Capstones beginning Summer 2008

All Capstone descriptions are also available at the PSU Summer Session Website.

African Children – Global Portland
Sam Gioia, gioia@pdx.edu
This capstone will involve tutoring and mentoring African refugee children in a summer program coordinated by Lutheran Community Services and the African Women’s Coalition. The tutoring will take place from 10 am to noon on Monday and Wednesday mornings (at LCS, SE 39^th and Washington) or Tuesday and Thursday (University Park Community Center in N. Portland) between June 30 and August 14. PSU class times will develop understanding and reflection on immigration, cultural diversity, language acquisition, and issues that impact the lives of African immigrant children. This capstone is especially valuable for students majoring in Education, International Studies, and the Social Sciences. Attendance at the first day of class is required.

Asset Mapping with GIS - Empowering Communities
Meg Merrick, dkmm@pdx.edu
This capstone is about empowering communities through the use of asset mapping techniques and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Students will work with community members in outer southeast Portland to identify community assets related to healthy eating and active living. This will enable them to strategically promote community agendas. Students will be trained in asset mapping techniques as well as geographic information systems. No experience is required. Additional time is required outside of classroom participation.

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.

Camp Starlight
Vicki Reitenauer, vicr@pdx.edu
Students will serve as cabin counselors at Camp Starlight, a project of Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) that provides children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS with a week-long residential camping experience that is safe, accepting, and free of stigma. Students in this course are required to attend several class sessions at PSU before camp (10:00 am - noon on 8/12, 8/13, and 8/14); to be present full-time at camp rom Friday, August 22 to Friday, August 29; and to attend a final class session at PSU on Friday, October 3. In addition to the direct service students will engage in as cabin counselors, students will work in multi-disciplinary teams to complete one or more final products in collaboration with our community partner. Registration in the course requires instructor approval; contact Vicki Reitenauer at 503-725-5847 or vicr@pdx.edu for more information or to begin the registration process.

Carribean Overseas Experience
Kofi Agorsah, agorsahe@pdx.edu
Portland State University is pleased to announce a study abroad program in Suriname South America, summer 2008, offered as part of the Caribbean Studies and Capstone Programs by the Department of Black Studies and International Studies. The program offers students the opportunity to study and prepare individual capstone projects on aspects of Caribbean and South American history and culture on the PSU campus during the first six weeks of summer term 2008, followed by an 18-day field experience in Suriname, located off the northern coast of South America. Education and Culture constitute the focus of the 2008 program. Students will be based at the National Museum of Suriname and the University of Suriname with the opportunity to interact and exchange educational experiences with Surinamese students of various levels of education in Suriname, while they develop community-based projects in the urban and rural areas, particularly in the interior areas among Maroon communities, under the direction of PSU Black Studies professor Kofi Agorsah. On return to PSU, students are expected to make open presentations to share the outcome of their capstone experiences with PSU and the Portland community by writing up their projects and organizing PowerPoint presentations and an exhibition.

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 immigration, sustainability, and literacy, among others; please contact the instructor at blackman@pdx.edu <mailto:blackman@pdx.edu> prior to the start of the term if you would like more information on which topic has been chosen. Scheduled class meetings include most volunteer service time.

Collaborations: Boys and Girls Club
Heather Petzold, (503) 725-5376, 2hap@comcast.net
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. Additional time outside of class hours will be required. As we are working with youth, a background check will be required as well.

