oregon humanities conversation project 2014–15 catalog
DESCRIPTION
The Conversation Project offers Oregon nonprofits free, humanities-based public discussion programs about provocative issues and ideas. This catalog features twenty-two programs, including new conversations that will inspire and challenge Oregonians to talk and think about topics such as rural and urban interdependence, how gender shapes our lives, the state of marriage, the essence of human nature, food and citizenship, religious symbolism and civic life, reflections on life and death, the poetry of the Declaration of Independence, and explorations of how our state’s identity has changed over time. Ten themed program series are also offered that look at race, civic engagement, history, Oregon identity, place and land, and the human condition, among others.TRANSCRIPT
Oregon Humanities1
Conversation Project
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2014 – 2015 Catalog
2 Oregon Humanities
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Table of Contents
10 American Character The Power of Individualism and Volunteerism
11 The Art of the Possible Jazz and Community Building
12 Beyond Human? Science, Technology, and the Future of Human Nature
13 Beyond the Scoreboard Sports in Our Lives and Communities
14 A City’s Center Rethinking Downtown
15 Culture Wars Religion in American Public Life
16 From Print to Pixels The Act of Reading in the Digital Age
17 From Saving to Serving On Intervening in the Lives of Others
18 Going Solo The Value of Solitude in a Social World
19 Good Food, Bad Food Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice
20 Grave Matters Cultural Diversity on Life and Death
21 In Science We Trust? The Role of Science in a Democracy
22 Keeping Tabs on America Surveillance and You
23 Lessons from Lincoln Is Political Bipartisanship Possible?
24 Life after War Photography and Oral Histories of Coming Home
25 Lost and Found Community in the Age of the Internet
26 Mind the Gaps How Gender Shapes Our Lives
27 The Power of Play Promoting Health and Creativity
28 Something Old, Something New Exploring the State of Marriage
29 State of Change Oregon’s Evolving Identities
30 Toward One Oregon Bridging Oregon’s Urban and Rural Communities
31 The Truths We Hold The Poetry and Lessons of the Declaration of Independence
32 Understanding Disability Family and Community Stories
33 We Are What We Eat Connecting Food and Citizenship
34 What Do You Do? Work and Worth in America
35 What Is Education for?
33 What We Want from the Wild
4 Frequently Asked Questions
The Conversation Project offers Oregon nonprofit and community organizations low-cost, humanities-based public discussion programs about provocative issues and ideas. If you’d like to host a Conversation Project event, please read our FAQ.
Questions? Call (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116
Oregon Humanities connects Oregonians with ideas that change lives and transform communities. More information about our programs and publications, which include the Conversation Project, Think & Drink, Humanity in Perspective, Idea Lab Summer Institute, Public Program Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at oregonhumanities.org.
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Table of Contents
37 White Out? The Future of Racial Diversity in Oregon
40 Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History
41 Your Land, My Land Using and Preserving Oregon’s Natural Resources
43 Program Themes
44 Federal Certifications
4 Oregon Humanities
Conversation Project
What is the Conversation Project?
The Conversation Project offers Oregon nonprofit and community organizations low-cost, humanities-based public discussion programs about provocative issues and ideas. Discussions last sixty to ninety minutes and are led by trained conversation facilitators who connect the subject to participants’ experiences and to the local community, and challenge participants to think in new ways without advocating a particular perspective. Conversation Project leaders frame and lead a discussion among participants, and some topics in the catalog involve a greater amount of framing and information than others due to their complexity. Therefore, depending on the topic and the number of participants, programs may have varying ratios of presentation to conversation. Since 2009, more than 200 organizations across the state hosted more than 500 Conversation Project programs.
Why conversation?
If we hope to make real strides in building just communities, we need to develop practices that help us trust one another. We need to see and understand the world from the perspectives of others. We also need to develop the communication skills required to solve deep problems. In support of these practices, Oregon Humanities developed the Conversation Project; we believe that conversation is a powerful medium to invite diverse perspectives, explore challenging questions, and strive for just communities.
Why host a Conversation Project program?
Hosts have reported that the Conversation Project helps them meet their own educational and community-based missions. The program accomplishes this by doing the following:
• Providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible public programming
• Offering experienced facilitation and knowledge of a topic
• Modeling open-minded, exploratory discussion about challenging topics
• Attracting diverse public audiences and engaging new individuals in the host’s work
• Connecting big ideas to local and regional communities and to individual experiences
• Inspiring continued learning and inquiry on the part of participants
Frequently Asked Questions
Information for Program Hosts:
Please read this section carefully before applying to host a Conversation Project program.
