Summer 2021

Juvenile Justice

This Capstone partners with the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice, Juvenile Services Division.  Students work together to facilitate a writing/art workshop in juvenile detention. Through your work in the detention facility, as well as through supportive academic activities, you will have the opportunity to deeply explore current issues in juvenile justice.

Effective Change Agent

This course is for students interested in being effective change agents for the public good. Each student (individually or with others) will take the initiative before the Capstone begins to arrange a project with a community organization. This project may be an existing relationship or one sought for the purpose of this class.

Mentoring & Empowerment at NAYA

This class is an opportunity to explore hands-on the complexity surrounding education, equity, and empowerment, with a specific focus on collaborative peer mentoring, which often includes academic tutoring. Our community partner is the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA). At NAYA, students will have the opportunity to interact with bright youth from diverse cultures and work with them on improving their academics and future prospects.

Queer & Trans Youth

It is estimated that 1 in 10 individuals identify as a sexual minority. Often an already challenging stage in identity development, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & questioning (LGBTQ) youth face a set of issues unique to their daily lives.

Multimedia Production Team

The Multimedia Production Online Capstone addresses community issues and needs by developing educational interactive online media. Continuously taught since 1999, the class has undergone adjustment to the changes in technology - from output on CD-ROMs and video, to web pages and blogs developed entirely by teams of students working completely online and working remotely, from around the world!

Tutoring Adult ESL

Capstone students will work with adult English as Second Language learners for 2.5 to three hours a week at local community colleges (locations and times vary). Capstone students must be proficient speakers of English but are not required to be native English speakers.  In addition to tutoring times, all Capstone students will meet from 12:45 pm - 15:45pm every Wednesday on the PSU campus for coursework. Coursework involves strategies for tutoring ESL/ABE and issues pertaining to immigration.
Coursework involves strategies for tutoring ESL/ABE, intercultural communications, and issues pertaining to immigration.  

This course will present opportunities for students to:

• Apply practical skills and strategies in tutoring English Language Learners
• Expand their understanding and ability to participate in cross-cultural communication while interacting with limited-English speakers.
• Understand the political, social, and economic implications of immigration in the United States.
• Think critically about social responsibility as it pertains to living among people from various cultures.

Research and Society. The objectives of Research and Society are: Community service with an emphasis on the sciences and your research interests; Learning to communicate scientific material in various media to professional and lay audiences; Higher level thinking about questions about scientific processes & ethics—synthesizing knowledge; and, Preparation to complete undergrad work and enter grad school and the workforce.