Community Psych Consultation
Keith Kaufman, kaufmank@pdx.edu
This 6 credit Capstone introduces students to the principles of consultation within a community psychology context and provides practical skills for applying these principles in community agency settings. Community psychology includes theories and methods that place the needs of individuals, families, and organizations within a broader social context. Functioning in small consulting teams, students work collaboratively with community agency staff to address a critical organizational need.
Previous “community partners” have included agencies concerned with social injustice, family violence, cultural issues, poverty, immigration, and stress. Agency partners have included the PSU Women’s Resource Centers; the Sexual Assault Resource Center; the Multnomah County STARS; Tryon Community Farm; and the African Refugee Support Group. Consulting groups have worked on projects involving program development, research, and program evaluation. Consulting teams have developed training and recruitment videos; completed a national search of effective sexual assault prevention program for local adoption; assessed the PSU campus climate to determine the need for new services; created scientific literature reviews; and conducted community focus groups to better understand high school students’ needs. All consulting groups develop final reports for their community partners that detail their findings and recommendations.
Students who participate in the capstone gain valuable practical consulting skills designed to enhance their success in future jobs and/or graduate school Emphases are placed on developing skills related to: effective team performance; community consultation; collaborative partnerships; technical writing; and presentation skills.

Costa Rica
Celine Fitzmaurice, celine@pdx.edu
A special application process is in effect. Students must apply and interview for this course before being admitted. Applications are due on 3/4/08 and the app form can be found at: http://oia.pdx.edu/ea/programs/search.php?pid=168
This capstone provides an opportunity to learn about Costa Rica and immerse yourself in the culture. The course includes a 2 week service-learning experience in the city of Turrialba, Costa Rica. In Turrialba, you will conduct daily service in a community-based setting such as a school, national park, or social service organization. Evenings will be spent studying Spanish and learning about social, political, economic and environmental issues in Costa Rica. Educational field trips to other parts of Costa Rica will be scheduled during the weekends.
This capstone is open to PSU juniors and seniors in all majors. Spanish language skills are preferred but not required.

Creative Industries
Anmarie Trimble, atrimble@pdx.edu
What is a "creative industry"? From the sciences to the arts, any industry needs creative thinkers. This capstone will explore the nature of creativity in the professional world, specifically the field of marketing/advertising. For this course, students will develop a public outreach campaign to help a local not-for-profit organization, the Rock ‘n Roll Camp for Girls (www.girlsrockcamp.org), meet its mission of building girls self-esteem through music creation and performance. To create the campaign, students will explore the nature of creative work, consider ways to enhance the process, as well as learn the basics about the research, skills, and methodologies needed to develop an advertising campaign. Students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in understanding the client's needs and will work as a team-based think-tank with some of Portland's leading creatives, account executives, and strategic planners from the advertising industry. As the field of advertising is comprised of individuals from diverse fields and interests, students from any major are welcome.

Cross Community Connection
Cynthia Gomez, gomezc@pdx.edu
81981 UNST 421 sec 564 T/R 1030-1230 NH 389
This Capstone offers students an analysis of social justice theory; a framework that promotes successful civic engagement; and an application of these principles in community settings. Students are given the option of choosing from several community partners and will complete projects addressing a pre-determined need, promoting lasting change and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders. community. Community project hours vary. E-mail gomezc@pdx.edu with questions.

Cross Community Connection
Cynthia Gomez, gomezc@pdx.edu
82492 UNST 421 sec 566 T/R 1330-1600 NH 224
This Capstone offers students an analysis of social justice theory; a framework that promotes successful civic engagement; and an application of these principles in community settings. Students are given the option of choosing from several community partners and will complete projects addressing a pre-determined need, promoting lasting change and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders. Community project hours are during class time on Thursday's from 1:30 to 4.

Documenting Chinese Films
Looking Beyond Tibet and The Olympics, The World of Chinese Documentary Films
Ann Fulton, fultona@pdx.edu
Our community partner is the Norhwest China Council, a local organization that provides information about Chinese culture, business and current affairs to the Pacific Northwest. The Council wants PSU students to prepare a special Movie Program to show Chinese and American films that educate the general public about Chinese society and history. Students will watch films and provide reviews and contextual information about them that the Northwest China Council can use in its Movie Program. They will learn about Chinese and Chinese-American History from Professor Douglas Lee, a visiting scholar and excellent lecturer.

