Community Health

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to learn about and become involved in the development of the Portland Metro EcoDistrict Pilot Program. This class will focus on providing students with the history and present-day state of the work on EcoDistricts in Portland, as well as real and powerful ways to engage with the development of an EcoDistrict. Students will be introduced to basic concepts and practices related to EcoDistrict in general and then specifically work to develop an important initiative within one of the five pilot EcoDistricts in the city.

Empowering Portland's EcoDistricts with GIS and Asset Mapping  Asset mapping methods combined with geographic information systems (GIS) technology have proven to be an effective way to help citizens and organizations identify, analyze, describe, and mobilize around assets and issues of concern to them.

The Community Geography Project of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies trains community groups and middle and high school students in GIS technology to enable them to ask new questions and better strategize and promote their agendas.

Community-Based Art as a Force for Social Change  What can art do? This course will examine the potential that creative acts have to effect social, political,local and personal change through the social application of art in the context of an arts program geared towards homeless and transitional populations facilitated and directed by PSU students.

Encouraging the stewardship of our shared resources

The Educational Equity Capstone explores a variety of issues related to educational equity, including segregation, school funding, standardized testing, curriculum choices, and language and bilingual education, among others. The course is designed as a partnership with Portland Parks and Recreations University Park Community Center site, located in North Portland.  Servi

An Exploration of Leadership Through Service in Mexico
First offering summer, 2013