This two-day, in-person institute at Portland State University will introduce faculty and staff to an experiential learning approach for incorporating social action campaigns into either a semester-long course or co-curricular workshop series. In this transformative experiential learning model, students develop and launch a social action campaign of their choosing during the semester the course is taught. The student campaigns seek to change a rule, regulation, norm, or practice of an institution, whether on campus or in the community.
Our long-term goal is to mainstream this model for teaching active democracy. The world needs more citizens who have developed their knowledge and skills in bringing about positive change through real world experience. While not all of the student campaigns are successful, many have been and those that haven’t succeeded have still taught valuable lessons to those who led them and those who were engaged in one form or another.
CLICK HERE to submit your application (App Deadline: Monday, May 5, 2025)
Institute Preparation
During the two-day institute, participants will draft a syllabus and develop a teaching and a plan for supporting student campaigns which are launched mid-semester. The institute sessions will be led by Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton, Professor of Sociology at San Jose State University. We will use a flipped classroom model, where participants will be asked to prepare for sessions by reading two textbooks — CHANGE! A Student Guide to Social Action and CHANGE! A Guide to Teaching Social Action — and reaching CHANGE! A Companion Guide to Teaching Social Action. These resources cover address all aspects of teaching a social action course, including:
- An Overview of Teaching Social Action
- Organizing Your Class
- Issue Development & Choosing Campaigns
- Change Theory & Building Power
- Research & Group Dynamics
- Strategy & Tactics
- Campaign Kick-Off
- Campaign Plan & Evaluation
Application
There is no registration fee for the Portland State University Institute on Teaching Social Action. However, we want to restrict participation in the institute to those faculty, staff or students who are committed to implementing this experiential social action course model. Please note that preparing and supporting students to launch their social action campaigns generally takes at least half of the course content and assignments. Some courses are directly on social action and change, while others address a societal issue (e.g., climate change, housing, poverty, etc.) around which students develop their campaigns. From experience, the social action campaign dimension of these courses takes up roughly half of the course work (readings, assignments, and in-class teaching and group work).
CLICK HERE to submit your application (App Deadline: Monday, May 5, 2025)
All are welcome!
The Office of Academic Innovation is committed to making our events accessible to all Portland State University faculty and staff. If you require an accommodation or service to participate, please contact us at oai@pdx.edu at least 7 days prior to the event.
Contact us with any questions!
If you need assistance getting into our event or have any questions, please contact the Office of Academic Innovation front desk at oai@pdx.edu.