Documenting Sustainable Development in the Pacific Northwest
June Rzendian, rzendia@pdx.edu
Oregon has earned an international reputation for innovative environmental policies, from land-use planning to sustainable forestry to solid waste recycling. The state's business leaders, non-profit organizations, and elected officials have been working to build on this historical legacy in order to position Oregon as a global leader in sustainable development. Summer term of this course will focus on documenting sustainable food production in the Pacific Northwest, including organic farming, community-supported agriculture, and local food processing. Following explorations of the local foods movement and the concept of "sustainability," students will be introduced to basic oral history methods and then will conduct interviews with local informants.

Educational Equity Capstone: Upward Bound Summer Program
Deborah Arthur, debs@pdx.edu
This Capstone explores a variety of issues related to educational equity, including segregation, school funding, standardized testing, curriculum choices, language and bilingual education, among others. We partner with the Upward Bound program, designed to enhance the educational opportunities of low-income high school students. Upward Bound is “a year-round program designed to improve students’ academic and study skills in high school, to develop their career and educational plans, and to help them succeed in higher education.” (www.ubets.pdx.edu). Students in this Capstone work in various ways to support the mission and the students of the summer Upward Bound program. Community-based learning may include being a teaching assistant in classes, tutoring students one-on-one, and participating in field trips, recreational, cultural and volunteer activities.
The summer Upward Bound program runs from June 23rd through July 24th. There is a three day orientation camp for Upward Bound students, June 17, 18 and 19th. Although not required, there is space for several Capstone students to participate. There is also a general orientation to the Upward Bound program on June 16th. Again, this is not required, but all students enrolled in this Capstone are strongly urged to attend this orientation.
This is a “blended” or “hybrid” course, meaning that in addition to class time, there is an on-line component. Prior to registration, please contact the Instructor Deborah Arthur at debs@pdx.edu.

Effecting Change
Vicki Reitenauer, vicr@pdx.edu
Registration requires approval of the instructor
In this hybrid course (which meets once per week and involves extensive online communication), each student will explore what it means to work for community change by engaging in a committed community service experience of at least 3 hours per week with a community partner of her/his choice and exploring the meaning of that work through reflection, dialogue, readings, activities, and collaborative projects. This course is intended to allow students with longstanding volunteer commitments to continue those commitments in the fulfillment of their Capstone requirement, although students new to community service are welcome in the course as well. Students will enter the course with their community partners chosen and their workplans developed and approved by a representative of their community partner, in consultation with the instructor. Registration in the course requires instructor approval; contact Vicki Reitenauer at 503-725-5847 or vicr@pdx.edu for more information or to begin the registration process.

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.

Employee Surveys for Understanding and Addressing Workplace Issues
Donald Truxillo, truxild@pdx.edu
Key determinants of organizational health are the attitudes and perceptions of its members. Although employee surveys are commonplace in today’s world of work, it is difficult to develop reliable, valid survey items that accurately capture employees’ attitudes. In addition, it is challenging to interpret the information gleaned from survey data. In this capstone, students will participate fully in the employee survey process, including survey development; working with organizational members; analysis of survey data; and reporting to stakeholders regarding survey results.

Environmental Activism and Community Engagement in Mexico
Kevin Kecskes, kecskesk@pdx.edu
Working with local organizations and public agencies in Oaxaca, Mexico, this capstone course will explore the ways in which Mexican citizens address issues of environmental quality and protection in the face of demographic, economic, and technological pressures. It provides students the opportunity to work with community members (Colonos y Comuneros de San Martin Mexicapan) in an urban neighborhood and with residents of Ixtlan de Juarez, a small mountain town, in support of local people involved in promoting environmental values and protection through community action. This summer Capstone course offers students an opportunity to experience the rich cultural heritage of Oaxaca, through home-stays, visits to rural communities, and field trips to places such as the archaeological site of Monte Alban. Students will also have daily language instruction while in the city of Oaxaca. While Spanish language proficiency is not a course requirement, some Spanish proficiency is highly preferred.

