Capstone Courses: Spring Term 2010
TBA
Other Capstone Courses that may be offered next academic year:
Animal Aid Grantwriting
Aiding Unwanted Pet Populations through Grant Writing
Becky Boesch, boeschb@pdx.edu
Everyday in this country, 30,000 to 40,000 pets are euthanized. Of those,
eighty percent are adoptable. This capstone allows students to explore the
social/cultural dynamics connected with pet overpopulation and the ethical
dilemmas presented by it. Participants will work with a no kill nonprofit
animal shelter to assist them in acquiring grant monies to expand the
shelter's operations. Students will participate in the various levels of the
grant writing: locating appropriate grantees, ascertaining the shelter's needs,
and learning effective grant writing techniques. The end project will be a
portfolio of grant proposals geared towards capital improvements and general
operating needs at the shelter. For additional information, contact Becky
Boesch at boeschb@pdx.edu .
Applications in Social Marketing
Suzanne Atkin, satkin@workplaceharmony.com
Social marketing adopts the same marketing principles that are used to sell
products to consumers to "sell" ideas, attitudes and behaviors.
Social marketing seeks to influence social behaviors to benefit the target
audience and the general community. Like commercial marketing, the primary
focus is on the consumer--on learning what people want and need rather than
trying to persuade them to buy what we are producing. Rather than dictating the
way that information is to be conveyed to the community, researchers are
learning to listen to the needs and desires of the community citizens
themselves, and build community programs from there. This class focuses on that
process and will partner with the City of Beaverton.
Art and Community Mapping
Sabina Haque, szhac@hotmail.com
In this class each PSU student
will be paired with a 4-6th grade student in Portland Public Schools. The art
buddies will meet and work once a week for eight weeks on creating mental maps
of their community. Collectively the adult and the adolescent students will
initiate and develop a questionnaire/survey, which will address their own
personal, socio-political, historical and geographical concerns within their
community. Once finished, they will share their art maps with each other and
discussed ways to incorporate elements of each map in a larger collaborative
art map. These maps are more conceptual than realistic or geographically
correct and are intended to show how the artists think and feel about their
community. These works will involve creative planning sessions and
collaboration with other students as well as with community members and will
result in a final exhibit of the work.
Art and Social Change
Conrad Schumacher, cnarroti@earthlink.net
The philosophy guiding this Capstone is...
For Art to affect and change Society it must be palatable, acceptable to the
large majority and, ultimately, sustainable. Some of the essential questions
driving the curriculum of this Capstone are: How can Art be a force for social
change? How is it? What limits, if any, should there be? This course is open to
anyone intrigued with the questions raised by public Art (and possibilities of
Art) in our society. This capstone should be of particular value and interest
to students who have a desire to teach, create, work collaboratively and
inspire. Students will develop Art Literacy lessons to teach in underprivileged
public schools. A web site of these lessons will be created and published as a
teacher resource. This course will require some flexibility on the part of the
students when it comes to the scheduling of the Art Literacy lesson teaching component.
Being an Effective Change Agent
Heather Petzold, 2hap@comcast.net
This course is for students interested in being effective change agents for the
public good. Each student (individually or with others) will take the
initiative before the Capstone begins to arrange a project with a community
organization. This project may be an existing relationship or one sought for
the purpose of this class. A minimum of three working hours per week with the
organization is required. During the course, students will be supported and
challenged to develop skills in speaking, listening, building relationships,
and coordinating action. Through class discussions, practices, reading, and
self-observations, students will recognize and explore the four University
Studies' goals and make meaning of how they apply to our everyday lives. Each
student is expected to bring to the first day of class a confirmation letter
from their community sponsor. This letter should include the student's
name, the focus and timeframe of the project, a description of the types of
people with whom the student will interact, and the sponsor's signature.
Permission of instructor required. Contact instructor by phone (503-725-5376)
or e-mail (2hap@comcast.net) for full
details regarding course requirements.
Beyond War: Challenge to Change Our Thinking
About War
Debbie Kaufman, kaufmand@pdx.edu
Students will be challenged to examine their assumptions about war and to
become part of an alternative solution to conflict--personally, in our
community, and in the world. In this course, we will examine the guiding
principles and core practices of Beyond War, and integrate them with other
texts and our own experiences. The class is discussion-based and relies
on significant reading and participation. Topics will include: the
interdependent nature of our living system; the effects of using war as a
method for resolving problems; alternatives to war, including nonviolent conflict
resolution processes; and, cooperation and collaboration among peoples and
nations. Projects will include various roles in researching, developing and
editing materials for the organization.
Business Outreach
Lara Damon, damonld@pdx.edu
This course is about the role of a small business consultant and how small
business really works. It will combine lectures, guest speakers, class
discussions, and an in-depth consulting project with a small business in North
or Northeast Portland.
Civic Leadership for Social Change
Stephanie Blackman, blackman@pdx.edu
Students in this Capstone will build skills in leading projects with
Hands On Portland (www.handsonportland.org), which provides
opportunities for volunteer service throughout the Portland area. Using the TeamWorks
model HOP has already created, students will participate in a series of
volunteer projects related to a specific topic area and create a curriculum to
prompt reflection on and understanding of related issues.
