All-Day Courses for 2012
Small-boat Sailing on the Willamette River
Learn to sail or practice sailing on the Willamette River during a 5-day course at Willamette Sailing Club in Portland. Learn to rig and sail a "420" and experience the challenge and excitement of this lifelong sport. You and a partner will be "captain and crew" on this "two-handed" sailboat as you explore or hone your skills in this rigorous, mentally demanding sport. First-time and experienced sailors are welcome. Certified U.S. Sailing Instructors will guide you and your boat partner from a motorboat as you ply the Willamette, racing before the wind and against your classmates, or leisurely exploring the shores of Ross Island. You, the wind, and your taste for adventure will set your pace. Our sixth Winterim day will be devoted to service and learning about the river. Willamette Sailing Club hosts sailing race teams for teens and adults; we will learn strategies and eat lunch in their floating clubhouse, and use their showers and dressing rooms in case of capsize. Pack a change of clothes, a bag lunch and your spirit of adventure. Sailing happens rain or shine!
Leaders: Colleen Shoemaker, Sam LeFeber, Coleen Davis
Cost: approximately $400
Course fee, transportation, snacks, donation for service day
Enrollment: minimum 6 students; maximum 16 students
Time-block: day trip local
Habitat for Humanity
This remarkable opportunity to work with Habitat for Humanity in Beaverton comes through the project manager, Lynne Johnston, mother of two OES graduates. The home we will work on is close to OES and Vose Elementary School and will be built throughout 2012 along traditional Habitat lines--volunteer teams will work alongside home recipients seeking to earn their 500 hours of sweat equity. In addition to working on the house, during Winterim we will also work at the Habitat ReStore (which sells donated, recycled building supplies), and we'll create beautiful one-of-a-kind chairs that will be auctioned off at Habitat West's annual fundraiser in April. Want to help create a home for a family in need? Want to do service in your own community and earn service learning hours? Join us! No construction experience is necessary.
Enrollment: 8 students. (Due to Habitat's rules, preference will be given to students 16 years or older. All volunteers must be at least 14 years of age.) The home we'll work on is a Women Build home, but male and female volunteers are welcome.
Time-block: All Day. We will also work at the house all day on Saturday, March 17.
Leaders: Lynne Johnston and Tna Meyerhoff
Cost: Nothing more than occasional snack money.
Strategy Games
Play is one of the highest states of human consciousness. Games are not only fun, they are essential policy tools. Game theorists work with organizations all over the world to help them create and test strategies. Simulations help people thinking through complex, dynamic, long-term problems. Strategy games such as Diplomacy are played over several hours and involve negotiation and planning. This Winterim will provide games and the time to play them right. Games might include Diplomacy, Chess, Go, Bridge, Settles of Cataan, Kingmaker, Junta, Axis and Allies. Learn more about history and complex thinking by putting yourself in the position of generals, ambassadors, and heads of state.
Enrollment: 10-16 Students.
Timeblock: All Day.
Leader: John Holloran and Jordan Elliott
Cost: probably nothing
Arts In Portland
In this class students will discover what makes Portland a vibrant city for the arts. We will take the MAX to see public art in various locations around town, tour such sites as the Japanese and Chinese Gardens, see at least two plays, hear some music, perhaps attend a rehearsal of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra's St. Patrick's Day concert, look around the galleries in the Pearl, get first hand experience of the city's culinary art scene, take a cooking class from talented course leaders, Diane and Alana and an art class taught by a professional in a medium chosen by the participants.
Leaders: Diane Herschleb and Alana Kaholokula
Time-block All Day
Enrollment: 10-12
Cost: $165-170.00
Food!
We will explore the world of food in Portland: how it's grown and processed, how it's distributed and prepared, and what some of the issues are concerning food today. We'll visit a local organic farm, talk to food service professionals about their work, do service at the Food Bank and help prepare a meal at a soup kitchen, visit local food carts and talk with their owners, check out some ethnic food stores, shop for and prepare a meal for ourselves using local products. Maybe even have a nice meal at a restaurant. We'll explore issues around sustainability, healthy food choices, hunger in Oregon, and how our own food choices affect the wider community and in the process have a chance to explore the metro area. Be prepared for adventure and good eating.
