Students Discovering History

Roosevelt High School Students at Fort Stevens, 2002.Columbia Slough Project Curriculum Student work

Confluence, the Center for Columbia River History’s Columbia Slough Curriculum Project was an exciting year-long high school “environmental literacy” project. Students at Roosevelt High School studied the histories of their neighborhoods and neighbors in the Columbia Slough.

With the guidance of their teachers, professional historians and neighborhood experts, students explored the environmental, social, and political history of the Columbia Slough area. Students presented their findings in a public program and in a published literary/history magazine in June 2002.

Project developers included Amy Ambrosio (Roosevelt Teacher), Pam Green (Roosevelt Education Assistant), Catherine Theriault (Roosevelt Teacher), Seth Neiderberger (Roosevelt Assistant Teacher), Jonathan Duncan (Consultant), Katy Barber (Project Director, Portland State University Assistant Professor of History), and Donette Miranda (Project Coordinator, Portland State University student).

Helpers include

Workshop Topics and Presenters:

A Short History of the Columbia Slough, Donna Sinclair (Oregon Historical Society).

What Not to Do While Interviewing, Donna Sinclair (Oregon Historical Society) and Katy Barber (Portland State University).

Slide show presentations by Jonathan Duncan.

Living in Vanport presentation by Ed Washington (Portland State University, former Vanport resident, former metro council member).

Panel Presenters:

Troy Clark (Vice-President of the Friends of Smith & Bybee Lakes, member of Columbia Slough Watershed Counci, environmentalist).

Richard Brown (neighborhood activist with the Black United Front, photographer).

Jay Mower (Director of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council).

Mae Ninomiya (Japanese American interned during WWII).

Jean Griffin (former Vanport resident).

Fieltrip Presenters:

Fort Clatsop: Lewis and Clark, Katy Barber (Portland State University).

Kenton: Tom Griffin-Valade (N Portland Neighborhood Association Office).

Kenton: Juan Mayoral (N Portland Neighborhood Association Office).

Kenton: Jay Mower (Director of the Columbia Slough Watershed Council).

The project received generous funding from the Oregon Council for the Humanities, the Black United Fund of Oregon, PacifiCorp Foundation, the Portland Public Schools Foundation, and the Portland State University History Department.

The goals of CCRH’s Columbia Slough Curriculum Project were to provide educational opportunities for students at all levels, to educate students and the North Portland community about this aspect of Columbia River Basin history; to present programs that explore the experience in North Portland; and to facilitate connections between local, regional and national history.