Education Services

Get Help with your Education

We can help you get your GED®! We offer tutoring, payment help, transportation to school, and support for taking the GED® test. If you want to apply for college, find scholarships, and learn more about career choices, we can help with that, too.

New and returning students are welcome!

Who is eligible

18 through 24 year-olds

Location

Outside In ERC
1132 SW 13th Ave
Portland, OR 97205

Contact

503.445.0976
ERCinfo@OutsideIn.org

Cost

Free

GED® Program Office Hours

Monday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

College Help Office Hours

Monday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Thursday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Friday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Education Support Resources

The Employment and Education Resource Center (ERC) is a place where people ages 18-24 can get help with

  • Earning a GED®
  • Completing a college education, apprenticeship, or short-term certificate
  • Getting into a career they love
  • Finding a job that will pay the bills

GED® Help

Alternative high school with drop-in tutoring.

  • Try this if: You want a GED® and have a lot of appointments, are working, are a parent, need help paying for the GED®, or if traditional schools have never felt like a good fit for your needs
  • Benefits include: Paid testing fees, pretests, class materials, and instruction, transportation to school and GED® tests, and gift card bonuses when you make progress toward your goal of getting a GED®

Learning Experiences

Explore and learn about new subjects like salmon, green energy, and gardening.

  • Try this if: You want to learn about different subjects
  • Benefits include: Fun group activities and stipends

College Help

Get help with paying for college, brushing up on academic skills, and doing homework for your classes. The first step is completing Job Readiness Training (JRT), a free 2-week class designed to get you ready for a short-term goal job and help you plan for a long-term career you want.

  • Try this if: You want to focus on short-term and long-term goals, like college and careers
  • Benefits include: Paid internships, resume and cover letter help, a scholarship, career and college coaching, tutoring, clothes and transportation support

Success Stories

Anthony

As a patient at Outside In, the dignity, compassion, and respect that I was shown by staff truly had a lasting impact on me and directly resulted in me wanting to get involved in helping my community.

Shay

Outside In made me want to be around excellence. Outside In shaped me. It taught me how to be kind to people less fortunate.

River

When I came out as trans and reached out to the community for help, everyone had something good to say about Outside In.

Rei

Through these connections I was able to get into school and graduate as a Certified Medical Assistant

Jason

Through Outside In’s guidance and support, I was in my own apartment completely self-sufficient within a week.

Anna

If you met me today, you might never imagine I spent countless nights sleeping under the Burnside Bridge.

Ollie

I wanted independence and stability. I wanted to belong. I found Outside In.

Courtney

Housing at Outside In is so much more than a roof over your head. The staff is helpful and amazing. They were always there for us anticipating our needs. Finally, we weren’t hungry anymore and we were safe.

Ramad

I feel safe at Outside In. I love Outside In people. How they love us, care for us. The wonderful and fresh food, the health care, the accommodations, the hospitalities. People talking to me, listening to me. Changing lives. It is a great moment.

Adrianna

By the time I was 17, I didn't trust anybody...except Outside In. The staff took my concerns seriously, and took a holistic approach. They protected me.