Eagles Soar The Campaign for Catlin Gabel

An unrivaled education.

A community where kindness matters.

A commitment to character-building, integrity, and courage.

An inspired love of learning that leads to responsible action.

The power of discovery

Our students learn and thrive on this campus lled with towering trees and wide open spaces because they are supported by teachers who encourage them to explore the wonders of the classroom and beyond.

Students are inspired to grow and ourish. To trailblaze their own paths into the future that awaits them, as they move forward with knowledge, responsibility, and kindness.

We send forth Catlin Gabel graduates who speak up and speak out; who have the courage and con dence to advocate for themselves and others with resilience and empathy.

Mastering what mattersmost

At Catlin Gabel, we believe in guided learning. Teachers create space for conversation and test theories through experimentation.

Students are challenged to integrate their knowledge and interests. ey discover their voice matters; they ask questions and share perspectives; and they learn from each other. Every day, we applaud courageous curiosity, in every grade and classroom.

Our students aren’t satis ed with the usual answers. ey want to understand the “why,” and the “why behind the why.” at’s a Catlin Gabel education.

Dear Friends,

From a small day school to one of the nest independent schools in the nation, Catlin Gabel has counted on the spirit of community to help us grow and evolve. Whether you are a graduate or a student, a current or past family member, a friend or an employee, we all have a stake in Catlin Gabel’s continued success. Now it is our time to make a di erence.

e Eagles Soar campaign points us toward the future, with priorities that will bene t every student and member of our community:

„ Building the Community Center for Athletics & Wellness will encourage connections to form across the school, and inspire current and future generations of students of all athletic abilities to expand their skills and foster their well-being.

„ Growing our Endowment will ensure Catlin Gabel is accessible for more families, and that our school re ects the growing diversity of our community, both in our student body and in our faculty.

„ Strengthening the Catlin Gabel Fund will bene t the needs of today, supporting important annual campus improvements and allocating resources for classroom materials and equipment, as well as annual trips, clubs, and activities.

We hope you will join us by making your gift to this campaign. e investment we make today will extend the values and impact of a Catlin Gabel education now and for years to come.

ank you for being a steward of our beloved school. Eagles Soar!

Mark and Ingeborg Holliday, Campaign Chairs and Parents ’20 ’23

Campaign Goals

“Education at its best opens minds and touches hearts. That’s the power of Catlin Gabel. That’s the conviction that is driving this campaign. Together, we can transform the life of every student who attends our school.”

Tim Bazemore, Head of School

Community Center for Athletics & Wellness

is Community Center is a big win for athletics and a haven for wellness. It is where physical activity sets the pace, competition is valued, and personal growth is embraced.

But more importantly, this building is a gathering place. It is only here that the school can meet as one, bringing together students across the divisions, along with teachers and sta , parents and guardians, alumni, and extended family and friends.

is Community Center will become the heart of Catlin Gabel.

For a community to feel connected to each other, it requires a large enough space where everyone can come together, as one school, across the grades and across the divisions. Today, these moments are limited to the fall and spring when all participants can join together outside. Student-athletes are cheered on by a small number of fans because of the size of our gym. School-wide events, including open house sessions and graduation, are often held in tents to accommodate all guests.

When we gather, these moments are joyous. We listen, learn, and celebrate together—a value central to progressive education—and we need more of these moments to strengthen our shared experiences.

If together we invest, the Community Center for Athletics & Wellness will:

„ Provide space to accommodate 1,700 individuals for all-school gatherings, uniting our school community now and in the future as student enrollment grows.

„ Serve as a new gateway to our campus for families and visitors, celebrating everything we stand for as an inclusive community.

„ Expand opportunities for broader community access and o erings, opening our doors in ways that support our desire to be a good neighbor, collaborator, and Portland citizen.

„ O er a new social hearth for students, employees, and parents and guardians alike, providing areas to socialize, study, work, gather, and experience the sense of belonging that is Catlin Gabel.

Joining an athletics team is an option for all Middle and Upper School students. Our no-cut policy is part of our commitment to ensuring students can take part in experiences at the level that best supports them, and it works. In the last ve years, our Eagles have gone on to win 15 state championships.

ere are now ten Varsity teams, a large roster of JV and JV2 teams, and physical education classes for all students. On average, 80 percent of Middle School students and 75 percent of Upper School students participate in the Athletics program. All of these programs have the goal of empowering students to develop excellence in their athletic, leadership, and interpersonal skills.

But our indoor athletic facilities are not able to keep pace with the demand. Facilities are used every day, morning to night. Student-athletes often have to stay late for practice or travel to another facility because there is not adequate space for multiple teams to train at one time. is lack of space also impacts the wider school community, as only a limited number of supporters can cheer on the Eagles. Our students deserve more. ey deserve a venue that matches their energy, enthusiasm, and talent.

If together we invest, the Community Center for Athletics & Wellness will:

„ Accommodate 1,000 spectators for sporting events in a state-of-the-art gymnasium, with space for concessions, team meetings, coaching sta , tness training and recovery, and locker rooms.