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Conversation Project
Who may apply to host a Conversation Project program?
Nonprofit and community organizations in Oregon are eligible to host Conversation Project programs with Oregon Humanities funding. The schedule for submitting applications is described below. There is no limit to the number of Conversation Project programs for which a given organization may apply. However, approval decisions are based on Oregon Humanities’ commitment to reaching a broad statewide audience, forming new partnerships, and scheduling efficient travel arrangements for our conversation leaders. Oregon Humanities cannot guarantee that all applications will be approved.
What other conditions must I meet?
Conversation Project programs must be open and widely advertised to the general public; programs are designed for audiences of fifteen years or older. You should apply to host a program only if you are confident you can generate an audience of ten or more participants. Oregon Humanities does not fund events that are exclusively classroom-based, part of private or members-only meetings, or for conversation leaders at their home institutions. Conversation Project programs may not be used in conjunction with fundraisers or benefits. Programs must also precede any other items on a public meeting agenda. All Conversation Project hosts are required to complete and submit program evaluations, which are provided by Oregon Humanities.
What costs are associated with Conversation Project programs?
Beginning in 2014, there is a fee to host Conversation Project programs. This fee is due upon application. The host fee is based on the number of programs an organization applies for in a given application window. Oregon Humanities offers a discount for organizations submitting applications for more than one program at once, as outlined in the chart below. If an application is declined by Oregon Humanities or withdrawn by the host organization, Oregon Humanities will refund the fee in full.
For the first five years of the Conversation Project, from 2009 through 2014, programs were offered as a free resource for nonprofit and community organizations. With rising demand for Conversation Project discussions statewide, the cost of providing the program has increased. The host fee has been instituted to sustain the program. Oregon Humanities remains committed to keeping the program accessible to all; if the host fee poses a hardship for your organization, you may request an exemption on the application form.
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Number of conversations requested: Host fee:
1 $50
2 $85*
3 $125*
4 $165*
5+ $50 per request
*Please note that in order to qualify for the discounted rate, you must apply for programs at the same time. If you have any questions about the host fee or scheduling multiple programs, please get in touch with us.
For each approved program, Oregon Humanities funds conversation leaders’ honoraria and directly reimburses them for mileage and estimated meal costs. If conversation leaders travel more than fifty miles one way, host organizations must offer to provide either one night of commercial lodging at the host’s expense or a home stay; it is at the conversation leader’s discretion whether or not to accept a home stay. In cases when two conversation leaders are offering a Conversation Project program, it is only expected that hosts provide one night of lodging for one leader. All lodging plans must be discussed with conversation leaders before submitting your application to Oregon Humanities and indicated clearly on the application form. Host organizations may charge a modest admission fee (up to $5) in order to recover costs incurred by hosting the conversation (e.g., lodging, refreshments, and host fee). Please notify Oregon Humanities if your facility has an admission fee greater than $5. You may also solicit voluntary contributions to your organization at a Conversation Project program.
What equipment will a conversation leader need?
Descriptions in the catalog include lists of equipment that conversation leaders will need for their programs. The host is responsible for providing all required equipment. Please review equipment lists with conversation leaders when requesting programs and discuss any special challenges at your facility. The venue where a Conversation Project program takes place should have chairs that can be arranged in a circle or semi-circle; rooms with fixed-row seating are not appropriate venues.
How do I apply to host a Conversation Project program?
1. Review the current Conversation Project catalog and select a program or programs that you would like to request between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015. Please consult local events calendars in order to request program dates that do not conflict with other important events in your community or major holidays.
2. Before you apply to Oregon Humanities, contact conversation leaders directly to discuss preferred and alternate dates and times for the application. Oregon Humanities does not maintain the personal or professional calendars of Conversation Project leaders, so it is essential
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that you contact conversation leaders prior to submitting an application. We may also ask you to consider other dates in order to schedule efficient travel plans. You may submit applications for Conversation Project programs according to the following time frames:
Organizations can apply: For programs to take place between:
Aug. 1–Sept. 30, 2014 Nov. 1, 2014–Feb. 28, 2015
Dec. 1, 2014–Jan. 31, 2015 March 1–June 30, 2015
April 1–May 31, 2015 July 1–Oct. 31, 2015
We strive to be flexible in program scheduling, so please contact program staff if you have a conflict applying within the timeline outlined above. Please note that applications must be submitted at least six weeks before the requested program date.