Students will document their efforts in a binder that can be used for HOP teams
in the future. Possible topic areas include sustainability, literacy, and
immigration, among others; please contact the instructor at
blackman@pdx.edu prior to the start of the term for more information on
which topic has been chosen. Scheduled class meetings include volunteer
service time.
Collaborations: Boys and Girls
Heather Petzold, petzoldh@pdx.edu
This course focuses on the importance of service learning in our community. As
a class, we will have the opportunity to discover, evaluate, and reflect on the
needs of our community by creating and facilitating educational workshops,
mentoring, and exploring fundraising opportunities for the Boys and Girls Club.
Students will learn respect for themselves and others as part of a community
and will promote teamwork, leadership and problem solving skills.
Community issues to be addressed include: listening, intercultural communication,
leadership, mediation, and cooperative learning skills. Each student will have
the opportunity to mentor at the club site (Meyers Boys and Girls Club) for a
minimum of 20 hours for the term during hours of operation (2:30-7:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday). As we are working with youth, students will need to
pass a background check in order to fulfill the requirements of the course (to
be completed on the first day of class).
Communication Education: NUHS
Gloria Totten, totteng@pdx.edu
This Capstone explores developing and teaching lesson plans on basic skills
such as liberal arts, math, science, art (topics vary). Students will be
required to work as an interdisciplinary team, researching information,
practicing and presenting course material in a classroom setting (our community
partner is New Urban High School).
This course requires an out of class commitment of one full day - during school
hours (8 am to 4 pm). Contact instructor with questions.
Community Action Theater
Eden Isenstein,
eni@pdx.edu
In this class, students will learn about the dynamics of sexual assault
as they practice using theater as a tool for social change. Students will
develop a short play about sexual assault and its prevention based on classroom
readings, discussions, prior learning, and lived experiences. This play will
then be performed for various campus audiences based on the Theatre of the
Oppressed Open Forum model, in which audience members are invited to stop and
shift the action by joining the play, thereby practicing strategies for facing
challenging situations and "rehearsing for the future."
Community Greenworks
Cynthia Gomez, gomezc@pdx.edu
This Capstone offers students an analysis of social and
environmental justice theory, a framework that promotes successful civic
engagement, and an application of these principles in "green"
community settings. Class projects support the ecological sustainability
movement by working closely with community partners in addressing a pre-determined
need and promoting lasting change.
Community Psychology
Keith Kaufman, kaufmank@pdx.edu
This two quarter capstone focuses on applications of basic psychological
knowledge and methods to community problems. Students join a work team
providing consultation to a community organization or agency. Students have an
opportunity to choose from a number of field projects in cooperation with
community agencies engaged in social service in the fields of health,
education, corrections, welfare, and others. Projects result in products of
value to community agencies such as program evaluations, climate studies or
volunteer recruitment videos. Students develop consultation and group skills,
work collaboratively with community partners, and learn about the field of
community psychology.
Direct Democracy, Society and
Environment
Joshua Binus, binus@pdx.edu
Oregonians have been able to vote directly on state policy for more than a
century through the initiative, referendum, and referral system. Since
1904 voters have been called on to make decisions on a wide range of issues,
including: social and criminal justice, environmental regulation, taxes, land
use, family planning, healthcare, education, public utilities, the use of new
technologies, etc. Unfortunately, because the Oregon Legislature never gave the
State Archive the mission of documenting the state's initiative system, the
evidence from past campaigns was never systematically collected and made
available to the general public. This capstone has been addressing this
problem by exploring how the state initiative system works, who funds the
campaigns, and how measures were run and marketed to voters. After
students gain a working knowledge of the initiative system, they will get a
chance to speak to a wide variety of professionals (activists, pollsters,
public relations experts, attorneys, journalists, and past and present public
office holders) who have worked on past campaigns and are well positioned to
donate historical materials to the Ballot Measure Archive Project (BMAP).
As the first project of its kind in the country, BMAP has received broad
support from across the political spectrum for its non-partisan approach and
even earned an editorial endorsement from the Oregonian in 2008. The
class is designed so that students from any discipline can understand the
topics covered and succeed on their project, regardless of whether work is
carried out individually or in a team.
Educating the Community about Metro's Travel
Options and Nature in Neighborhoods
Lynn Weigand, weigand@pdx.edu
As Portland's
regional government, Metro's role includes promoting transportation choices and
protecting natural areas. Working with Metro as the community partner, students
will explore Metro's role in promoting regional travel options and nature in
neighborhoods through a hands-on project with the Travel Options and Nature in
Neighborhood Programs, incorporating concepts of sustainable behavior and
social marketing.
Educational Equity Capstone: NAYA and PYB
Deborah Smith Arthur, debs@pdx.edu
This Capstone explores a variety of issues related to educational equity,
including culturally-specific and multi-cultural programming, segregation,
school funding, standardized testing, curriculum choices, language and
bilingual education, among others. This winter we will partner with
Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA: www.nayapdx.org), and Portland Youth Builders (PYB: www.pybpdx.org).Community-based
learning may include being a teaching assistant in classes, tutoring and
mentoring students one-on-one, and otherwise supporting the mission and goals
of these two organizations and their students. This is a "blended" or
"hybrid" course, meaning that in addition to class time, there is an
on-line component. Additionally, you should expect to participate at one of our
community partner sites for two hours per week outside of class time. A
successful background check will be required for participation with our
community partners. Upon registration please contact the Instructor, Deborah
Smith Arthur, at debs@pdx.edu.