Time-block: Full day
Enrollment: 12 students max.
Cost: approx. $150 (mainly rental cars + food costs, based on 8 students)
Leaders: Corbet Clark and Coleen Davis
Golf
Golf Winterim is a course designed to teach the basics of golf and is intended for all but an elite level golfer. Each day our group will go to a local course where Students will receive instruction on the full swing, chipping, and putting. There will be ample time for practicing these skills but we will also provide plenty of opportunities to take your skills out on the course. Golf etiquette will also be emphasized so that students will always be welcome at any course you visit. During the week we will play at least 36 holes of golf on full size courses. Depending on weather and the interests of this year's group, we might do some mini golf as well. Sustenance is an important part of every golfers game, so daily visits to the snack shack or a nearby eatery will also be a priority.
Leaders: Joel Gray and TBA
Time-bock: All Day
Enrollment: 8-16
Cost: $130.00
Dungeons and Dragons
Students will create characters and design a campaign using the greatest of the original Role Playing Games (RPG), Dungeons and Dragons. This is the game that started it all, virtually every online game hs some of its roots in D&D. It features strategy, creativity, acting, problem solving. We'll decide on a set of rules governing play (D20, AD&D, D&D, ed 2,3,3'5 or 4) and work to elect a Dungeon Master who controls the play of the game. This campaign will be guided by some of the game's earliest campaigners. We'll immerse ourselves in play with occasional breaks to re-group or blow-off stem. Cost may include supplies, snacks, books for the games, etc. There may also be a commemorative T-shirt portraying this epic campaign. We'll explore player and fan art to represent each person's character. We hope for a special location that we can turn into the ultimate gaming location. Serious players or those who aspire to be serious players are ideal.
Enrollment 6-18
Cost: $150
Leaders: Jeffrey Sprague & perhaps one other
Time-block: All Day
Civics and City Hall or Civil Engagement
Get to know and engage with Portland city government! We'll take day trips downtown to Government locations, meet with local policy-makers and department directors, attend city council session(s), discuss issues with local officials, and maybe meet a prospective office-holder or two! This Winterim course will be student-centered, so if you have ideas about how to engage with city government, we'll incorporate them into the planning.
Leader: Mike Gwaltney
Time-block: All Day
Enrollment: 8-15
Cost: $60-$80
Helping Hands!
Five days of service to the community on a variety of projects. One day for environmental work, one with a farmworkers' organization, one hospital, one food bank, one Head Start … or whatever; you get the idea. Students will earn 20-plus hours of off-campus credit in five days. Plus reap the great rewards of doing something to help others. And, it's fun! We'll travel to a nearby agency each day on school transportation—a mini-bus, van, or Suburban, depending on numbers.
Timeblock: All Day
Enrollment: 7-10 (depends on transportation)
Cost: none
Leader: Robin Schauffler
Discovery!
Make your Winterim a Discovery—a six-day, 48 hour apprenticeship or career exploration available to all 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Why might you want to do a Discovery? Think about it—you'll do something completely different for a week and possibly change the way you think about your future. You'll have an opportunity to pursue special passions, interests and curiosities. You'll experience the demands and structure of the "working world." Few of you have time for a full-time job, but Discovery will give you some work experience to put on your resumé and college applications. Not bad! By the way, Discovery is an internship, not a paid job. However, if you work in a non-profit or service agency, you will get service learning credit. The Discovery coordinator and other adults will help you through the process of finding a mentor and setting up your week-long experience. Discoveries may be local or far away, depending on what you set up. You'll participate in a Discovery blog during the week and share your experience with others.
Timeblock: All Day (hours depend on the worksite)
Enrollment: Any number of students
Cost: None
Leaders: Robin Schauffler and Lynne Sadler
Transportation: You have to provide it yourself, but we may be able to help.