3. Download an application form at oregonhumanities.org. Submit the completed form and host fee to Oregon Humanities. Host fees may be paid by check (made out to Oregon Humanities) or credit card. If you are requesting a host fee exemption, please complete the section on page 2 of the application. Incomplete or illegible forms will make it difficult for staff to review requests in a timely manner. Please ensure that you complete the entire application before submitting it.
How will I know if my application is approved?
We make every effort to respond in a timely way. Please allow up to four weeks to hear back from us. When an application is approved, we will send you a confirmation letter via postal mail and a zipped file of program and publicity support materials via e-mail. Please review these materials for helpful instructions regarding publicity information, hosting responsibilities, and evaluations. Please do not publicize a program prior to receiving written confirmation from Oregon Humanities.
What if an approved program must be rescheduled or canceled?
Please let us know as soon as possible if a program must be canceled because of inclement weather, a conversation leader’s illness, or unforeseeable circumstances. Please obtain approval from us prior to rescheduling or canceling a program; we will make every effort to accommodate these changes.
What are my responsibilities after the program?
All Conversation Project hosts must complete and return the host’s program evaluation form, completed participant evaluation forms, and copies of publicity materials within two weeks of the program date. Failure to return these documents in a timely manner may affect future applications from your organization. An individual from the host organization who attended the program must complete the host’s program evaluation form.
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Conversation Project
The Conversation Project is generously supported by the following:
The National Endowment for the Humanities
Oregon Cultural Trust
The Kinsman Foundation
Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust
The Standard
Jubitz Family Foundation
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
May my organization schedule Conversation Project programs outside of Oregon Humanities’ sponsorship?
Yes! If you would like to host a Conversation Project program that is not eligible for Oregon Humanities funding (e.g., for a classroom, as part of a private or fundraising event, or outside of our application windows’ timeframe), you can contract independently with the conversation leader. Your organization should expect to offer the conversation leader an honorarium, mileage reimbursement, meal stipend, and—depending on the distance—overnight lodging. Once you have made arrangements to host a program independently, notify Oregon Humanities of the event’s date, time, and location and we will send you the conversation leader’s program and publicity materials to help in your preparation, as well as advertise your program on our online calendar if it is a public event. You must acknowledge that the discussion is part of Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project in public relations materials and at the event.
May my for-profit organization host a Conversation Project program?
Yes! Your for-profit organization is welcome to host a Conversation Project program as either a private or public event. Oregon Humanities charges for-profit organizations a host fee of $600 per program. Please submit your host fee with your application. For more information, please contact Annie Kaffen by phone or email (see below).
Additional questions?
If you have questions, please contact Oregon Humanities program officer Annie Kaffen at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116, or by email, available at oregonhumanities.org/about-us/staff.
Didn’t find what you’re looking for?
If you didn’t find a program that matches your program needs in the Conversation Project catalog, please visit oregonhumanities.org for additional opportunities to work with Oregon Humanities. We offer a variety of other resources and customizable program formats for organizations looking to explore challenging questions and build community. You can complete our online inquiry form and we’ll get in touch to explore how we might collaborate. You can also contact program officer Annie Kaffen at (503) 241-0543, ext. 116, to discuss your ideas before completing the form.
2014– 2015 Programs
10 Oregon Humanities
Prakash Chenjeri is an associate professor of philosophy and director of the Philosophy Program at Southern Oregon University, where he has taught since 1995. His research and teaching interests focus on topics related to the role of scientific literacy in modern society and ways to engage in thoughtful dialogue about these and other issues.
What does an individual owe his or her community?
Daniel Morris is a professor of French and director of the Arts and Humanities Council at Southern Oregon University, where he has taught since 1982. Active in international education, he served as the director of the Oregon University System study abroad programs in Poitiers and Lyon, France, and taught in Angers, France.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 552-6034
Location Talent
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 552-6740
Location Ashland
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, microphone
Leader photo 1
Leader photo 2
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bios
Individualism and volunteerism have special significance for Americans, yet the two ideas are often topics of animated debate. According to Alexis de Tocqueville, individualism rightly understood and a healthy sense of volunteerism may be keys to democracy’s success and to good citizenship. Drawing on Tocqueville’s discussion of these ideas in Democracy in America as well as several contemporary discussions, this program provides Oregonians with both a model and an opportunity to engage in thoughtful conversations about community issues.
