Sarah Giles, MFA, Project Manager
sarahgiles@pdx.edu | (503) 725-5248
Sarah is a project manager for Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a statewide engagement program designed to give every Oregonian an opportunity to participate in the decisions that affect them. Sarah joined NPCC in 2007 as a program and communications coordinator for the center and has worked across programs in different capacities, including writing, teaching, and staffing the University Network for Collaborative Governance. She has been part of the Oregon's Kitchen Table team since its inception in 2010.
Sarah's involvement in community engagement began from a young age, accompanying her mother to participate in town meetings in their New England town and stuffing envelopes during a presidential campaign as a nine-year-old alongside her extended Greek family. Sarah does this work because she believes in the creative possibilities of all kinds for any individual person to participate in supporting and improving their communities. She says, "I love working alongside a wide variety of communities and people across Oregon and hearing their stories about what really matters to them."
Sarah was previously a research assistant at Oregon Health and Science University and taught writing at the University of Arizona. Sarah has a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College. Sarah was a Fulbright Scholar in Germany, where she taught English to elementary and high school students. Sarah is a gardener and will attempt almost any craft project, especially in collaboration with her two young sons.