ABOUT US
Journeys Oregon began in 1999 with the mission to provide educational and recreational resources to Portland youth and their families, teaching them critical life skills and providing positive role models from their own community.
Who We Are
We remain a small, grassroots organization, though we have grown dramatically since our earliest days, serving hundreds of youth each year. Today, we support BIPOC youth in Portland by providing them with mentorship, healthy athletic activity, and a solid belief in themselves to succeed: personally, academically, and professionally.
We are a Black led, run, and founded organization, and our staff is extremely dedicated to the work that we do and to our participants, as they live in and come from the community served. We are proud to say that our participants return year after year and continue with us long after their official participation in our programming ends. This is a testament to the community that we’ve built, and the fact that our participants want to continue giving back, taking on positions of responsibility while mentoring the next generation of our young students.
Our Values
Correcting a historic lack of resources, opportunities, and community infrastructure for Black youth in Portland.
SUPPORT
Providing Black youth in Portland with positive community-based experiences to improve their social and emotional well-being.
COMMUNITY
Using mentorship to help Black youth in Portland realize their potential and achieve a positive outlook for their future.
MENTORSHIP
Meet the Founder & Executive Director
Canaan Chatman
We are a small, grassroots organization led by our Executive Director, Canaan Chatman, and our small but dedicated team, who grew up in and come from the community in which we serve. We have grown dramatically since our earliest days, and we have large ambitions as an organization to reach and empower as many of the Black youth from our community as possible.
Founder & Executive Director