Oregon Humanities

Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Oregon Humanities, formerly the Oregon Council for the Humanities, was established in 1971 and is one of five statewide partners of the Oregon Cultural Trust. If you have questions about any of our programs, please view our staff list to find the appropriate contact person or call us at (503) 241-0543 in Portland or (800) 735-0543 from elsewhere in the state.

Our Mission

Oregon Humanities connects Oregonians to ideas that change lives and transform communities.

Our Work

Oregon Humanities’ programs and publications provide a forum for individuals and communities to raise questions, challenge assumptions, listen to others, and think critically about the issues that directly affect their lives and those of the people around them. Our programs are designed to inspire insights, or what we call “O. Hm.” moments.

The Impact of Our Work

The impact of this work is profound—participants listen, question, rethink, and consider more deeply and, as a result, act from a place of knowledge, compassion, connectedness, and personal responsibility.

How We Work

We strive to be a catalyst and facilitator for thoughtful conversations by being:

• accessible and approachable, inviting Oregonians with varied perspectives and experiences to participate;
• committed to collaborating and building partnerships with other organizations;
• responsive to history and the issues that directly impact the lives of Oregonians;
• provocative, providing programs and publications that stimulate thought and challenge people to consider alternative points of view.

The Humanities

The humanities are more than the disciplines that document past and present human experience—history; literature; language; ethics and philosophy; and various legal, cultural, religious, and folk traditions. The humanities are dynamic, prompting action on our part and encouraging us to investigate, speak, listen, read, reflect, think, and act. We experience change through the humanities. We can become open, empathetic, understanding, and compassionate, or even disturbed, challenged, and enlightened. By engaging with and through the humanities, we grow.

Equal Employment Statement

Oregon Humanities is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of OH to provide equal employment opportunity in accordance with applicable law to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military status, political opinion, sex, national origin, familial status, mental and physical disability, gender identity, and source of income, disability or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law in all personnel actions including recruitment, evaluation, selection, promotion, compensation, training, and termination. Moreover, these conditions shall not affect decisions on compensation, advancement, transfer, leave or termination. Relations between employees shall be based on respect for person, regard for the effectiveness and well being of the organization, and mutual support.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

Consistent with applicable disability law, OH will provide reasonable accommodations to assist qualified applicants or employees with disabilities to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential function of a job, and to enjoy the same benefits and privileges of employment applicable to similarly situated employees without disabilities, provided the accommodation would not impose an “undue hardship” on the operation of OH.

Give Your Time to Oregon Humanities

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for Oregon Humanities. If you would like to take part in one of the opportunities listed on this page, indicate which one on your application. If we don’t have any volunteer opportunities listed, we’ll keep your application on file. If your qualifications and availability meet requirements to fill a position, we’ll be in touch.

We look forward to working with you soon!

If you are interested in other ways to support Oregon Humanities, consider becoming a monthly donor.

Volunteer Spotlight: Kit Mauldin

“A love for the humanities has always been a part of my life,” says Oregon Humanities volunteer Kit Mauldin. A true believer in the power of the humanities, Kit has generously volunteered to table at events, stuff envelopes, and even provide support at Oregon Humanities events. A musician who keeps himself busy producing, playing, and practicing when he’s not at work, Kit first connected with Oregon Humanities at Wordstock two years ago. So far, his favorite experience has been August’s Know Your Place event with Linda K. Johnson at Scouter Mountain. “It was modestly attended but made me aware of the potential impact the organization could have on the local community,” says Kit.

Kit volunteers with Oregon Humanities because, he says, “If I can, in some small way, contribute to a deeper appreciation of our collective experience through dialogue, then that’s a great start.”

We asked Kit to answer a few questions from the Wheel of Cogitation:

What was your first community outside of your family?
A few days ago a friend living in Oberlin, Ohio, sent me an email, and I feel compelled to honor her by dedicating this answer to her and the rest of the staff at Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City. So, I want to give a shout-out to Connie, Susan, Kay, Karen, Jean Ann, Mary, Roxanne, and Marie, a group of beautiful women/mothers/readers/friends who filled each day with stories, humor, compassion, and intellect.

Describe a place you love.
I love riding my bike down a street and smelling someone’s dryer, or, more accurately, someone’s dryer-sheet-scented-air-vapor. You never know when it’s going to happen and it lasts only a second but it’s my favorite “place.” It’s ephemeral and evocative in the most mundane of ways but nearly always engages my memory or my imagination in a way that’s uniquely my own.

Who are your people?
Nonconformists. Outcasts. People unafraid to be themselves and speak their minds.

Volunteer Opportunities

There are no volunteer opportunities posted at this time.