News briefs

WRC to aid returning women students

Recognizing a transition for returning female students, the Women’s Resource Center at Portland State is organizing a Returning Women Students program.

The program encourages students to seek help from student mentors who are trained to provide these students with additional resources and services.

“The mentors and the mentees [sic] usually meet once a week to discuss career options and seek academic help,” said Jane Sprout, coordinator of the program.

The women who return to continue studies are usually looking for better career opportunities and to connect with like-minded people, Sprout said.

“The women have usually discontinued studies either to raise a family, financial constraints or other problems, and the program is the right place to speak to people with similar experiences,” she said.

Participation in the program is by registration only. Ten people have registered so far. Contact the Women’s Resource Center (503-725-5672 or www.wrc.pdx.edu) to register for the program, which is scheduled to begin at the end of October.

Outreach program opens doors to Canada

Teresa Bulman from the geography department at Portland State has received a $10,000 grant from the Canadian government for the Canadian Studies Outreach program.

The main focus of the program is to give American primary and secondary education teachers foreign learning experience and a better understanding of Canada, Bulman said.

“The one-year grant by the Canadian government aims to improve Americans’ understanding of Canada,” she said. “Teachers teaching teachers is the aim with each teacher imparting the knowledge to a multitude of students.”

The program aims to pick 15 teachers from the Oregon Geographic Alliance to participate in this program. The participants will receive necessary instructions before proceeding for fieldwork in eastern Canada for summer 2008.

“The participants will attend ‘In-Services’ before leaving for the field trip,” Bulman said.

Bulman said they will learn about the physical geography, water resources, population and migration in relation to Canada. She also said that the cost of the entire project will be around $45,000.

“The National Geographic Society and Oregon Community Foundation are contributing the rest,” she said.

The teachers are expected to write articles for a 24-page supplement titled “Geography of Canada” upon their return.

“The Oregonian will print and supply 50,000 of these supplements to students in Oregon,” Bulman said.

-Rishi A. Reddy