Effective Environmental Interpretation
Stephanie Wagner, stephanie@tryonfriends.org
The Effective Environmental Interpretation Capstone explores environmental
sustainability issues relevant to metropolitan natural areas. Students develop
interpretive programs based on sharing a greater awareness of sustainability
issues with park visitors. Course material covers local natural history,
principles of formal interpretation, and basic steps to developing an effective
learning environment.
Eliminating Stigmatization in African
American Communities
Harold Briggs, briggsh@pdx.edu
Among African Americans in the United
States
issues of mental illness, drug abuse, and interpersonal violence are hidden and
not openly talked about. It is well documented that these issues represent
major threats to their health promotion and well being. Course
participants will learn about cultural, social, and political taboos regarding
mental illness and mental health treatment among African Americans, and will work
with community agencies on a stigma reduction campaign.
Empowering Communities with GIS and Asset Mapping
Margaret Merrick, merrickm@pdx.edu
Through the use of GIS, research,
and asset mapping techniques, students will work with community partners to
empower them to strategically promote their missions. Community partners have
included: Portland Farmers Market; the Regional Arts and Culture Council;
Johnson Creek Watershed Council; Caring Communities; and Portland Parks
and Recreation. No GIS experience
is required.
Ending Global Poverty
Global Partnership for Development: Food Crisis, International DEBT and the MDG's
Pat Rumer, activistap@yahoo.com
The United Nation's Eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG's)
seek to halve global poverty by 50% by 2015. 182 nations agreed to these goals
in 2000. The first seven goals apply to poor and developing nations such as
access to education and health care while Goal 8 is directed to wealthier
nations, including the United
States and commits these nations to increase
their foreign aid and to cancel the debt owed by poor nations.
The current food and oil crisis affects one billion poor people around the
world. The UN World Food Program has targeted countries in Africa, Asia and the
Caribbean who are in need of critical
assistance. Poverty reduction and sustainable development are clearly linked to
trade, debt relief and aid.
At the same time more than half of African nations continue to spend more on
debt than ealth care for their citizens. Sub-Saharan Africa
pays almost $1.5 billion in debt services to the wealthy nations and
international financial institutions. The UN's Millennium development Office
prepares annual reports on poor countries' progress towards achieving Goals 1-7
and works with wealthier nations to encourage and persuade them to fulfill
their commitments around debt, trade and aid.
This Capstone will focus on three countries, Haiti,
Liberia and Vietnam that
are struggling to meet their debt service payments while at the same time there
is increased hunger and poverty among its citizens. The course will compare
alternative strategies for the poor to increase agricultural sustainability and
develop economically - private market, direct aid (grants not loans) and the
role of the international financial institutions. Students will work with local
community partners such as Mercy Corps, Medical Teams International, the UN
Association, Jubilee OR (debt cancellation), and socially responsible
businesses
Enhancing Youth Literacy: Service in K-5
Public Education
Zapoura Calvert, zapoura@pdx.edu
The Enhancing Youth Literacy Capstone has partnered with King
Elementary School in Northeast
Portland since Fall 2002 after a 2-year Partnership at Beach Elementary in NE Portland. King is a Title I school with a 90%+
minority population. Capstone students work in K-8 and ESL
classrooms, both as one-on-one tutors and as classroom assistants, and in
King's after school SUN program in
a variety of capacities.
Environmental Education through Native
American Lenses
Judy BlueHorse, 503-234-0266, judybluehorse@comcast.net
June Rzendzian, 503-758-4509, rzendzia@pdx.edu
W hat are Native American perspectives and how can they affect/inform
environmental education? How does environment shape our lives? How does your
own heritage impact who you are today? Environmental education in schools has
focused primarily on scientific analysis and social policy. Neglected in this
education is recognition of deeper cultural transformations that may need to
accompany a shift to a more bio-culturally sustainable world. During our time
spent in class and at the Learning Gardens Lab in SE
Portland, we will explore relationship-building, creative
place-based projects, and analysis of current issues facing environmental
education and Native American communities. Using all our senses, we will taste,
feel, smell, see and express our relationship to the world around us. We will
also contemplate our choices for interacting with the world around us in the
future. Students will learn creative and relationship-building skills that can
be applied to a final project at LGL
and in their everyday lives.
Equalizing Access to Justice
Khalil Zonoozy, gci2001@yahoo.com
This course explores the barriers to justice for people of color. Special
attention is given to the U.S.
institutional structure and the justice system. Utilizing a progressive approach,
students acquire a deeper understanding, awareness and appreciation of existing
disparities, leading to design and formulation of proactive solutions. There
will be a community partnership with Understanding Racism Foundation (URF), a
non-profit organization committed to reduce prejudice and discrimination in our
communities through study and personal examination. Created in response to
issues identified by the Oregon state Task Force on Racial Ethnic Issues in the
Judicial System (Instructor served as the vice chair of that task force),
offers numerous dynamic courses to raise the level of awareness concerning
racial discrimination. In addition to the regular weekly class meetings,
students become engaged in one of URF classes, six weeks long, 90 minutes, once
a week, Thursday, noon - 1:30 PM.
