Portland Black College Expo 2025

On Thursday, January 16, SEI hosted the Portland Black College Expo alongside the National College Resource Foundation (NCRF). Together, both organizations helped Portland students gain access to on-the-spot acceptance letters, application fee waivers and scholarships all while celebrating the versatility of life after high school.

The NCRF and SEI Partnership

The NCRF strives to achieve educational enhancement for underrepresented, low resource, at risk, foster and homeless students. Its mission is to decrease high school dropout rates while increasing degree and/or certificate enrollment amongst said students. With its shared principle of supporting underserved students, SEI and NCRF worked in tandem to bridge the gap to secondary education through the Portland Black College Expo.

Nearly 2,000 attendees indulged in delicious food from vendors like Stoopid Burger while having direct access to a diverse set of colleges and organizations. Some of these colleges included Alabama A&M University, Hampton University and Oregon Tech. Other organizations, like the U.S. Coast Guard and Foundation Clothing, attended to showcase to students that learning can go beyond college. Altogether, over $2,000,000 were awarded in scholarships and over 300 acceptances were granted. That is a W in our books!

Beyond the Classroom

For Black and Brown students, continuing an education beyond high school means far more than what is on the surface. It is an opportunity to not only expand as individuals but to also begin building generational wealth for our communities. SEI understands the monumental symbol of a diploma, and it is proven through the 98 percent high school graduation rate. From workshops to hosting events such as the Portland Black College Expo, SEI is committed to granting students access to the various ways they can build a foundation for themselves after high school. It starts in the classroom but it goes beyond it, too.

Congratulations to all the awarded students! We could not be more proud of you. 🎓A special thanks to all the organizations, colleges, universities and food vendors that came to support our students. We could not have done this without you. 🏫 Check out our video recap below!