Grantwriting: Improv Theater
The Portland Actor's Ensemble Grant Writing Project Students in this Capstone course partner with the Portland Actors Ensemble (http://www.portlandactors.com/). Class uses an experiential approach: that is, students learn to write compelling grant proposals by engaging in the process of writing actual proposals to be used by PAE in its pursuit of funding.
The objectives of this Capstone address both course content and the University Studies goals of communication, critical thinking, appreciation of diversity, and social responsibility, and are to:
- Enhance students' facility and confidence with persuasive, expository, and reflective writing and oral communication.
- Increase students' interviewing, research, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
- Facilitate students' building of functional teams around both differences and likenesses experienced within the classroom community and with the community partner's constituencies.
- Encourage students' ongoing identification with and participation in a shared community.
Portland State student work will be based on attendance/participation in the course and their creative expression of their thoughts and experiences around every aspect of work in this course in regular reflection journals.
Students will be a member of a team charged with completing at least one grant proposal targeted to a specific funding source. Substantial class time will be dedicated to team meetings this term to facilitate healthy team development and productivity.
The final product will be part of the class-wide service team with the community partner. This work will take place both in and out of the classroom and will follow a collaborative design of the project.
At the end of term, the class will be expected to present a completed final products (portfolios of grant proposals, to include at least one proposal targeted at a specific funding source completed by each team) to the community partner, the instructor, and the Capstone office, where it will be available as a resource for future Capstone courses and to interested students/faculty throughout the University.
