Winter 2020

Strengthening the Head Start Legacy: Growth, Health and Justice (HEADSTART)

Strengthening Headstart: Health, Growth And Justice Head Start is this nation's largest investment in young children to date.  It is also one of the few remaining efforts from the 1960's "War on Poverty".  
Students will:

review data and documentation of the historical successes and challenges of Head Start;

analyze and reflect on the impact it has had in communities;

engage in a qualitative/participatory research project;

design a collective action project in conjunction with Head Start community participants that will enhance or improve the health, growth or justice in that Head Start Community.

Grantwriting: Sustainability A grant is a proposal that seeks funds to solve a problem and normally is directed by a nonprofit organization [IRS 501(c)(3) designation] to a federal, state, or local government agency, a foundation, or a corporation.

Grant Writing for Indigenous Sustainability   In the online Capstone course Indigenous Grant Writing, students work collaboratively in teams to research and write grants, and to understand the issues of Indigenous communities. Students gain an understanding of collaborative work and the importance of equal participation from every team member. Students examine the role of non-profit organizations in addressing social, ethical, and political issues.

Japanese & Chinese Language Program for Youth

This Capstone takes place over the winter and spring terms. Over two terms, Winter and Spring, Capstone students will work with elementary school programs in the Portland area by assisting the classroom teachers. 

Community Psychology

This course focuses on the development of consultation skills applicable for use with a broad range of organizations and utilizes a Community Psychology perspective. Students will join one of several available consultation teams, each working collaboratively with a particular community partner on a project to address a critical organizational need. Community partners organizations are typically working in the fields of child/social welfare, social justice, health/mental health, violence prevention, education, criminal justice or community development. The capstone strives to foster the development of practical  skills related to organizational consultation and collaboration, program evaluation and development, effective teamwork, technical communication, as well as ethics, inclusion, and social responsibility. Previous capstones have assisted community partners with a broad range of projects. For example, evaluations to assess program effectiveness, creating the foundation for new programs, enhancing prevention and safety efforts, and supporting/assisting with the development of a major community training event.     

LGBTQ History

Learn about local queer history from the folks who paved the way and help preserve their stories.   Our community partner is the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN).  Help GLAPN save our history by doing an oral history/interview of an elder member of the community.  GLAPN selects the folks students will interview.  Students will work in pairs for the interview.  Before the interview, students will learn about local queer history including anti-gay ballot initiatives, early gay-rights groups, and social groups.  Students will also examine original sources (such as old newspapers, fliers, newsletters, etc.) and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using oral histories and original sources to save local queer history.

IMPORTANT: This Capstone course will not be available for the 2020-2021 academic year. 

Equal Access for Justice

A comprehensive and engaging examination of contemporary multicultural and cross-cultural imperatives, this capstone explores the barriers to justice for ethnic and racial minorities. Special attention will be given to the U.S. institutional structure and the justice system. Utilizing a progressive and proactive approach, students will acquire a deeper understanding, awareness and appreciation  of  the root causes of the existing disparities. Their learning outcome will be enhanced through design and formulation of proactive solutions to secure fairness, equity and justice for all.