Environmental Advocacy: Bridging the Divides
Chris Carey, ccarey@pdx.edu
This course will examine the current discourse and strategies surrounding environmental advocacy, with a particular emphasis on the issues concerning the Pacific Northwest. We will examine the rhetorical strategies of several players in the environmental debate from a variety of perspectives. We will also develop community contacts to local environmental organizations by listening to guest speakers and engaging with a community partner. This engagement will require you to spend significant time (on a weekly basis) outside the classroom meeting time with the community partner both in their downtown offices and in the field. This course will require flexibility. Students with several other courses and/or a busy work schedule are encouraged to enroll in this course when they have more flexibility in their schedule. taxes, and more.

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.

Forgotten in the Heart of Portland
Chip Long, jlong@pdx.edu
This class meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 8:00 from June 24th through August 14th. Students must be available to attend the orientation program at the Macdonald Center on Thursday, June 26th from 3-6 and be prepared to commit at least 3 hours per week as volunteers for the duration of the course. The Macdonald Center has situated itself in the heart of Portland’s Old Town in order to respond to the specific needs of a community of the marginalized that is bordered by the bustle and prosperity of Downtown and the Pearl District. This Capstone will partner PSU students with those programs that the Macdonald Center has established to challenge the social isolation that frequently intensifies the dilemmas faced by those who are homeless, mentally ill, or suffering from addictions. The final project is still to be determined. In the past, for example, the class designed and introduced a recycling program that both the residents and the staff of the Center could implement.

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 this term 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 they 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.

Grant Writing for Non-traditional Programs
Victoria Pohl, parpo2@comcast.net
With an intention of producing funding for improvement of local community services, this class will partner with a not-for-profit organization and research needs of its target population and its organization. Utilizing best practices for grant-writing, the students will find and study likely funders for unusual or non-traditional programs within this organization and prepare grant proposals based on this research. As seekers of legitimate funding, students will learn to differentiate funding sources, process research, assess needs, and utilize the language of effective proposals. The community partner will gain access to funds that are specified for nontraditional projects and outreach. The focus may either be on animal services in Portland or on regional Community Theater.

Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations
Judy Patton, pattonj@pdx.edu
Course description: 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 writing real proposals to be used by our community partner in its pursuit of funding. Students will gain an understanding of the community partner?s work, including social issues with which the group is involved, and then engage in the process of researching potential donors, determining project matches, strategizing, budgeting and writing grants.

Health and Migration in Oaxaca, Mexico
Margaret Everett, everettm@pdx.edu
Increasingly, migrant workers in Oregon and other western states are arriving from southern Mexico, especially from the indigenous communities in the southern state of Oaxaca. Migration impacts the health of this population in complex ways, and challenges health care systems on both sides of the border. This capstone course takes students to Oaxaca, Mexico to study the cultural, economic and social forces that impact health in both sending and receiving communities. We focus particular attention on diabetes and other chronic illnesses related to changes in diet and activity patterns among this translational population, but students will also have the opportunity to learn about the relationship between migration and HIV, and to visit with organizations that work on prevention in this area.

Immigration and 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.

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.

Learning from Persons with Disabilities (Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp)
mhkc@pdx.edu, http://www.pdx.edu/sped-coun/kiwanis.html
This Capstone is a two week, live-in course providing outdoor recreation for children and adults with disabilities. With coaching from experienced educators, students form a team of counselors and support campers to enjoy swimming, fishing, canoeing, hiking, adventure activities, art, music, etc. To see a OPB video of the program go to: www.opb.org/programs/ofg/videos/view/43-Kiwanis. This course is for seniors who want to broaden their repertoire of skills for working with people and their understanding of the personal, social, and economic issues experienced by persons with disabilities in our community. This capstone involves personal teaching and care giving responsibilities. Students must apply to be a counselor and receive department approval to enroll. Students can learn more by visiting the course website at: http://www.pdx.edu/sped-coun/kiwanis.html and calling (503) 725-3380. Students attend an orientation & training session May 16 and then spend two weeks on-site during the summer with time off the week-end in-between. Student register in the spring term and an IP (In-Progress) grade for spring term is then converted into a grade when they complete the course in the summer.

