Center for International & English Learning

Students at Campus Saturday Market

Discover Portland!

Course Description

All students will participate in an English Communication class each day and then move to a content focused class of their choice. The English Communication class will have different levels depending on the total number of students and the test results of short placement test we'll administer before the program starts. While the class contents may change depending on the level of students, the general focus of our teachers is helping students practice their English conversation skills so they are prepared for future travel, study abroad, or use with international visitors and colleagues. English classes focus on skills like fluent pronunciation and how to have natural conversation flow rather than focusing on grammar or writing rules. 

Students will participate in 20 hours per week (on average) of class time including excursions with their content class instructor each week. Content classes may rotate depending on partner interest and teacher availability but currently include Discover Portland!, Portland Food Studies and SDG's #11 & 12: Sustainable Portland.. For more information about our content classes, please go to the Content Course section below. 

Content Courses

Our “Discover” or Content courses are an experiential learning class style where students typically rotate between one day of typical class and then a “Field Study” excursion. Each day in class, students learn vocabulary and detailed content focused on a specific topic in order to prepare them for their excursion activities. Excursion activities may be mixed with other student groups or local Portlanders for activities such as volunteering while business visits or other tours will be private to the group.
 

Example topics are listed below:
 

Portland Food Studies

  • The Food System
  • Food and Community
  • Portland Food Scene
  • Food and Social Issues
  • Food and Non-Profits

Discover Portland (Portland Culture)

  • What is Pop Culture?
  • Keep Portland Weird, Portland Hipsters
  • Recycling & Upcycling
  • Beyond Starbucks, Cheap Eats
  • Artsy Portland, Art Power in Portland

SDGs #11 & 12: Sustainable Portland

  • Sustainable Fashion
  • 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot
  • Sustainable Cities
  • Sustainable Communities
  • Sustainable Demolition

Activities and Class Excursions (Field Trips)

All students will participate in cultural activities throughout the program that are not tied to any of the content classes and are shared by all participants. These cultural activities are meant to help students learn about life in Portland and the United States, and provide students with opportunities to explore and interact with Americans on their own.

Activities (Sample Calendar) and field trips may include:

  • Participate in a downtown Portland walking tour
  • Visit Seattle, Washington where students can choose to visit famous sites like the Space Needle and the very first Starbucks, or attend a Seattle Marriner's Baseball game (baseball game attendance is an additional fee)
  • Go to outlet mall for tax-free shopping
  • See the largest waterfall in Oregon, Multnomah Falls, which is our most popular travel destination 
  • Visit other popular Portland places like Saturday Market, the Farmer's Market, Powell's Bookstore, coffee shops, etc. 

Excursions are tied to content courses and may rotate depending on the availability of our partners. Example excursions include:

Food Studies Excursions

  • Helping process food donations at the Oregon Food Bank
  • Visit local gardens to learn about food systems
  • Try popular and unique artisan foods

Discover Portland Excursions

  • Thrift Store visits
  • Art and mural tours of different areas of the city
  • Coffee and other special food visits
  • Neighborhood based scavenger hunt challenges

Sustainable Portland Excursions

  • Visit local creative reuse nonprofits such as SCRAP or Rebuilding Center
  • Explore Portland and PSU campus through special sustainability tours

Tentative Program Dates

Summer 2023 dates will be announced in spring of 2023

Program Fees and on-campus housing information 

Please contact us at isp.programs@pdx.edu for more information. 

Deadlines and notifications

  • You must apply by December 1 to secure on-campus housing; space is limited.
  • Prices do not include meal plans.
  • A 2.75% credit card processing fee will be applied to all credit card payments.

Cancellation and refund policy

  • If you cancel 30+ days prior to the program start date, you will receive a full refund of the program fee. You will not be refunded the housing fee.
  • If you cancel between the 30 and 14 days prior to the start of the program, you will be refunded 50% of the program fee. You will not be refunded the housing fee.
  • If you cancel within 14 days prior to the program, you will be refunded 33% of the program fee. You will not be refunded the housing fee.
  • Once the program has started there will be no refunds.
  • If PSU has to cancel the program for any reason before the start date you will receive a full refund.