Evaluating Criminal Justice Interventions
Don Trapp, don.trapp@co.multnomah.or.us
Project 57 is multi-agency, multi-faceted program to manage what have been
identified as chronic offenders in Multnomah
County, Oregon.
The purpose of this Capstone is to develop and undertake an evaluation of this
program from both a process and outcome perspective. Students will work with
all stakeholders in this program at various sites in the community. The final
product will be a summary, presented orally and in writing, of the research
findings.
Global Portland
- African Children
Sam Gioia, gioia@pdx.edu
This capstone involves supporting African refugee children in public school
settings. The primary population is a group of Somali children in inner SE Portland. Capstones students will assist these
children for three hours per week during school hours. The times may vary
according to the capstone student's schedule. PSU
class times (Monday and Wednesday) will orient students to contextual issues
affecting the children they are working with. This includes an overview
of contemporary issues pertaining to immigration, cultural diversity, history
and cultural background of Somalia,
and support for Muslim families in the US. This course is
particularly relevant for students in International Studies, Sociology,
Psychology, Anthropology, Applied Linguistics, Black Studies, and pre-Education
majors. All PSU juniors and
seniors are welcome in this course.
Global Portland
- Multiracial Families
Sam Gioia, gioia@pdx.edu
Race, it is often said, is a social construction and not a biological category.
As a concept that is created and fostered by our interaction with others race
profoundly affects every aspect of our lives and it is a major dynamic on
contemporary US
society. The election of a US
President from a biracial background will broaden our cultural understanding of
the concept of race.
In this capstone students will reflect on their personal experience and
attitudes about ethnic and racial identity. Students will reflect on such
questions as: What is your understanding of race? What was your family's
attitude about race? When did you first become aware of race? What is your
'racial' identity? How has this changed through your life and what experiences
have influenced you? How does being multiethnic in a mono-ethnic society affect
multiethnic individuals and families?
Students in this class will learn cross-cultural interviewing skills and
interview multiracial adults to develop a summary of community needs . This
will influence the development of future programs by the community partner, the
Multiracial Family Resource
Center.
Grantwriting for Environmental Advocacy
Celine Fitzmaurice, celine@pdx.edu
Grant writing skills are critical to the survival of many non-profit
environmental organizations. In this course you will learn grant writing skills
by developing real proposals for a local environmental non-profit. The rich
history of citizen-based environmental advocacy in the US will play a
central role in class discussions and reflective writing assignments throughout
the term.
Grantwriting for Native American Preservation
Beth Aileen Lameman, beth@bethaileen.com
Grants support Native American cultural preservation by funding educational and
archival programs. In this course you will learn grant writing skills by
developing real proposals for a Native American related non-profit. Wisdom of
the Elders, Inc. is a not for profit corporation committed to Native
American cultural preservation, education, and race reconciliation. Working in
collaboration with diverse cultural organizations and educational institutions,
WOTE records and preserves oral tradition and cultural arts of exemplary
indigenous elders, historians, storytellers and song carriers. WOTE shares
these teachings with younger generations of Native Americans as well as public
audiences of all cultures via the Wisdom of the Elders Radio series, the Turtle
Island Storytellers Network online speaker's bureau for Native American oral
cultural artists, and the Northwest Indian Storytellers Association.
Grant Writing for Non-profits
Vicki Reitenauer, (503) 725-5847, vicr@pdx.edu
Students in this Capstone course will partner with a community partner to write grant proposals for funds to support its work. This service-learning class uses an experiential approach: that is, students will learn how to write compelling grant proposals by engaging in the process of researching and writing real proposals to be used by our community partner in its pursuit of funding.
Hunger in the City
Celine Fitzmaurice, celine@pdx.edu
"Community Food Security" is the idea that all people should have
access to healthy, affordable and culturally appropriate food. Community
Food Security also ensures a healthy relationship between human communities and
the land that supports them. This course will explore questions such as:
Why do so many Oregonians suffer from hunger?
How does access to healthy and affordable food differ among the variety of
people living in Portland?
What is the relationship between community food security, the health of our
natural environment and the strength of our local economy? What is being done
to address food security in the Portland
area?
Immigration in the Workforce
Andrew Reed, areed@seworks.org
Classroom topics will include immigration, sociocultural behavior, and
workforce development. Students will assist a non-profit workforce development
agency called SE Works Inc. Outside of class, students will help to develop and
maintain a website for immigrants as they transition to life in the U.S.
Japanese Language Program for Elementary
Students: The Moshi Moshi Program
Suwako Watanabe, watanabes@pdx.edu
Capstone students will work with the Moshi Moshi Program, a Japanese language
program for elementary students in the Portland Public
School District, by
assisting a classroom teacher or developing teaching materials. Students may
also assist with video production, web development, and program promotion.
Students will address various issues pertaining to foreign language learning
and teaching, including multiple intelligences, Japanese language/culture, and
diversity. Basic Japanese (completion of JPN 201) is recommended by not a
requirement. The class will meet at PSU
for 1-2 hours per week, and a minimum of two hours of community service per
week is required.
