the infrastructure to advance individual and community health and well-being. This includes creating safe learning environments for students, addressing nutritional needs, and providing opportunities for meaningful connection with adults who share a similar identity and lived experience.

HOLLA School is one of several organizations in Rockwood that have received funding directly from CareOregon, which includes CareOregon Boys & Girls Club and Latino Network. These organizations offer creative spaces for children and families to grow, provide culturally relevant services to promote equity, and develop curricula that prioritizes well-being on all levels.

How HOLLA School came to be

HOLLA School’s journey began with Eric Knox. For years, he heard calls to establish a school for children in the community. These requests were particularly strong from families involved in his ongoing mentorship program, which matched children with local professionals who assisted with schoolwork or helped to manage social challenges. While the idea of building a school was a daunting task, Knox understood the positive impact creating a haven for Rockwood children would have on families.

Recognizing the growing needs of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities in the neighborhood during this time, Knox and his team, in collaboration with Reynolds School District, embarked on a mission to create a school that would address these needs.

Juju Jones, HOLLA School’s Director of School Design and Culture, played a pivotal role in this endeavor. She did extensive research on current approaches in education by scholars of color to shape the school’s design and vision. “We were given the opportunity to dream up what a school would look like if built for us, by us,” said Jones.

In 2022, CareOregon emerged as a pioneering sponsor for the budding program, providing the necessary financial support for HOLLA School to take shape and begin reaching families. Through their relationship with the CareOregon Boys & Girls Club, HOLLA was able to obtain temporary space during the school’s inaugural year, allowing more time for the team to source a suitable long-term location.

A pillar of support: A safe space

The majority of CareOregon’s investment went towards the construction of HOLLA School’s physical building. The school launched with kindergarten, first and second grade classes, but quickly grew to provide curriculum and staffing for third, fourth and fifth grades in the following years.

Creating a safe place for students to learn was central to achieving HOLLA School’s vision and a major step toward addressing students’ basic needs. Once they had a facility secured, classes underway and families engaging on site, the team turned their attention to strengthening other core elements of student well-being, like food and connection.

A pillar of support: Nutrition

HOLLA School wanted to reinvent school meals and better address food needs for their community. With additional investment from CareOregon and other funders, the school partnered with Feed the Mass, a Black-led organization dedicated to nutritional education, reducing waste and empowering their communities through food.

After switching to the new school meals prepared by Feed the Mass, HOLLA School staff started noticing a difference: streamlined access to nutritional and culturally specific foods, less waste and fewer complaints about food choices from students. The responsive collaboration with Feed the Mass led to more children eating nutritious meals on a regular basis—and gratefully coming back for seconds!

“It was exposing them to fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins that they may or may not have available at home,” said Tate Brown, HOLLA School’s Executive Assistant and Director of HOLLA School Partnerships. “We noticed that when kids eat better, their behavior follows. They are feeling full and satisfied. Their emotional regulation gets better.”

A pillar of support: Mentorships

The next area of focus for HOLLA school was keeping students engaged in the classroom—even when life outside of it might be distracting and difficult. “Some of our kids carry more than we can see,” said Eric Knox. “One of our boys had just lost his brother to gang violence, and another’s dad was in prison while his mom struggled to get him to school. They needed consistency, identity-affirming adults, and a school that understood what was behind the behavior.”

According to the school’s leaders, every student at HOLLA School is a child of color, and about one-third of the school’s students qualify for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is double the state and district average. IEPs provide students with special education services or disability accommodations.

Teachers at HOLLA school noticed that some students seemed to be overstimulated in class. The challenges they were dealing with outside the classroom often made it difficult to remain focused or participate in educational activities.

The school employed classroom mentors who could uniquely address some of the challenges these students were experiencing, offering support and a source of connection. Mentors, most of whom are local Black, Brown, and Indigenous professionals, spend time in the classrooms helping students regulate their emotions. They work in partnership with teachers to establish rapport with students and foster ways to meaningfully engage in their education. Outside of the classroom, mentors participate in community and sporting events with students and their families.

“Having mentors in the classroom and at events every day, especially those who look like our kids, changed everything,” Knox said. “Those same students who used to run out of the building are now in class.”

Looking toward a brighter future

HOLLA School students are making positive gains that lead to healthier lives, brighter futures and strengthened communities. Looking forward, the team expects to spend more time developing their services, focusing on sustainability for the long-term.

“We are dreamers,” said Juju. “Our original desire was to build an elementary school and cultivate this beautiful place. As we keep coming back to that idea, we realize we want to strengthen our existing K-5 and continue expanding around them. All that hinges on finding more space and getting funding.”

Despite challenges to funding ahead, they remain optimistic about the future.

“Funding on the federal level is disappearing, but Eric [Knox] always says, ‘We’re going to make it,’” said Brown. “The first second graders to join our school in the beginning will be graduating to middle school this year—that’s reason enough to be excited about our work.”

Investments in Action series

Our "Investments in Action" series highlights the transformative power of CareOregon's strategic investments in health and well-being. Through these stories, we explore how our support goes beyond traditional funding roles and is helping to close gaps in health-care access and community services. Despite challenges within the Medicaid space, we remain committed to centering these important narratives of community strength and resilience.