Therapeutic School for At-Risk Students in Portland, OR

Serendipity is a non-profit therapeutic school serving at-risk students whose complex needs prevent success in other settings.

SERENDIPITY’S MISSION

is to provide the best environment for students to heal and become educated, productive community members.

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EDUCATION

Serendipity provides individualized instruction and adaptive learning opportunities to students of all abilities, helping those who have struggled in traditional classroom settings to experience academic engagement and success.

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WELLNESS

Our Wellness programs develop lifelong health awareness and habits, which are important to everyone and even more critical to students already at risk for health challenges resulting from traumatic or adverse experiences.

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FOUR PILLAR MODEL

MENTAL HEALTH

The therapeutic services offered at Serendipity integrate clinically designed interventions into the structure of a school day, allowing immediate and constant access to support.

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TRANSITION

Serendipity’s transition services create a bridge for young people between the K-12 special education system and the world beyond the classroom.

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Testimonials

“Serendipity helped me so much. I can better control my anger and Serendipity gave me more coping skills so that I know what to do.”

LukeStudent

“I carried Serendipity with me, in the form of this sense in the back of my mind that I had been cared for, listened to, and held accountable. I’d been give a place where I felt wanted, like I “fit”… “taken in” when that was just what I desperately needed.”

CindyStudent

“I cannot begin to count the number of times that the staff have gone above and beyond to make every effort to keep our son in school by continually altering and adjusting his school plan to accommodate for his needs.”

Parent

“By the time I graduated from Serendipity, I was a leader. I helped others and understood the importance of making responsible choices.”

William Student

“Serendipity offers consistent behavioral and emotional supports through carefully designed individualized plans that involve the student, parent, and district staff.”

Gresham BarlowProgram Director of Special Services

“The perseverance and dedication shown by the staff is second to none. We felt supported and encouraged by these folks in our daughter’s life. She has made a wonderful turn around and we know Serendipity played a major role in shaping her into the person she is today.”

Parent

“Serendipity provides more than just academic learning; it is a safe haven for children with extreme circumstances which would otherwise inhibit their social and learning skills which most of us take for granted.”

JosephStudent

“The classroom teacher, instructional aides, and case manager have endeavored to create sustainable change in the youths’ lives with whom we work… From cultural sensitivity, to empirically based, collaborative practices, I can’t say enough positive about my experiences with Serendipity staff.”

Consulting Behavior Therapist

“Serendipity has been such a blessing to our son and to our family. They have given my son confidence, self-esteem, life skills, peer relationship skills, and improved reading, writing, and speech.”

Parent

“Serendipity taught me… Coping skills to help handle my anger issues and help with thoughts of harming myself, Time management to help juggle multiple things at once, and more importantly; that I was smart enough. I was worth more than I could have imagined.”

TemariGraduate

“Serendipity is a trusted partner, a true innovator in the way they seamlessly blend learning and healing for severely troubled children. Students who have been failing for years will often turn their lives around at Serendipity, astonishing their families, teachers, and themselves.”

David DouglasSuperintendent

“Since he started at Serendipity, when asked about school, my son’s face lights up and he has nothing but positive things to share. He has never been excited about school before Serendipity.”

Parent

“Being held responsible for my own behavior at Serendipity prepared me to hold a job and to live in my group home. It was a good school to go to because it gave me a safe place to attend year round.”

WillStudent

“Because Serendipity provides developmentally appropriate curriculum and mental health services based on the individual needs of its students, innumerable youth have been afforded opportunities to experience academic and interpersonal success.”

Centennial SchoolSpecial Education Director

“My son gets one-on-one attention from staff. The classrooms are much smaller so he can receive help easier… He has learned more at Serendipity than in other school setting he has been in.”

Parent

“I know that Serendipity is a great place for kids that need a little extra help. I’ve never felt more safe and secure at any other school then I have at Serendipity. This school is a great fit for kids who have problems with school work, home issues, or just fitting in.”

JoanStudent

“Serendipity provides the essential environment and interventions for these children to begin to turn their lives around.”

ReynoldsSuperintendent

“Serendipity Center understands how important education with a mental health component is for someone like my son. By first healing his wounded emotional state, he gained the confidence to reach beyond his comfort zone, to try new things, to grow and learn.”

Parent

Windermere Foundation Honors Serendipity with $2,500 Grant

News

The Windermere Moreland Realty Office at 1610 SE Bybee Blvd. presented Serendipity with a check to purchase noise-reducing headphones, weighted-blankets and theraputty for students to use as tools to help reduce anxiety and behavioral escalation. Many…

YO Breakfast 2020

News

Please Join Us Thursday, January 30th from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at The Village Ballroom, 704 NE Dekum. The Youth Opportunity Breakfast is an informational event hosted by Serendipity Center designed to shape the conversation of therapeutic…

Help Us Reach our Goal!

