Portlanders
value community education that nurtures
personal development,
fosters dialogue and increases civic participation.
Many Portlanders call for education programs
that serve the entire community, regardless
of age, background or experience level.
Respondents advocate for the creation
of more community-based classes and opportunities,
with the ultimate goal of encouraging
and empowering everyone to learn. They
want Portlanders to adopt and enjoy the
practice of “lifelong learning”—furthering
their education, gaining vocational skills,
exploring areas of personal interest and
enriching their lives.
Existing community education programs
are seen as very effective and people
want more of them, as well as better advertising
of these opportunities to boost participation.
Not only do respondents desire more courses
open to the public on a wide variety of
issues, many called for ways to educate
the entire population on pressing issues
through far-reaching public awareness
campaigns and open seminars. They want
community leaders and elected officials
to “get the word out” about local affairs
and policy decisions that affect people’s
lives. By openly sharing information and
encouraging conversations between community
members and government, people believe
Portland will make better public policy
decisions.
Note: The
idea of community education shows up repeatedly
in all sections of this report, and was
often listed as a strategy to overcome
challenges or to preserve what we hold
most dear.
Summary of Main
Ideas
-
Portlanders value lifelong learning
and recognize that education exists
outside formal institutions.
-
Many of the challenges we face can
be addressed through community education.
- Educational
institutions should offer a wide array
of courses open the public that meet
community interests.
- Portlanders
need job skills and professional development
classes in order to adapt to the changing
economy.
- Community
education brings people together and
builds civic capacity.
- Portlanders
value lifelong learning and
recognize that education exists
outside formal institutions.
- Respondents appreciate the
many community-based opportunities
for education and learning available
in Portland.
- Portlanders want residents
of all ages and backgrounds
to have equal and open access
to high-quality learning experiences
that promote personal and career
development.
- People would like to see Portland
commit to, and nurture, all
forms of learning.
- Service learning—the integration
of meaningful community service
with instruction and reflection—is
highly prized in Portland.
- Many think that public schools
should provide educational lessons
that incorporate community service
and hands-on, experiential learning
into the curriculum.
| “I
value the people and the
organizations that help
the community because I
have met people that have
helped me with the language
in this country.” |
| “[I
would like to see]… a strong
public educational system
that links classroom and
community …” |
- Create and support
informal educational programs
and nonprofits, such as the
Village Free School.
- Many
of the challenges we face can
be addressed through community
education.
- Portlanders often tout community
education as a component necessary
to solving issues of concern.
- Portlanders would like to
see greater efforts made to
build broad community awareness
around issues such as:
- The importance of natural
areas and conservation;
- Sustainable practices;
- Land-use and environmental
policy (see Urban
Livability: Land Use);
- Recycling;
- Personal health and education;
- Home ownership;
- Cultural differences;
- The City budgeting processes;
and
- Rules about sharing the
road, particularly between
cyclists and motorists.
- Respondents want to strengthen
the capacity of community members
to participate in civic affairs
through raising awareness of
community issues, needs and
assets.
- Through increased information
sharing and cooperative problem-solving,
Portlanders believe that we
will make better decisions.
- Education is frequently viewed
as the only way to achieve large-scale
behavioral change for the entire
community (e.g., recycling).
- Increase the accessibility
of public policy conversations
so that they are more open and
inclusive. As one Portlander
put it, “People should be able
to participate without having
to pass the acronym test.”
| “Education
seems key. We need to give
people the skills/tools
they need in order to tackle
issues and implement intelligent/reasonable
solutions.” |
| “Keep
community dialogue happening.
Educate the voting public.
Not just sound bites, but
solid information about
what it takes to seriously
support and infrastructure
and systems which are healthy
and thriving.” |
| “[I
would like to see] regular
community summits—a la Portland’s
budgeting process—that invite
the community to come and
share and help problem solve
around specific issues.
Invite not just the usual
suspects but anyone who
has an interest and a perspective
to share.” |
| “[Hold]
public education workshops
and open houses to teach
people about important issues.
These should be free and
well advertised.” |
- Educational
institutions should offer a
wide array of courses open the
public that meet community interests.
- Respondents want major educational
institutions such as community
colleges and universities to
offer a wide range of community
education opportunities that
meet the diverse interests of
Portlanders, including courses
on gardening, technology, history
and more.
- Portlanders often mention
appreciating Portland State
University and Portland Community
College for their contributions
to individual and community
education, and for the variety
of programs offered.
| “I
value Portland Community
College, PSU and the opportunities
for education and self-improvement
for adults of all ages.” |
| “I
love PCC, with its diverse
non-credit course offerings
at reasonably affordable
rates and the chance to
take classes all over town.” |
- Portlanders
need job skills and professional
development classes in order
to adapt to the changing economy.
- Portlanders link community
education and opportunities
for career advancement to their
own economic prosperity and
to the prosperity of the entire
city.
- Many respondents want to see
greater availability of employment
and career-related education
options, such as professional
development workshops, job training
programs, computer classes and
English language courses for
new immigrants (see Economy:
Employment).
- Portlanders want to have access
to the knowledge and skills
they need to excel in their
professional lives, particularly
as the economy shifts and technology
advances.
| “[In
the future, there are] more
job opportunities and training
for low skills workers that
did not have the opportunity
to go to school.” |
| “I
would like more opportunities
for career development and
more apprentice programs
for youth.” |
- Community
education brings people together
and builds social capital.
- Portlanders need more quality
opportunities to share experiences,
learn from each and build community
trust.
- Respondents call for programs
that connect youth with elders
as well as programs that promote
interaction between diverse
members of the community.
- They believe that engaging
people across differences builds
social capital and increases
civic engagement (see Social
Issues: Civic Engagement).
- People assert that community
conversations and healthy debate
bring deeper issues to the surface,
enabling the community to address
"root causes" of problems.
| “Get
the general public informed
… Get people actively engaged
in benefiting their own
as well as the general community
at large.” |
| “[I
would like to see] public
education about the city’s
needs and how they are important
to all of us.” |
| “We
cannot go forward unless
people are educated in where
we are going, and what each
of us as individuals can
do to get there … Have neighborhood
gatherings so they can talk
about what their concerns
are and get involved in
how to best fix it.” |
- Hold neighborhood
gatherings to surface common
concerns and initiate problem
solving and action.
- Create a “college of elders,”
so that older community members
have the opportunity to share
their wisdom with others.
|
|