Juvenile Justice
Deb Smith, debs@pdx.edu
This Capstone partners with the Multnomah County Department of Community
Justice, Juvenile Services Division. Through their work in the community, as
well as through supportive academic activities, students in this Capstone will
have the opportunity to deeply explore current issues in juvenile justice.
Successful background checks will be required for students to be able to work
directly with youth, although are not required for participation in this
Capstone.
Leading Latinos
José Padin, padinj@pdx.edu
This
capstone connects PSU students
with SMILE- Student Mentors Into Latino Excellence/Somos Mentores Impulsando
Latinos al Exito.
SMILE is an after-school mentoring program that connects Latino students at four Portland high schools with PSU mentors. The high school students, in turn, are volunteers mentoring younger students in 10 Portland middle schools. SMILE is a positive chain of youth mentoring that aims to support and uplift for Hispanic students, the capstone is open students from all backgrounds.
The capstone needs a core of students with some proficiency in Spanish, but this is not required at all. The main requirements for joining are: an ethic of community service, a thirst for enriching cultural experience, a desire to put your college skills to work opening doors for younger people who are still discovering their potential against the current of "can't do" messages, and the humbleness to open yourself to the joy of their company. A great many Latino students in our Portland schools do not come from families where someone has a college degree, so the roadmap seems very fuzzy and not even real. You made it through high school, and you are about to complete college. You are a young role model they can relate to.
In a nutshell:
ü Capstone students go to their assigned high school once a week to work with their high school "mentees" in group mentoring sessions planned by SMILE staff.
ü Capstone students plan three major events to open new horizons for their high school mentees.
Readings and a weekly 90-minute class expose capstone participants to the theory, research, and practice of youth mentoring.
LGBTQ History
Pat Young, younghst@spiritone.com
Learn about local queer history from the folks who paved the way and help
preserve their stories. This course introduces methods of collecting and
preserving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history. Our community
partner is the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN).
Students will do an oral history and help process an archival collection.
Students will also learn about local queer history including the anti-gay
ballot initiatives, early gay-rights groups and social groups.
Linking the Generations, Communication, Aging
and Society
Cindy Palmer, palmerci@ohsu.edu
Students will engage with older adults to complete a variety of life history
projects. Students will address their assumptions and stereotypes toward the
aging population and will reflect upon personal barriers and successes in the
intergenerational communication process. Communication issues will be addressed
in the areas of intrapersonal, interpersonal, and intercultural communication.
In addition to the community work, the course will focus on interdisciplinary
discussions, lectures, and activities to increase awareness of the older
population. This is an evening course with travel to off campus site and a
background check required. Fingerprinting also may be required. Contact
instructor upon registration to complete paperwork prior to start date.
Processing can delay work in the community.
Marketing for Non-Profits
JoAnn Siebe, siebeconsulting1@mac.com
During this Capstone, PSU students will work with the Community Partner as a marketing resource team. During class sessions students will examine literature, film and other resources that speak to different aspects of marketing for non-profit organizations. They will discuss the marketing challenges facing these organizations. Students will work collaboratively on mutually agreed upon projects that are beneficial and satisfying to both PSU and the Community Partner.
Marketing Public Health Capstone
Debbie Kaufman, kaufmand@pdx.edu
This course will integrate marketing principles and health issues as we support
our community partners with formative research to advance their public health
goals. Topics will include: social marketing + social change; ethical issues in
social marketing; the role of policy, culture and social norms in public
health; customer-centered marketing; theories of behavior change; and how one's
own background and culture impact effectiveness in the work of promoting social
change. This Capstone does require work group meetings outside of class as well
as coordinating schedules with our community partners.
Mathematics & Society
Paul Latiolais, hmpl@pdx.edu
In the first quarter, students explore applications of mathematics in a variety
of disciplines as well as the impact of society-sanctioned math avoidance on
marginalized populations and on fulfillment of workforce needs. In the second
quarter, student prepare and deliver math presentations to high school classes
and/or after-school programs.
Media
Literacy: Navigating the Making of Meaning
Mark Oldani, moldani@riverdale.k12.or.us
Media literacy is the study of the effect that various modes of communication
have on the information that is being transmitted. The investigation of issues
related to media crosses disciplinary boundaries and is a focus of some of the
current K-12 curriculum. Class participants will learn about the impact of
commercial media on themselves and their community and develop various
approaches to address the impact of media on their community. Class members
will work directly with members of community and media organizations, the
general public, and/or high school or middle school faculty to research and
prepare units of study on the issues surrounding media literacy.
Meditation for Global Healing
Julie Porter, jporter@pdx.edu
Qigong is an ancient Chinese meditative healing practice that encompasses a philosophy of living with a quiet mind, open heart, and in service to others. This capstone provides an opportunity to explore the personal and community implications of this healing practice and its underlying philosophy. You will learn meditation forms and explore the concept of personal awareness and social responsibility. Working with a community partner gives you the chance to be of service to others and learn about their needs in the context of the course material.
Monumental Women
Jan Dilg, dilg@teleport.com
This capstone builds on previous research and writing used to develop the Women
City Builders website. Students will examine the choices communities make about
who to honor for their contributions to society and how they are memorialized.