OU1 May 17, June 21 – July 4 Mt Hood site
OU2 May 17, July 5– July 18 Mt. Hood site
OU3 May 17, July 19 – August 1 Mt. Hood Site
OU4 May 17, August 2 – August 15 Mt Hood site
OU5 May 17, July 5 – July 18 Oral Hull site
OU6 May 17, July 19 – August 1 Oral Hull site

Learning Gardens and Civic Affairs
Stephanie Blackman, blackman@pdx.edu
Students in this Capstone will work with the Learning Gardens Laboratory that serves the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood in SE Portland. Class time will focus on issues of food security and community involvement in civic affairs. Students will tend the garden and develop materials or conduct research to assist in the promotion, understanding and management of the garden. Some scheduled class meetings will take place off campus at the Learning Gardens, so please schedule accordingly. Some physical outdoor work and additional service time outside of class will be required. Students fluent in Russian, Spanish, or Vietnamese are encouraged to join the course.

Linking the Generations, Communication, Aging and Society
Cindy Palmer, (971) 221-5883, teachcin16@hotmail.com
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.

Making History with the Dosch Project
Jeffer Daykin, jbdaykin@comcast.net
Henry Dosch was a German immigrant who came to Oregon after fighting in the Civil War. He actively helped Oregon forge international relations—especially with Japan—through turn-of-the-century international expositions and was involved in both the Portland (1903) and Seattle (1909) world's fairs. Trunks containing his family’s letters currently languish in storage. This capstone will transfer these materials to a public archive, organize them, create a searchable index, and make an exhibit to arouse public and scholarly interest. Won’t you come help make history?

Media Literacy
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.

Medieval Portland
Anne McClanan, anne@pdx.edu
Medieval Portland students will do hands-on research of locally-owned medieval artworks, mostly manuscripts. No background in topic is required, but good research and writing skills are necessary.

Mentoring Minds and Hearts to Change the World
Carol Gabrielli, cg@pdx.edu, 503.725.8993
Mentoring Minds and Hearts to Change the World is a community-based learning class designed to ignite question, wonder and reflection particularly related to mentorship, leadership, facilitation and direct service. Through rigorous self-reflection students will gain a wider and deeper sense of self, other and community. Our Capstone partner in this class is the Regence Boys and Girls Club in North Portland. Through classroom exercises, pertinent reflections and out-of-classroom assignments, students will gain a wider and deeper sense of self and other. These learnings will bolster each student’s commitment to integrity-filled mentorship. Students will be expected to work together with the Club director to schedule consistent day-time hours that are suitable for both the Regence Club and the student. A criminal background check is required. Students in this class will make a commitment to twenty-five daytime hours of service over the course of the term. Intensive self-reflection is integral to students’ learning in this class. Please call with questions.

Migrant Summer School
Sam Gioia, gioia @pdx.edu
Students in this capstone will serve as classroom assistants in a summer program for migrant children in the Forest Grove/Cornelius area. Classes will be led by certified teachers and run from June 23 to July 17. Capstone students will choose one day a week to assist from 9 to 1:30 pm. PSU classroom times will address issues of immigration and the dynamics of the migrant community as well as language acquisition and cultural transition for migrant children. This capstone is especially valuable for students in Education, Spanish, International Studies, and the Social Sciences. Spanish fluency is not required for students in this capstone. There will be required orientation day on June 20 in Forest Grove before summer term starts. Attendance on the first day of PSU classes is required.

