Deadline Extended: Free College Course for Low-Income, Portland-Area Adults

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 accepting applications for the 2009–10 year until Friday, August 7, 2009.

Applications are available for download on the OCH website (www.oregonhum.org) or by request from Sarah Van Winkle, OCH Program Coordinator, at (503) 241-0543, ext. 112. Applicants can apply directly and are also referred by agencies serving low-income adults and families.

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 are not required to have a high school diploma or GED and should not already have a bachelor’s degree.

The fall term of the course begins September 17, 2009. Classes meet twice weekly, from September to March, in downtown Portland. HIP students receive free tuition, books, and other course materials; free child care during class; free bus tickets for transportation to and from class; and transferable college credit from 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. Since its inception in 2001, HIP has provided more than 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, art history, politics, and theater. Reading and writing assignments are roughly equivalent to those of a first-year humanities survey course at Reed College.

OCH, in partnership with Willamette University, began offering a one-semester HIP course in Salem in June 2009. From 2005 to 2008, in partnership with Eastern Oregon University, OCH offered a HIP program to inmates at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton, Oregon.

The Oregon Council for the Humanities (813 SW Alder St, #702, 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, Opportunity Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at oregonhumanities.org.

Contact: Sarah Van Winkle, Program Coordinator, Oregon Council for the Humanities, (503) 241-0543 / (800) 735-0543, or [email protected]