Rooted School, an initiative that opens charter high schools aimed at overcoming local talent gaps, is coming to Vancouver.
Founded by CEO Jonathan Johnson, the Rooted School Foundation launches charter schools (Rooted Schools) across the nation in an effort to close the racial and financial wealth gaps among students by providing them with job-ready tech skills at an early age.
“The idea for Rooted School originally stems from tragedy,” said Johnson. “Early in my teaching career, I met a young student who came from lesser means, but was determined to change the narrative for his family. He was on track to earn a major college scholarship and would have graduated for free. Unfortunately, due to financial issues, he started selling drugs to provide for his family, and was tragically murdered by a fellow classmate. Because of his identity in a neglected community, he succumbed to his challenges.”
It was this tragedy that inspired Johnson to create an education process that could help students and their families fasttrack their success and boost their earnings potential sooner. The best field to get started? Technology.
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“Tech jobs stood out because there are a variety of roles with high income potential that don’t require a college degree. This led to the founding of our nonprofit, the Rooted School Foundation.” Johnson said.
Today, high school graduates with tech backgrounds are well-suited for roles like software developer, data scientist, and analyst.
The first Rooted School launched in New Orleans and began by connecting low-income ninth-graders with local tech businesses. The initiative fast-tracked student’s education and earning potential while supporting local businesses by preparing the next generation of workers. A majority of its first graduating class were accepted into four-year colleges and received over $1 million in scholarships to attend universities like Case Western Reserve, Villanova and Tulane.
Since then, Rooted School has expanded to three states.
The new Vancouver charter school will be located in a former YMCA building in Orchards Park. Foundation leadership is recruiting educators and students in the area, while also fundraising for operational expenses that are typical in the startup year of one of their schools. Rooted School Vancouver is planned to launch in the fall of 2022.
The initiative has already secured the support of major local businesses including Extensis, HP, ZoomInfo, PeaceHealth and the Port of Vancouver.
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Rooted School to the Vancouver community,” said Extensis CEO and Rooted School Vancouver Board Chair, Toby Martin. “The program will help students in the area increase their earning potential much earlier in life, while guiding and training the next generation of tech workers in the Pacific Northwest — which is becoming a tech mecca in its own right.”
“As a sibling city to Vancouver, Portland, Oregon, presents a real opportunity for businesses to create a sustainable local talent pipeline across the river,” added Johnson. “This is a great region that is positioned for growth and more people need to access it.”
Apart from Washington, Rooted School currently has locations in New Orleans and Indianapolis, with the next school planned to open in Nevada.
This is part of a regular guest column written by the Technology Association of Oregon. If you are interested in submitting a guest post please email Malia Spencer at mspencer@bizjournals.com.
