Free college course for low-income, Portland-area adults
Oregon Council for the Humanities, in partnership with Reed College, offers eighth year of free college-level humanities course.
25 June 2008 | Permalink
Humanity in Perspective (HIP), a free, two-semester, college-level course in the humanities for low-income adults in Portland offered by the Oregon Council for the Humanities (OCH) and Reed College, is currently accepting applications for the 2008-09 year until Friday, July 25, 2008.
Applications are available for download on the OCH website (http://www.oregonhum.org) or by request from Sarah Van Winkle, OCH Program Coordinator, at (503) 241-0543.
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, able to speak and write fluently in English, and willing to commit to attending class two evenings per week during the seven-month program. Applicants should not already have a bachelor’s degree and are not required to have a high school diploma or GED.
The fall term of the course begins September 18, 2008. Classes meet twice weekly, from September to March, in downtown Portland. HIP students receive free tuition, books, and other course materials; free childcare during class; free bus tickets for transportation to and from class; and transferable college credit from Reed College.
Since its inception in 2001, HIP has provided almost 200 economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to study the humanities in a two-semester, college-level course taught by Reed College professors. Subjects of study include philosophy, literature, ancient Greek and American history, politics, and theater. Reading and writing assignments are roughly equivalent to those of a first-year humanities survey course at Reed College.
HIP aims to promote the intellectual and personal growth of students, spark their interest in civic and community life, and encourage them to continue their education.
OCH program director Jennifer Allen says, “HIP doesn’t teach students how to get a job. Instead, it offers them an opportunity to learn and practice skills for life: how to make thoughtful decisions, to reflect, to listen—to be an engaged citizen and active community member.”
A recent HIP graduate says, “I applied to HIP to get out of shelter a couple of nights a week and I found a whole new world. I found that I could read, write, and study, and most of all feel important.”
OCH, in partnership with Eastern Oregon University, has also offered a HIP program to inmates at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Oregon, since 2005.
The Oregon Council for the Humanities (812 SW Washington St, #225, Portland, OR 97205) is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that is dedicated to the belief that knowledge and ideas are fundamental to the health of our communities. More information about OCH’s programs and publications, which include Oregon Chautauqua, Humanity in Perspective, Teacher Institutes, Summer Honors Symposium, Public Program Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at http://www.oregonhum.org.
