Starting July 1 - Aug 15th,
Black Scholars Together Reclaiming Our Natural Greatness, aka "BSTRONG",
Is an outstanding four-day Summer Program designed to offer a variety of engaging workshops, enlightening classes, rich cultural experiences, and a variety of fun social and recreational activities, all aimed at nurtu1) BSTRONG summer program (grades 8, 9, 10th)
Bring Black Pride and Unity. Students embark on an exciting journey exploring financial literacy and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. They'll gain hands-on experience in a maker space, where they can create a product to showcase and sell at our fabulous annual block party on August 15, 2025.
BEAM emphasizes care within our families, friendships, and communities, ensuring a warm and supportive environment. Participants will also boost their academic skills. Social and emotional skills will be developed through valuable leadership techniques. Plus, students will have the chance to enjoy a fantastic overnight camping trip packed with fishing, games, prizes, and delightful, phone-free activities that encourage connection and engagement with one another.
During the summer program, students engage with Black community members from a variety of disciplines that intersect with environmental, social, emotional, and racial justice. Students also find connections with Black civic leaders, mentors, and artists who are actively engaged with the Black Liberation Movement.
The BSTRONG Summer Learning Hubs prioritizes students of African Ancestry. Through our curriculum, students gain historical knowledge of disappearing Black culture, community organizing skills, and a foundation for life-long civic engagement through walking tours, art projects, and storytelling.
For the 2025 Summer Program BEAM is partnering with MESO youth program to provide creative entrepreneurship programming. In this part of the Summer Curriculum, MESO staff will mentor Black youth who create products to sell at our annual block party and help students understand business and the power of self sufficiency.
Students receive a stipend for their participation in the BSTRONG Summer Program.
Student engagement and outcomes from the BSTRONG Summer Program have demonstrated that BEAM programming provides students with a critical and otherwise unmet educational experience and a community-building role.
UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL THIS SUMMER!
BEAM Presents: BSTRONG Summer Program
Who: Rising 8th, 9th, and 10th Grade Students
What: A transformative four-day summer program focused on:
✊🏽 Fostering Black Pride & Unity through cultural experiences.
💰 Financial Literacy & Entrepreneurship Basics: Start your journey to financial empowerment!
🛠️ Maker Space Innovation: Create a product to sell at our annual block party!
🤝🏽 Community Building: Promoting care in families, friendships, and communities.
🧠 Leadership Development: Enhance your academic and- mental capacity.
🏕️ Weekend Camping Trip: Enjoy fishing, games, prizes, and phone-free fun!
When: Tuesday-Friday, 9 am-3 pm, July 7-August 15, 2025
Where: BEAM Village’s multiple locations / Weekend Camping Trip @ Timothy Lake
Why Attend?
Build confidence and pride.
Learn valuable life skills.
Connect with peers and mentors.
Have an unforgettable summer experience!
Ready to be BSTRONG?
Call or email us at, 971-303-8421 or info@beamvillage.org
BSTRONG 2025 SUMMER PROGRAM PARTNERS
The BSTRONG SUMMER PROGRAM IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
In the BSTRONG Summer Program,
In the BSTRONG Summer Program, students develop:
Positive cultural identities via research about the Black experience of local Portland elders.
Personal responsibility, critical thinking, and the leadership skills needed to become social change agents.
Planning skills, organization habits, and financial literacy taught by Black financial groups, in addition to Black philanthropic awareness.
The ability to apply power analysis techniques as they examine systems and the built environment to understand how it works to oppress “the other”.
A new relationship to education that is centered on youth voice, participation, and craftsmanship.
Student participants show significant increases in:
Cultural knowledge and cultural pride.
Functional knowledge of personal planning and community organizing methods.
Enhanced academic performance.
Past BSTRONG Summer Programs
2023
The 2023 BSTRONG Summer program focused on:
the policy and history of tobacco commercialization targeted specifically to Black communities,
its relationship to slave labor and agricultural production, and
how we archive its history for our self-reclamation.
This program was a collaboration between three Learning Hubs: the BSTRONG Learning Hub, Feed’em Freedom Farm, and Mayo House ARTchives.