Women from many backgrounds contributed time, money, and expertise to develop,
fund, and shape the culture of Portland
since its founding. The course will teach students how to conduct research with
primary and secondary source materials, and to apply those skills by expanding
and enhancing the content of the current website. In addition, students will
explore ways to integrate the website into the Walk of the Heroines project.
Multimedia Production
Robert Bremmer, bremmer@pdx.edu
The multimedia Production Capstone Class produces web page marketing and
education tools for community partners and community issues. Continuously
taught for over five years, the class has evolved from video production trough
CD ROMS, Interactive DVD's and now
creates useful tools and marketing entirely on the web.
Each term a companion blog and web page will be developed around core issues
and for community partners. The class self divides into groups: Client Liaison/Research,
Content Development, Creative, Technical, Marketing and Management. Guidance
and instruction is provided in each area, so expert knowledge is not required
however it is beneficial if students have basic skills in one or more areas.
The goal of each class is to make a useful product which will continue to be
used and even grow readership after the class has disbanded. This class
identifies a target demographic and determines how best to develop a tool to
alter the behavior and or thoughts of any user of the site. The prime objective
of the class is not to develop a site but to create a dynamic group
communication and learning experience, where students an develop to a higher
level their leadership and communication skills and experiment with creative,
technical and viral marketing techniques. Recent developed tools include:
womenshealthawareness.googlepage.com and www.womenshealthawareness.blogspot.com
also www.toxinfreetomorrow.com and www.toxinfreetomorrow.blogspot.com.
Students will interact with each other in the class, in different groups, and
with a local community demographic primarily through survey and interviews. We
will also launch surveys over the internet interacting with remote individuals
and groups as well. Students should feel comfortable communicating at high
level spoken and written English. The textbook used is Howard Gardner's
'Changing Minds.' The Instructor can be reached at: bremmer@pdx.edu.
Museum of the City
Chet Orloff, chetorloff@msn.com
Museum of the City Capstone students research, design, and create
projects--documentary and interpretive--about Portland encompassing aspects of the city's
history, planning, and urban design. Our "partner" organization will
be the Portland Development Commission (PDC), the City's economic development
agency. Students will learn about Portland's past, present, and future plans,
particularly through PDC's experience; they will plan and organize a project
that will explore and interpret the development of much of Portland over the
past 50 years; they will work on a project that will help inform Portlanders of
the role their city's development agency (PDC) has played and is playing in the
city; and they will help develop the Museum of the City's exhibits program.
Design skills are not a pre-requisite; together, the class's students will pool
their knowledge and skills to create a project that will serve PDC and Portland, and that they
all will be proud of.
Music in the Schools
Susan Booth Larson, susanblarson@gmail.com
Help with the lack of music education in summer Schools Uniting Neighborhood
education programs. Learn about the current system of education in Oregon, develop lesson
plans using age-appropriate and active learning strategies, and teach about
music around the world to students aged 5-13.
Nature in Urban Settings
Sergio Palleroni, sergiop@pdx.edu
Cities harbor significant natural systems, though they are often culturally miscast
as the antithesis of nature. The trend in city building over the last
couple of millennia has increasingly focused on making our cities more
efficient machines to support human habitation. New trends and a study of
alternative historical models show us, though, that cities have the potential
to contribute to the planet's capacity to support humans as well as other
species. To promote a greener city, we must make these capacity-building
efforts part of the public realm and its discourse. Participants in this
course will learn about current and alternative models focused on managing the
natural and human cycle of water and waste of cities. Through the design
and implementation of an urban bioswale system at a local school, participants
will learn first-hand the issues and challenges of greening our cities.
Neighborhoods and Watersheds
Barry Messer, messerw@pdx.edu
This course addresses the health of cities with respect to the community
stewardship of its watersheds. Students are challenged in a learning and
community development process of discovery and direct involvement. The
essential elements of the Capstone focus on the factors that can contribute to
the health of Portland's
watersheds. Students work with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
and a neighborhood group on projects that may include "hands on"
activities and/or community outreach/education on work involving watershed
protection and restoration in Portland
neighborhoods. Projects in the past have included such watershed enhancements
as wetlands restoration, community gardens, eco-roofs and bio-swales.
Organizing and Defending Immigrant Workers
Michael Chamberlain, mrchambe@pdx.edu
This course will explore the contentious issues surrounding the growth in the
immigrant workforce in the U.S.
and, in particular, in the Portland
area. It will also explore the strategies used by immigrant workers and their
leaders to defend their rights and to better their working conditions.
In this course we will research and debate issues including:
- Does U.S. public opinion and public policy contradict our immigrant past?
•What role have immigrant workers played in forging the U.S. labor
movement?
•How have employers used immigrant workers to further their economic and
political interests?
- How has xenophobia been used to further political agendas?
- How have immigrant workers organized and fought for their rights?
•What are the competing strategies for organizing and defending immigrant
workers today?
The course assumes interest in the conditions faced by immigrant workers and a
willingness to provide support for this portion of the Portland community. Beyond that, a wide range
of viewpoints are welcome.
This will be a hybrid course with rigorous online interaction and fieldwork
taking the place of reduced seat-time in the classroom.