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
Sue Booth Larsen, susanblarson@gmail.com
In this capstone, students will be developing lessons that deal with music and teaching them in summer Parks and Recreation programs for students who do not have music in their lives. We learn about curriculum development, the school system in Oregon, and how to develop and teach lessons for young children that are interactive, fun, and educational!

Nature in the Neighborhood
Mitch Cruzan, cruzan@ pdx.edu
Greenspaces support native wildlife and are important for our community aesthetics and quality of life. Many of these natural areas are suffering from degradation due to human-mediated disturbance and invasion by alien plant species. Students participating in this capstone work with METRO and park personnel to document the biodiversity of greenspaces and the impact of invasive plant species on habitat quality. We will be focusing our efforts to examine the impact of invasive species in the Clackamas Watershed. Students are expected to cooperate for transportation to study areas by sharing rides, and to cover their own transportation expenses. We will be working primarily at one site, but will also be surveying for invasive plantsalong the roads in Clackamas County. Students will engage in public education and outreach activities through interaction with the public and the development of written and web resource materials.

Neighborhood Watersheds
Barry Messer, messerw@pdx.edu
This course is designed to give students an opportunity to learn about and become involved in improving watersheds in urban communities. Students will be introduced to basic concepts and practices related to urban watershed protection and conservation. Students will then directly participate in a community watershed project that will provide a base of experience for furthering the learning and appreciation for the work that goes into maintaining urban watershed health. Students will work with the Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP), a partnership between PSU and the Bureau of Environmental Services, City of Portland to help develop outreach, education and interpretive exhibits that highlight the values of work be done by CWSP partners. In addition to the scheduled class meetings, students will be expected to schedule work on the community projects in groups with other students and community partners.

Oral History and Archives: Dance History in Portland
Judy Patton, pattonj@pdx.edu
Students in this course will participate in the planning and creation of a dance collection that will be archived in the Branford P. Millar Library. Students will engage in ways history is recorded and preserved, taking and organizing oral/video histories, collecting and categorizing memorabilia and sharing their findings in a final presentation. Students will work with a community group composed of dance scholars and writers.

Preserving LGBTQ History
Christa Orth, corth@pdx.edu
This course introduces methods of preserving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history. The course examines the ways community and academic historians document the often hidden history of LGBTQ communities. The Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest is our community partner as we learn about recording oral histories and processing the archival collections of our queer history in Oregon. This course is open to students of all sexual and gender identities.

Sexual Assault on the College Campus
Bridge Gorrow, gorrow@pdx.edu
Students in this class will work with the Portland State University Women's Resource Center and their community partners to combat sexual assault. The class will work in teams on projects such as, research, awareness raising/prevention, direct action, and fundraising. Lecture and discussion topics are from a multidisciplinary approach including, advocacy, medical system, criminal justice system, offender management, community response, higher education, and more. By the end of the term students will be able to articulate the definitions and dynamics of sexual violence as well as current issues in the field. Students will also have gained experience and understanding in what it takes to respond to and prevent sexual assault.

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).

Social Marketing: A Market Segment Application
JoAnn Siebe, siebeconsulting1@mac.com
Participants will learn about social marketing and apply it to a business that imports fairly-traded crafts from women's collectives around the world and targets market segments focused on social justice, personal development and sustainable living. You will learn about the key features of social marketing; how it differs from commercial sector marketing, and critical components to implementing it successfully. You will expand your understanding of customer-centered marketing and the Four Ps: product, price, place and promotion. Participants will bring knowledge from their own field of study, integrate social marketing principles, and support the Community Partner’s goals: entrepreneurship, self-reliance and micro enterprise development.

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.