American Character: The Power of Individualism and Volunteerism
Prakash Chenjeri
Daniel Morris
11 Oregon Humanities
How do we come together to collectively imagine our future?
Tim DuRoche is the director of programs for the World Affairs Council of Oregon. His writing about visual culture, jazz and performance, planning, urban history, and cultural policy has appeared in a number of print and online publications, including IDEA Magazine, Oregon Humanities, Willamette Week, the Oregonian, and Metroscape. DuRoche is a frequent public speaker, interviewer, and moderator for cultural organizations.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 720-6171
Location Portland
Tim DuRoche
Successful community building requires participation, risk, collaboration, and individual voice. Independent scholar and professional jazz musician Tim DuRoche will explore one model of community building by looking at the history and culture of jazz music. This highly democratic art form is deeply concerned with many of the same social values as efforts to strengthen communities, including unity, equality, improvisation, and freedom. DuRoche will lead participants in a conversation that inspires us to embrace participation and collaboration as important cornerstones of our culture.
The Art of the Possible: Jazz and Community Building
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: CD player, digital projector, screen
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
12 Oregon Humanities
In the future, will technology fundamentally change what it means to be human?
Prakash Chenjeri is an associate professor of philosophy and director of the Philosophy Program at Southern Oregon University, where he has taught since 1995. His research and teaching interests focus on topics related to the role of scientific literacy in modern society and ways to engage in thoughtful dialogue about these and other issues.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 552-6034
Location Talent
Prakash Chenjeri
Throughout history, religious scholars and philosophers have debated what makes humans unique in the animal kingdom. More recently, evolutionary biologists and cognitive scientists have contributed new thinking to our ideas about human nature. Has the essence of what it is to be human shifted over time? How might science and technology—such as recent rapid advances in bioengineering and other fields— challenge and reshape our understanding of what it means to be human? Prakash Chenjeri, an associate professor of philosophy at Southern Oregon University, will lead participants in a thoughtful conversation about these questions and more.
Beyond Human? Science, Technology, and the Future of Human Nature
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: The Human Condition Technology
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, microphone, laptop computer
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
13 Oregon Humanities
Why do sports matter?
Andrew Guest is an associate professor of psychology and sociology at the University of Portland, where he has taught since 2004. He has a background as a coach and athlete in locales ranging from suburban Portland to urban Detroit to rural Malawi. His recent research has included spending time with high school basketball and soccer teams in the Portland area to learn about extracurricular participation and youth development in distinct community contexts.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 943-7348
Location Portland
Andrew Guest
Americans devote huge amounts of time and attention to sports and physical activities ranging from tiny tot tee ball and round-up rodeos to Friday night football and Blazermania. Some see sports as opportunities for building character and community identity as well as for contributing to the local economy. Others see the very same activities as distractions from more important community matters. Can both these seemingly contradictory perspectives be true? This conversation, led by University of Portland associate professor and sports enthusiast Andrew Guest, will address the many ways sports matter in our lives and communities.
Beyond the Scoreboard: Sports in Our Lives and Communities
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, laptop
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
14 Oregon Humanities
How can downtowns represent a community’s ideals and aspirations?
Nan Laurence manages downtown development projects and revitalization efforts as a senior planner for the City of Eugene. Her professional responsibilities have emphasized value-based planning and public engagement with the goal of creating communities that are truly livable, sustainable, and beautiful. Her role is to help the downtown urban form and activities more closely reflect the community’s vision.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 729-4763
Location Eugene
Nan Laurence
Historically, a city’s downtown core has been the community’s cultural and economic center, expressing shared values and aspirations. Today, however, many downtowns represent a community’s social and economic distress. Cities of all sizes are trying to revitalize their downtowns, but the qualities essential to this revitalization remain elusive. Nan Laurence, a senior planner for the City of Eugene, will explore the changing character of downtown activities, urban forms, and public spaces and lead participants in a conversation about how downtowns can represent a community’s ideals and aspirations.
A City’s Center: Rethinking Downtown
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Meaning and Values Place and Land
Equipment needs: Chalk/whiteboard
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
15 Oregon Humanities
What are the connections between religion and civic life?