Portland's Water: History and Challenges
Catherine Howells, chowells@pdx.edu
The community partner for this class is the Portland Water Bureau,
which delivers drinking water to the majority of houses and businesses in the Portland metropolitan area. This class will focus on the history and challenges facing the Water Bureau -- regulations and water quality, operations and maintenance, watershed protection. We will work with the Portland Water Bureau to identify topics to research and to develop an information product for the public.
The Role of the Museum in the Community
Sarah L. Sterling, sster@pdx.edu
Students will have the opportunity to construct, rather than consume
history in this hands-on course, both by conducting their own research
using objects in the Marion County Historical Society collections for
which the society has limited information, and by developing a middle
school curriculum to enhance the society’s educational outreach
programs. By bringing history to the schools, MCHS helps students
connect the skills learned in historic investigation to skills they
will use throughout their lives; reading, writing, listening and
speaking. As Capstone students research their objects, they will
translate what they learn into lessons designed to teach younger
students more about primary research. Capstone students will be
individually responsible for presenting their own research, and
collectively responsible for designing a pilot program using the
developed curriculum to be introduced in a Salem area public school.
Science Inquiry in the Outdoor Classroom
Richard Hugo, hugo@pdx.edu
In this 6-credit Capstone you will volunteer as a Science Mentor with Wolftree,
Inc., an award-winning non-profit science education organization. Wolftree
brings children in grades 4-12 out of the classroom for small group, hands-on
field experiences. Wolftree's primary field site is in the foothills of Mount
Hood, with other sites located 60 to 90 minutes from Portland. You are responsible for your own
transportation, although carpools can usually be arranged. You will also spend
several of your "field" days in classrooms preparing students for
their outdoor experiences. You'll volunteer one full day per week (Tuesday -
Friday) - please enroll in the appropriate course section. All sections will
also meet on Mondays to discuss topics related to science inquiry and
pedagogy.Wolftree's innovative curriculum is based on following student
curiosity rather than leading formal presentations. This course is designed for
aspiring educators and scientists, although students from any major will learn
and practice a unique style of mentorship. No specific science background is
required. You will be required to initiate a criminal background check BEFORE
the course begins. As with any Capstone, students are highly encouraged to
contact the instructor before enrolling to discuss the course responsibilities,
activities and enrollment details.
Sexual Minority Youth
Molly Gray, mcg@pdx.edu
It is estimated that 1 in 10 individuals identify as a sexual minority. Often
an already challenging stage in identity development, gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender & questioning (GLBTQ) youth face a set of issues unique to
their daily lives. We examine the paths sexual and gender minority youth
navigate in American society, exploring such questions as: What challenges do
GLBTQ youth encounter? How do they cope, survive, find understanding &
celebrate themselves amidst homophobia and intolerance? How do GLBTQ
experiences vary across difference such as race, ethnicity, class, religion,
gender and expression? Has the growing strength of political mobilization and
visibility of GLBTQ issues affected and/or included the needs of youth? How can
youth needs be brokered by social services, families, and the community at
large? Our community partner will be the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center
(SMYRC).
Street Roots: Exploring Issues of
Homelessness
Colleen Kaleda, colleenkaleda@comcast.net
This course will explore and expose various issues surrounding poverty and
homelessness through direct contact with non-profits, businesses, government
and the homeless community. Students will research, write and photograph
stories for publication in Street Roots, Portland's
homeless newspaper. Specific topics will be tailored to student interest and
developed in conjunction with the Editor-in-Chief of Street Roots. Subjects may
include economic/business impact; social and cultural impacts; mental health;
hunger; unemployment; and impacts on women and children.
Supporting Local Children and Youth
Carol Holdt, holdtc@pdx.edu
In this partially-online capstone course we will work with students and staff
at the I Have a Dream (IHAD) foundation (please visit http://www.ihadoregon.org).
IHAD provides supportive services and enrichment programs for "Dreamers" to
help them graduate from high school and pursue either college or vocational
education. This year, capstone students will mentor and tutor 4th-grade
Dreamers at Rigler School in NE Portland.
Students are required to spend at least 2 hours per week at Rigler School.
You may choose among the following times: Monday - Thursday, from 3-4 pm,
4-5pm, or 3-5 pm any one day. Tutoring is done from 3-4 pm and various
enrichment activities are conducted from 4-5 pm. In addition, we will create
and implement a project or event that will be conducted at the end of the
term. A background check will be conducted as required by Portland Public
Schools.
Instructor approval is required to enroll in the course. Once you've
decided which days and hours you will conduct your service work at Rigler School,
email me at holdtc@pdx.edu.
Sustainable Food Systems and Educational
Farms
Megan Hubbs (Kupko), greenfarmmama@gmail.com
*Due to the nature of this course, it will be held at Learning Gardens Lab (SE
60th Ave & Duke) with the exception of the first class, which will be held
at the designated PSU classroom.
The time is ripe to be part of the growing sustainable food movement! This
class addresses the current food issues that face urban citizens by
holistically engaging students in the many layers of Portland's local food and farm culture.
