Talk A Mile

“It was very meaningful and impactful to me.”
“It helped me and my peers gather a lot of information and make new connections.”
“It was fun and I got to get out of my comfort zone.”

These were a few of the reflections (PPS) students shared after participating in Talk A Mile as part of the PPS Youth Empowerment Summit on a sunny May morning at the Marshall HS campus.

That day, 26 students from across the district were paired with local police, civic leaders and elected officials for 1:1 conversations. Along with the students and educators, Chief Bob Day, Oregon Secretary of State , Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, , leaders from Portland Fire & Rescue and Mitra Anoushirivani (field rep for ) joined the program in order to walk, talk, listen and learn together.

As one community leader who participated said, “This activity spurns you to be more engaged in the community because now you’re talking and seeing more people that care about how our young adults are thriving or in need of support.”

We appreciate everyone approaching these conversations with curiosity, kindness and a willingness to share their perspectives. Once again, the youth in our community showed that they are engaged and eager to have a positive impact in Portland. They simply need the opportunity to be seen and heard.

Thanks to for the delicious ice cream sandwiches.

Photos by .photography

“It was a good reminder how similar we all are and that our mission to make a positive impact is shared.” – Portland Police Bureau trainee and 6/3/25 Talk A Mile participant

We had the opportunity to bring some new voices into the conversation last month. Students were busy with finals and graduations, so we invited community leaders and nonprofit partners to walk, talk, listen and learn with the latest class of Portland Police Bureau advanced academy trainees.

Asked how they would describe the day, a community leader said, “The experience was really simply powerful, and I’m glad that I took the day to talk and connect with other community members.”

Talk A Mile 6/3/25 by the numbers:

38 Participants
9.5 Likelihood to recommend to a peer (1 to 10)
100% report feeling “seen and heard” through the experience

Thanks to the PPB trainees and community partners – including , Rashan Williams Jr. from , , International Association For Human Values, from , .gresham, , Talk A Mile board member Blaire Hervey and .da – for participating.

We appreciate for helping us keep cool while continuing the conversations!

📸: .photography

“I learned their life is as complex as mine.” – Student and 4/1/25 Talk A Mile participant

Last month, students from McDaniel, Cleveland, Lincoln and Central Catholic high schools were paired with Portland Police Bureau trainees and community leaders to walk, talk, listen and learn together over the course of a mile at McDaniel High School.

Asked about what they would take away from the experience, one trainee said, “There is hope for the future of this city with the younger generation.”

Talk A Mile 4/1/25 by the numbers:

67 Participants (our largest ever!)
9.4 Likelihood to recommend to a peer (1 to 10)
100% report feeling “seen and heard” through the experience

Thanks to McDaniel students and staff for being gracious hosts. Thanks to the PPB trainees and community partners – including , , , , , Amani Kelekele, president Aaron Schmautz and the Office of Civic Life – for participating.

And most of all the McDaniel, Lincoln, Cleveland and Central Catholic students for being a part of these important conversations. Talk A Mile would cease to exist if you weren’t willing to be here – ready to walk, talk, listen and learn.

We appreciate the delicious ice cream sandwiches courtesy of !

📸 by .photography

Today marks the 3 year anniversary of our first Talk A Mile. That day, the program made the leap from an idea hatched around the kitchen table during the pandemic to reality when 15 students from and 15 trainees from Portland Police Bureau (PPB) advanced academy joined us in Laurelhurst Park on a clear spring day.

From the first lap, it was pretty clear that everyone was deeply engaged in conversations, which were flowing quite naturally. And although it’s not really “data”, we noticed that no one was reaching into their pockets to check their phones. Rather, they were sharing their curiosity, experiences, perspectives and hopes for the future of this city.

Feedback in the moment was very positive but it was later in the day when survey responses started coming in that we got a better sense of the impact. Two responses to the question “How would you describe your experience today?” caught our attention and gave an early indicator that perhaps we really were onto something.

“My experience was surprising, but very good. I was able to learn a lot and share a lot. I felt like my opinions and feelings were heard and valued.” – Student

“This should be mandatory for officers across the nation.” – PPB officer

Since that day, every new officer in the Portland Police Bureau has participated in Talk A Mile as part of their training. And students – whose participation is entirely voluntary – continue to step up. In fact, we’ve brought more young leaders into these conversations as Latino Student Unions, mentoring programs and civic groups like the have eagerly volunteered. has embraced Talk A Mile, hosting our program and partnering to provide additional opportunities to elevate student voices in conversations around policing, public safety and community. And we’re proud to say we have never turned away a student who wanted to be part of these conversations.

Talk A Mile participants: 483
Likelihood to recommend (1-10): 9.6
Feel seen & heard: 99%

“I feel like I can help the community and people who are like me.” – Student and 1/23/25 Talk A Mile participant

Last month, hosted the first Talk A Mile in Gresham, OR. A dozen students were paired up for conversations with Chief Gullberg, officers, commissioner , Marcell Frazier and Emon Ghassemi from the , and Kenny Lowe from the Oregon State Police.

Talk A Mile 1/23/25 by the numbers:

26 Participants
9.4 Likelihood to recommend to a peer (1 to 10)
100% report feeling “seen and heard” through the experience

A few reflections from participants:

“I would describe my experience today as amazing. The conversations inspired me a lot.” – Student

“Eye opening, humbling, inspiring. I am very humbled.” – City leader

“Gresham is big and small at the same time. Taking the extra time to get to know someone can foster a positive long term relationship.” – Gresham PD officer

“I was a little nervous at the start but I started to feel more comfortable as we were talking.” – Student

“We have some similarities with school, racism and we both like basketball.” – Student

“While we are different in some ways, we are the same in many more ways!” – Gresham PD leader

We appreciate everyone coming into these conversations with curiosity and an open mind – ready to walk, talk, listen and learn.

Thanks to for the delicious ice cream sandwiches we enjoyed while continuing the conversations!

Pics by .photography (a Centennial High School alumni!)