„ Allow our no-cut policy to continue, as this larger space will accommodate anticipated growth in enrollment over the next decade.

„ Open the door to new possibilities, such as an expansion of athletic programs to the Lower School.

„ Help attract the best coaches and studentathletes to Catlin Gabel.

„ Better prepare student-athletes for competition now and in the future, whether they go on to be collegiate athletes or choose to play recreationally.

Wellness is the foundation for learning and for life. When the mind and body are in sync, young people can thrive, becoming the best versions of themselves.

Preparing students to lead healthy lives requires the entire community to embrace wellness as an important goal in delivering a whole-child Catlin Gabel education.

e research is resoundingly clear: school wellness programs improve health outcomes, reduce highrisk behaviors, and enhance academic performance. Healthy children are students who are ready to learn and who are ready to embrace what comes next.

e new Community Center for Athletics & Wellness will introduce a more comprehensive suite of wellness programs and open up our current gym for additional activities. We want students to become lifelong advocates for their own health and embrace self-care and self-compassion as both a passion and a right.

Our vision is for students to hit the ground runningclimbing-dancing-and-leaping into adulthood.

If together we invest, the Community Center for Athletics & Wellness will:

„ Provide students with access to sunlit indoor spaces where they can bene t from a suite of exercise, movement, and mindfulness practices, such as yoga, dance, and meditation.

„ Include multi-use learning spaces for teaching wellness, life skills, nutrition, and self-care to inspire healthy decision-making for healthy lives.

„ Utilize new outdoor spaces that will be ideal for learning, quiet respite, and gatherings.

Juma Sei ’�8

When Juma Sei ’18 arrived at Yale, he knew he would hit the ground running because of his Catlin Gabel education.

He majored in American Studies to study Black literature and citizenship, captained the Varsity Track and Field team, mentored students at Yale and in New Haven, and received one of three Kroc Fellowships at NPR.

“At Catlin, I learned how to create, communicate, and act on my curiosity,” he says. “I was well prepared to be successful in college.”

An excellent student and star athlete at Catlin Gabel, Juma says he thrived because the focus was on him as a complete human being. “ ey wanted to know how I ticked at all levels,” says the former student body president.

At Catlin Gabel, Juma played soccer and was a champion sprinter. He still holds the Oregon 3A state records in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. At Yale, he won multiple awards for his contributions to the program and set the 500m school record.

Juma is excited about the Community Center for Athletics & Wellness. “With this new facility, there’s nothing holding back the school’s competitive edge,” he says.

Juma Sei ’18 graduated from Yale in 2022 and is currently working at NPR as part of the yearlong Kroc Fellowship Program.

Endowment

Our endowment is vital to the school’s long-term scal health, as these funds support all aspects of a Catlin Gabel education. It is where a donor’s passion and school priorities intersect in the most creative ways. Together, this intersection pushes boundaries of what we thought was possible and leads to innovative programs, endowed funds for students and teachers, and new facilities.

ese resources prepare students for life after Catlin Gabel. ey allow us to emphasize an environment in which students learn from each other and from exceptional teachers, who provide the tools and skills they will need to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Our aim is to give students the freedom to explore their ideas within a supportive, diverse, and inclusive community. Because when we strive toward a shared goal, it widens each individual’s understanding of what it is to be human.

Teachers are often cited by alumni as the most inspirational part of a Catlin Gabel education. is is as true for this year’s graduates as it was for alumni who graduated decades ago.

Our teachers work to know every student and give them the just-right experiences for an extraordinary education. is foundation is centered on our focus of teaching the whole child. Teachers cultivate students’ physical, emotional, academic, ethical, and interpersonal skills. ey help them develop their full identities so they can thrive now and in the future.

We must work to retain our best teachers by investing more signi cantly in competitive salaries. Your support of this priority will ensure that we are able to hire and retain faculty and inspire them to grow and stay at Catlin Gabel.

If together we invest, the Endowment will:

„ Ensure every teacher has the resources to develop a relevant and enriching curriculum.

„ Improve compensation packages to ensure the best teachers are hired.

„ Provide space, time, and resources for top-tier professional development opportunities.

„ Expand students’ access to diverse and talented faculty who are committed to progressive education.

„ Invest in broader recruitment strategies to ensure the most talented and diverse teachers choose Catlin Gabel.

Helping families a ord Catlin Gabel has been a mission-critical priority since the school’s founding. Financial assistance is a vital tool for cultivating a community where diversity, in all its forms, is lived out fully, bettering the entire community.

Each year, approximately 25 percent of families receive assistance, which ranges from a few thousand dollars to nearly full tuition, depending on each family’s unique situation. ese funds are used for tuition and for academic resources, such as books and computers, as well as barn lunch costs, learning supports, and co-curricular programs. And as tuition costs rise, so does the number of families needing some level of support.

We must continue to grow our nancial assistance program, not only because it is necessary, but because it also makes us a better school. We are stronger when students with di erent perspectives, worldviews, and backgrounds learn how to engage with and learn from each other, expanding their understanding.