Students will critically analyze the state of our current food systems while
being engaged in positive solutions to agricultural-related issues. The
community partner and classroom is the Learning Gardens Lab, where students
will gain hands-on farming experience, experientially explore their personal
connection to food and the land, participate in the Learning Garden
programs, and positively contribute to food security in our greater
community. Students will also build relationships within the local food
network through experiences at Ecotrust, Zenger Farm and the Oregon Food Bank.
The Natural Food Industry and the Cooperative
Business Model
Pedro Ferbel Azcarate, pedro@pdx.edu
This Capstone will provide an orientation to the cooperative business model in
the booming natural food industry. Students will gain hands on experience
working with the community partner, People's Food Cooperative, on various
business related inquiries including financial analyses, marketing studies, and
plans for short and long term growth. We will address different business
strategies in the natural food industry and for cooperative businesses,
specifically, and make the connection to broader themes including health and
nutrition, food security and food politics, environmental sustainability, urban
design, and community development.
Tutoring Adult ESL
at Portland Community College SE
Michelle Culley, mculley@pdx.edu
Capstone students will tutor small groups of adult English as a Second Language learners for 2.5 hours a week at Portland Community College SE Center, which is located at 82nd and Division. Capstone students must be proficient speakers of English. Students must contact Michelle Culley prior to registration. Tutoring will be either Monday mornings, 9:30-noon, Monday evenings, 6:30-9pm, or Friday mornings, 9:30-noon, and will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis. In addition, all capstone students will meet from 12:45-15:45 every Wednesday on the PSU campus for coursework on ESL strategies and immigration issues. Clackamas Community College (Oregon City - Conversation Partner Class) Tuesday & Thursday mornings 10:30- 11:50. You have the option of just choosing Thursday or Tuesday and completing another project in lieu of the tutoring times. If you can only do one day in Oregon City we prefer Thursdays due to student ratios. Portland Community College SE (82nd & Division) - Friday mornings 9:30 - Noon (Full) Friday evenings 6:30 - 9:00 pm (Full) Saturday mornings 9:30 - Noon (Full)
Volunteer
Stream Monitoring
Mary Ann Schmidt, maryanns@pdx.edu
Capstone students will coordinate and implement all aspects of the quality
assurance project plan (QAPP) for the Student Watershed Research Project
(SWRP)'s volunteer monitoring program. Ensuring data quality for the 25 high
school groups involved in SWRP requires training, classroom and field support,
known/unknown sample analysis, verification of chemical, physical and
biological parameters, as well as data management. This course will integrate
chemical, biological and physical watershed analysis skills, since students
will be responsible for verifying macroinvertebrate and plant samples,
performing field/lab analysis of duplicate water quality samples, and
mathematically determining whether the accuracy and precision goals of the QAPP
are being met. Students will also be responsible for data management, auditing
of student data, providing feedback to data collectors, and evaluating the
impact of SWRP on participating students.
Waste
Reduction Recycling
Shanna Eller, ellers@pdx.edu or 503-725-8207
This Capstone partners with governmental organizations in the Portland
Metropolitan Region to increase solid waste reduction, reuse, and
recycling through community research, education, and
outreach. Capstone students may be involved in activities
ranging from designing resources to educate residents, to assisting
business meet the requirements for mandatory business
recycling, to researching how to reduce waste, increase
recycling, and implement composting at public events.
Women's
Oral Narrative: Girl Power
Sally Eck, ecks@pdx.edu
In this course, we will be working with our community partner, the local
non-profit feminist bookstore IN OTHER WORDS and their sister organization, The
Women's Community Education Project. Our project is to coordinate a series of *rap
sessions* with local teen girls about current issues in their lives. We will
use these group conversations to encourage the girls to become a part of our
ZINE project -- where tehy will write, edit, and publish a grassroots,
mini-magazine with our class. Please take a look at the enclosed outreach plan
for more detailed objectives. In preparation for this project, we will read
feminist scholarship about teenage girls as well as focus groups and zine
publishing methodologies.
Working with People: Developing Leadership,
Interpersonal & Communication Skills through Mentoring
Sarah A. Bunton, Ph.D., sbunton@pdx.edu
This course explores the social issue of mentoring and, in doing so, exposes
students to leadership development, theory, and skills. During activities
like tutoring at mentoring at the Harriet
Tubman Leadership
Academy for Young Women-a
college preparatory school and the community partner for the course-PSU students will be challenged to use and develop
communication, relationship-building, and leadership skills. Each student
will have the opportunity to mentor at the school for a minimum of 20 hours for
the term and using those experiences as a foundation for discussion and
reflection we, as a class, will have the opportunity to explore issues like
communication, collaboration, leadership, and social responsibility.
Working with People: Developing Leadership,
Interpersonal & Communication Skills through Mentoring
Sarah A. Bunton, Ph.D., sbunton@pdx.edu
This course explores the social issue of mentoring and, in doing so, exposes
students to leadership development, theory, and skills. During activities like
tutoring at mentoring at the Harriet Tubman Leadership Academy for Young
Women-college preparatory school and the community partner for the course-PSU students will be challenged to use and develop
communication, relationship-building, and leadership skills. Each student will
have the opportunity to mentor at the school for a minimum of 20 hours for the
term and using those experiences as a foundation for discussion and reflection
we, as a class, will have the opportunity to explore issues like communication,
collaboration, leadership, and social responsibility.