Sustainable Food Systems and Educational Farms
Cori Longstreet, cori@pdx.edu
Welcome to Portland State University's Sustainable Food Systems and Educational Farms Senior Capstone! 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 food and farm culture. Students will critically analyze the state of our current food systems while simultaneously be engaged in positive solutions to agricultural-related issues. Through participation in local urban educational farms, students will gain hands-on farming experience, explore their personal connection to food and the land, and positively contribute to food security in our greater community. Students will also build relationships within the local food network through experiences at the Permaculture Institute, Ecotrust, Zenger Farm, Portland's Community Gardens, and Growing Gardens. Ultimately, students will culminate their understanding of the topics explored in a sustainable food systems guidebook for youth.
*Due to the nature of this course, it will be held at Learning Gardens Lab on SE 60th/Duke with the exception of the first class, which will be held at the designated PSU classroom.

The Natural Food Industry and the Cooperative Business Model"
Pedro Ferbel-Azcarate, pferbel@yahoo.com
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.

The Spirituality of Being Awake
Carol Gabrielli, cg@pdx.edu, 503.725.8993
Students in this Capstone class will arrive with something they call spirituality or spiritual practice or spiritual curiosity or wisdom tradition. Through direct service with JOIN, St. Francis Dining Hall and Rose Haven, students will discover and explore the connections between their direct-service experiences and their spirituality/wisdom tradition. (JOIN, St. Francis Dining Hall and Rose Haven are places of hospitality and resource for persons experiencing homelessness.) Among the many questions students in this class will examine, students will wonder: How does my lived experience inform my sense of self and others? How does my spirituality/my wisdom tradition inform my awarenesses, my choices and my actions? What is the cost of being awake in a world of sleepyheads? For their final product, students will utilize their lived experiences to develop and facilitate a project that supports the mission of their affiliated agency. Students in this class will make a commitment to twenty-five daytime hours of service over the course of the term. Rigorous self-reflection is integral to students’ learning in this class. Please call with questions.

Training Needs Assessment and Delivery: Developing a Compentency Model for Sustainability Professionals
Donald Truxillo, truxild@pdx.edu
Sustainability professionals help organizations simultaneously accomplish environmental, social justice, and economic goals. The purpose of this capstone is to identify the competencies required for sustainability professionals.

Working with the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP; http://sustainabilityprofessionals.org/), students will use interviews and surveys to identify the competencies needed for a number of sustainability jobs. This information will be used to develop a comprehensive competency model. Recommendations will be provided to the
ISSP through a final report and presentation.

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 upon successful registration in order to schedule their tutoring. Tutoring will be either Monday mornings 9:30-noon or Monday evenings 6:30-9pm, 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. Contact the instructor as soon as you have registered at mculley@pdx.edu.

Us and Them: A History of Intolerance in the United States
Beth Stafford, beth@pdx.edu
This course is based on the assumption that racism, sexism, and hatred of others still exists. Through literature and film, students will be exposed to incidents of intolerance which will include both historical and fictional accounts of the struggles of alienated groups throughout our country's history to the present time. We will explore events in our history when intolerance arose from the fear, suspicion and anger of ordinary people--the same impulses that still cause discord today--and we will be brought face-to-face with the negative and often tragic consequences of prejudice and hate. But we will also learn about the hope and heroism that true moral conviction inspires. Based on this material, students will engage in class discussions and writings reflecting on the many important issues the works evoke. Students will also be required to commit to 28 hours of community outreach working with the Oregon Food Bank in a choice of different capacities and time frames in order to accommodate your busy schedules.

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.

Portland's Water (Water Bureau - The Early Years)
Catherine Howells, chowellspdx@yahoo.com
Our community partner for this class is the Portland Water Bureau. This class will focus on the early development of Portland’s public water supply (1883-1950). We will study and research the needs for a public water supply, the site selection for the water supply, the surveying, engineering, and building of the gravity-fed system and dams, and the protection of water quality. Guest lecturers from the Portland Water Bureau will discuss the historical background and engineering, and there will be a mandatory field-trip to the Bull Run watershed. The class will work with the Portland Water Bureau to develop an information product for the Water Bureau. This product could be a photographic display, a brochure, materials for classrooms -- the Capstone students will decide (with input from the Water Bureau) what they will create.