News

We are still trying to reach our goal of raising $10,000 to purchase new iPads so that we can move closer to having an iPad in every student and teacher's hand! REMEMBER, THIS CALL TO ACTION IS IN LIEU OF AN ANNUAL APPEAL or any other…

EC Electric $5,000 Match Challenge kicks off Four Pillar Fund Annual Campaign!

News

Andrew Beyer, CEO of EC Electric has generously offered a $5,000 donation to Serendipity’s Four Pillar Fund Annual Campaign that requires a match at the same level. EC Electric has asked that their donation of $5,000 be matched by another…

Give Generously on Giving Tuesday!

News

This year we are doing something new! Instead of spending money on printing and stamps to send out an end of the year annual appeal, we want all the funds to go directly to our students! So we are joing the global giving movement GIVING…

Serendipity welcomes Sam Breyer from MESD

News

Serendipity was delighted to share our school with Sam Breyer, the Superintendent Multnomah Education Service District. The Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) is an educational cooperative that provides a wide variety of programs and…

Serendipity Center featured live on the Oregonian!

News

Thank you so much to The Oregon Public House for hosting the Serendipity Center as their Charity of the Day on Monday! And a huge thank you to The Oregonian and Sean Sterling for coming out to the pub to help us share the story of the amazing…

Have a Pint and Support the Serendipity Center!

News

PLEASE JOIN US NEXT MONDAY ON NOVEMBER 11TH AT THE OREGON PUBLIC HOUSE 700 NE DEKUM ST. We will be sharing all about Serendipity's mission from 11 am - 4 pm downstairs in the pub and presenting our Portraits of Hope Gallery from…

Serendipity Announcements

SCHOOL STATUS . . .

Lower School is Open
Upper School is Open

For more info on closures, alerts or early dismissals due to weather or other conditions, please click here.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN JANUARY . .

Monday, January 6th: School resumes from Winter Break.
Friday, January 10th: No School for Lower School-Staff Development Day. Upper School is open.
Friday, January 10th: Garden Work Party Noon to 1:30pm.
Friday, January 10th: Student Council Meeting.
Monday, January 20th: School and Office Closed. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Friday, January 24th: GSA Group.
Friday, January 24th: Student Council Meeting.
Wednesday, January 29th: Llama visit.
Thursday, January 30th: No School-Family Teacher Conferences 9:00am-7:00pm.
Thursday, January 30th: Garden Work Party Noon to 1:30pm.
Thursday, January 30th: YO Breakfast, Oregon Public House.
Friday, January 31st: No School-Teacher Grading Day.
Friday, January 31st: Garden Work Party Noon to 1:30pm.

MEET THE TEACHER-COUNSELORS OF THE QUARTER . . .

Check back in November to meet the Teacher-Counselors of the First Quarter of the 2019-2020 school year!

Please click here to read about Serendipity’s Teacher-Counselor of the 2018-2019 School Year!

SERENDIPITY STUDENT NEWSLETTER . . .

Please click here to view the current issue of Serendipity’s Student Newsletter, The Eagles Scream.

SPECIAL THANKS TO . . .

An enormous thanks to the following friends who supported our school in winter 2018/2019!

Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Braemar Trust, James & Shirley Rippey Foundation, Mark Wharry, Fred Meyer, Metro West Womens Club, Vicki Linnman, Oregon Community Foundation, Gordon & Kathy Keane, Dale Farr, Nike Employee Match, Reuben Schug, Megan Tressel, Gary & MaryLee Oshiro, Richard Abrahamson, Brown & Brown Employees, John F Stott, Fidelity Charitable – Donor-Advised Fund, Greg & Julie Wolleck, Nancy Herman Vardenega Memorial Fund, Sarah Jurgens, Boyd Family Foundation, Frank & Margaret Bitar Foundation, Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation, Box Tops for Education (General Mills), Peter Gjovik, Riverbridge Partners, The Bernice Heffernan Family Foundation, Adam Infantino, Norm & Kathy Dull, Pedro Nuñez, Lesley McGlocklin, Alida Rol, Elaine Whiteley, Judy Bridenbaugh, Doug & Karen Rice, Kelly Hayes, Nancy Rad, Debra Wright, Amy Fields, Brenda & Mark Grootendorst, Costco, Cambia Health, Coleen Gose, Davida Wilson, Melissa McDermott, Amelie Rousseau, Dave’s Killer Bread, Mia Bean, MediaWorks, Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, New Season’s Market, Jan Donaldson, Marilyn Guggenheim, Milwaukie High School, Gail Rumpca, Price Water House Cooper, Anne Knapstad, Greg Anable, Target,and Pacific Foods.

Family Resources

Learn more about how Serendipity is advancing Equity

Calender & Events

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School Calendars
and Meals Menu:

Current Meals Menu

Lower School Calendar

Upper School Calendar

SERENDIPITY’S MISSION

EDUCATION

WELLNESS

FOUR PILLAR MODEL

MENTAL HEALTH