If together we invest, the Endowment will:

„ Attract and support exceptional students who will thrive at Catlin Gabel.

„ Allow the school to respond to unforeseen family needs that surface during the school year.

„ Ensure every student can participate in all that Catlin Gabel has to o er by providing nancial assistance for transportation, trips, barn lunch costs, laptops, books, and more.

Knowledge and perspectives deepen when di erent backgrounds, cultures, races, and lived experiences are represented and included in classes and conversations.

Being more equitable and inclusive opens up possibilities for varied, complex, and essential conversations and debates. It expands perspectives and enhances academic and social-emotional learning for students. Beyond this enrichment of essential learning, engaging in conversations about equity and inclusion also challenges students to consider how human beings impact each other through systemic, group, and interpersonal choices. Discussions about equity and inclusion help students think beyond their own experiences and push them to consider how they can continue to be and do better for and with each other.

Along with the Equity and Inclusion team, employees, students, families, and external partners work together. ey build connections and help Catlin Gabel be a community ready to embrace diversity and grapple with the complicated and important questions that this work brings forward.

If together we invest, the Endowment will:

„ Permanently fund the Director of Equity and Inclusion position, creating an Endowed Chair.

„ Successfully implement and sustain the school’s Strategic Inclusion Plan, which includes increased funding for antiracism objectives, inclusion for all historically marginalized groups, cultural responsivity, and a nity group work.

„ Provide every employee with professional development around equity and inclusion.

„ Recruit and retain talented faculty and employees of color.

Enrique Escalona

Enrique Escalona has taught Spanish at Catlin Gabel for almost two decades, and he continues to be inspired by this community.

“ is is a place where you have the opportunity to become the best version of yourself as an educator,” Enrique says. “I can design a curriculum that is based on best practices and research, with the sole goal of maximizing student learning and well-being.”

He nds it a privilege to work with “such dedicated and caring educators, who truly care about their craft.” What keeps him teaching, he says, are his students. “I am motivated by their curiosity and kindness, by their questions and hopes.”

He’s proud of how diverse the student body has become and hopes that a greater number of diverse educators can be recruited and retained. “When our students can relate to someone, especially their teachers, with similar lived experiences, it plays a critical role in helping them construct their identity and in feeling valued.”

Enrique, who is originally from Spain, began teaching Spanish in the Lower School and has now taught in the Upper School for over ten years.

Catlin Gabel Fund

Our highest philanthropic priority year-over-year is the Catlin Gabel Fund. is annual fund provides critical resources each year to bolster key aspects of our school, including academic programs, classroom materials, community events, resources for teachers, and campus improvements.

Tuition alone doesn’t cover the full cost of a Catlin Gabel education—gifts to the Catlin Gabel Fund are critical to lling the gap. A strengthened annual fund creates the nancial stability to make future-driven strategic decisions.

e Catlin Gabel Fund is essential to all areas of school life. It is the secondary revenue source for the school, providing eight percent of the annual operating budget. And this additional funding is only possible because of the many donors who support the Fund each and every year.

Tuition is our primary source of revenue, covering 85 percent of our budget. e Fund sustains the core aspects of a Catlin Gabel education, ensuring that we can ful ll our mission of a progressive education for every student.

e Fund is a powerful resource, and it directly supports the student experience. It expands the possibilities available to every student, whether in the classroom, on stage, in the Fir Grove, or beyond the campus.

If together we invest, the Catlin Gabel Fund will:

„ Support the robust extracurricular programs that help de ne a Catlin Gabel experience— from outdoor education, global trips, and class activities to clubs, a nity groups, and athletics.

„ Ensure teachers have access to resources, technologies, and equipment that enrich the learning experience, as well as opportunities that support their professional development.

„ Expand nancial assistance to include costs associated with laptops, books, and transportation for a greater number of students.

Lyla Andrews Bashan ’��

Lyla Andrews Bashan ’98 says that the foundation for her international career was built at Catlin Gabel—“a school that taught me about the world and the roles we can play in it.”

After pursuing studies in con ict resolution and humanitarian development, Lyla launched her career as a diplomat for the State Department in 2006. ree years later, she joined the foreign service of the United States Agency for International Development.

Following tours in Guatemala, Tajikistan, and Armenia, Lyla is now posted in Amman, Jordan, where she lives with her husband and their two children.

Lyla credits her professional success to Catlin Gabel, which she attended with the help of nancial assistance. “It was an absolute game-changer for me and my life,” she says.

“At Catlin Gabel, you are encouraged to see yourself as who you can be, not just who you are,” Lyla says. And that has made a world of di erence.

Lyla Andrews Bashan ’98 is the Deputy Director of the Democracy, Rights and Governance O ice of USAID in Amman, Jordan and author of Global: An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary Heroes.

is vision for the future of Catlin Gabel will allow generations of students to take ight in new ways; to soar higher than expected; and to land on solid ground, ready to tackle whatever lies ahead. But to reach these new heights, we need you. Please join us in helping Catlin Gabel and every eagle soar. campaign.catlin.edu