Democracy in Action aimed to develop curriculum models that can be used in political science courses to promote civic engagement and to highlight local politics, which are too often overshadowed by national politics. Engaging with the community provides context and helps students understand first-hand the politics unfolding in our very own “backyard.” The modules that the group developed (see example materials below) will be incorporated into the classroom in courses such as Introduction to American Politics and American Public Policy.
Reviving Alberta: Exploring Patterns of Gentrification and Displacement within Portland, Oregon: Sample Syllabus, Detailed Curriculum Outline, and Assignment Sample
Political Literacy and Communication Module
Dr. Maye Henning earned a BA from the University of Connecticut and a PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. Maye researches and teaches on topics in American politics, including American political development, public law, American empire, and race and ethnic politics. In her free time, she enjoys baking, hiking, and reading fiction.
Year: 2nd Year
Major/minor: Political Science & Global Affairs and Social Work double major. German minor.
Hometown: Corvallis, OR
Why PRF: I applied to the Public Research Fellows program because it is a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge on local issues and connect with faculty members to work on a research project that aligns with my career aspirations. Researching local issues is going to be a great experience for me because it will allow me to connect with the Portland community and gain a broad visualization of local issues. This experience would also be a good way for me to develop skills that are highly necessary for my career, such as being able to develop research and work collaboratively with people from different disciplines.
Year: Sophomore
Major/minor: Political Science & Global Affairs and Biology
Hometown: Hubbard, OR
Why PRF: I am taking part in the Democracy in Action: Promoting Civil Engagement in Our Community project because the program serves as a space for students to make something out of what we are learning. As a Biology major, we easily place our studies into action through experiments and labs. However, for Political Science majors, we are limited to when and how we get to express our studies. This fellowship offers me an outlet to bring true awareness to this topic while also practicing the skillsets of both my majors.
Year: Senior
Major/Minor: Political Science and Global Affairs major, English and Constitutional Studies minors
Hometown: Mukilteo, WA
Why PRF: I've always been interested in doing academic research, but oftentimes the research done in academia does nothing to help the communities it examines. Through being a part of Democracy in Action, I'm able to explore big concepts while also directly working with Portland communities. I'm excited to promote civic engagement in UP students, as well as interrogate the ways we can speak about politics more effectively to create progress!
Year: Sophomore
Majors: Political science and social work
Minors: Environmental ethics/policy and physics
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Why PRF: I am interested in working on Democracy in Action with PRF because I want to target the insular nature of the University of Portland on all fronts, including the academic. Civic participation education is so imperative for integrated, empathetic, informed communities. I want to be a part of UP sharing its knowledge, time, land, and resources with all of Portland. I hope we're never just a witness to Portland's history.
University of Portland
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