Small School. Big Opportunities.
Edison students belong to a close-knit community where everyone has a learning difference and no one is the odd one out. And because we’re located on the Jesuit High School campus, they also have access to one of the richest co-curricular programs in Portland.
A School Where Everyone Gets It
Walk into a standard high school as a student with a learning difference, and you’re navigating something most of your classmates never have to think about.
At Edison, that’s not the dynamic. Every student at Edison has a learning difference. There’s no resource room stigma, no pulling out of class, no visible reminder that you’re being treated differently.
What there is: a small, close-knit school where teachers know students’ names, where counselors are woven into the daily fabric of the school, and where students can be honest about how they learn without it being a big deal. Students describe Edison as a place where they finally feel like they belong.
Activities, Athletics & Clubs
Teens with learning differences are still teens. Having a full high school experience — sports, activities, friendships, and a sense of belonging to something bigger — matters. Edison students have access to both.
At Edison, students can participate in clubs and activities directly on campus. Through our partnership with Jesuit High School next door, they can also join Jesuit’s full range of extracurricular programs — athletics, music, drama, clubs, dances, and sporting events. We especially encourage students to try cross country, football, swimming, and track, which all have no-cut policies. Every Jesuit coach works to make their sport a positive experience, regardless of ability.
Service Learning
Service learning at Edison gives students a chance to contribute to their broader community — and to discover something about themselves in the process. Students engage in service projects that connect academic learning with real-world experience, building a sense of purpose and civic responsibility alongside their coursework.
- Animal Aid
- Animal Rescue
- Bikes for Humanity PDX
- Blanchet House
- Blue Donkeys
- Clark County GOP
- Every Body Athletics
- Every Child Welcome Oregon
- Forward Stride
- Friends of Tryon Creek
- Grace Institute
- Habitat for Humanity
- Downtown Hillsboro
- Hands on Portland
- Hollywood Theater
- Hunger Fighters of Oregon
- Idealist Volunteer Database
- Jackson Bottom Wetland
- Komen Portland
- The Linus Project
- MDA Portland
- Multnomah Democrats
- Multnomah GOP
- Multnomah Libraries
- Multnomah Street Art Project
- Northeast Emergency Food Program
- NW Collaborative
- OMSI
- Operation Gratitude
- Oregon Food Bank
- Oregon Zoo
- Portland City Team
- Portland Impact
- Portland Rescue Mission
- Queer Youth Assemble
- Red Cross
- Refugee Care Collective
- Relay for Life
- Ronald McDonald House
- SADD
- The Sam Day Challenge
- Schoolhouse Supplies
- SOLV
- Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation
- Volunteer Match
- Washington County GOP
- Washington County Democrats
- YWCA
Edison Excursions
Edison Excursions take students out of the classroom and into the world. These trips and experiences are designed to broaden students’ horizons, strengthen community bonds, and give students a chance to learn in a different kind of environment.
LEAP Adventure
Since 2017, our upperclassmen have had the privilege of embarking on a week-long white water kayak excursion on the Lower Salmon River with LEAP, a nonprofit organization that encourages individuals to harness their strength and acknowledge their innate values and abilities while connecting with nature and their peers. Each summer, before seniors return for their final school year at Edison, they pack themselves into a bus to make the eight hour drive to White Bird, Idaho for a week on the water, sleeping under the stars, and working together to navigate the white waters of the Lower Salmon River.
Mount St. Helens Institute
Edison students explore the science and history of the Pacific Northwest during an overnight excursion to the Mount St. Helens Institute. Through guided hikes, hands-on learning, and visits to the Science and Learning Center, students gain a deeper understanding of volcanic landscapes, the 1980 eruption, and the ongoing recovery of the ecosystem. With limited technology and plenty of opportunities to connect with nature and one another, the experience fosters curiosity, independence, and lasting friendships—bringing Earth Science to life far beyond the classroom.