Courtney Campbell is the Hundere Chair in Religion and Culture and a professor in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion at Oregon State University. His teaching and research interests focus on ethical issues in medicine, religious ethics, concepts of peace and war, theories of death and dying, and theologies of embodiment. Campbell serves on the board of directors for Benton Hospice and the ethics committee for Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 737-6196
Location Corvallis
Courtney Campbell
Oregon is one of least “churched” states in the United States, and the proportion of Oregonians—and all Americans—who describe their religious affiliation as “none” is at historic highs. Even so, a majority of Americans say that it is necessary to believe in God to lead a moral life, and American identity is often conveyed through religious symbols and imagery, such as the Pledge of Allegiance and the national motto of “In God We Trust.” How can we explain this cultural paradox? What does it mean for our shared life as Americans? Courtney Campbell, professor of philosophy at Oregon State University, will explore these questions, as well as issues of religious tolerance, intolerance, identity, and spirituality.
Culture Wars: Religion in American Public Life
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life
Equipment needs: Chalk/whiteboard, screen, microphone
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
16 Oregon Humanities
In what ways do ebooks serve or change the act of reading?
Mark Allen Cunningham is the author of the novels The Green Age of Asher Witherow and Lost Son. The recipient of fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission, Literary Arts, and the Yaddo Colony, Cunningham writes book reviews and cultural commentary for the Oregonian. His latest books are the illustrated story collection Date of Disappearance and the nonfiction volume The Honorable Obscurity Handbook.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 890-0780
Location Portland
Mark Allen Cunningham
The works of James Joyce are the same whether published in print or pixels. But the question remains: does the Joyce devotee read the same way on page as on screen? Cultural critic Neil Postman said, “Technology always has unforeseen consequences and it is not always clear, at the beginning, who or what will win, and who or what will lose.” In what ways do ebooks serve or change the act of reading? As reading becomes a predominantly digital experience, what effects might this have on writing and on our interactions with information overall? Author Mark Allen Cunningham will lead a conversation about what happens when we change our methods of reading.
From Print to Pixels: The Act of Reading in the Digital Age
Program available through October 2015
Program thenes Technology Words and Information
Equipment needs: Digital projector
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
17 Oregon Humanities
How should we think and talk about our efforts to make positive change?
Adam Davis is the executive director of Oregon Humanities. In his previous role as director of the Center for Civic Reflection, Davis designed and implemented “Justice Talking/The Meaning of Service,” a nationwide discussion program for AmeriCorps, VISTA, and other service organizations. Davis has given keynotes and published articles on service, volunteering, and leadership, and facilitated workshops at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 241-0543, ext. 114
Location Portland
Adam Davis
Many of us try to make a positive difference in the world through our work and volunteering, and we often find that this can be difficult. The language of helping reflects this difficulty. Charity sounds admirable to some and offensive to others. Service can be bland, saving can be paternalistic, and social entrepreneurship can feel corporate. Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that will explore why it’s so hard to find the right words for the good work we try to do in the world. How should we think and talk about our efforts to make positive change?
From Saving to Serving: On Intervening in the Lives of Others
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: The Human Condition Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: None
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
18 Oregon Humanities
What is solitude worth?
Jennifer Allen was director of programs at Oregon Humanities from 2004 through 2014. She earned a BA in English literature from Mount Holyoke College and an MA in literature at Portland State University. Her graduate research focused in part on the cultural impacts of technology, which sparked an ongoing interest in the challenges of solitude in our busy and connected lives.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 282-5224
Location Portland
Jennifer Allen
In today’s busy world, many people struggle to find solitude and to be comfortable with it when they do. Why is solitude peaceful for some, and punishment for others? How does solitude help—and hinder—our creative and intellectual endeavors? This conversation, led by Oregon Humanities Director of Programs Jennifer Allen, will explore the value of solitude and consider questions such as, Is our understanding of what it means to be alone evolving? How does our experience of solitude, or lack thereof, affect our relationships and communities? How does place affect our experience of being alone, and how is our identity shaped by solitary reflection?
Going Solo: The Value of Solitude in a Social World
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Meaning and Values The Human Condition
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, speakers
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
19 Oregon Humanities
How do we choose what to eat?
Kristy Athens is the author of Get Your Pitchfork On!: The Real Dirt on Country Living. In 2014, she received an Oregon Literary Fellowship from Literary Arts. She will complete an MS in food systems and society from Marylhurst University in June 2015. She lives in Wallowa County, Oregon, where she works at the NE Oregon Economic Development District as outreach specialist.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 701-7316
Location Enterprise
Kristy Athens
Oregon boasts a multibillion-dollar agricultural economy that includes both industrial agriculture and small-scale efforts such as community supported agriculture memberships, farmers markets, and community gardens. These smaller, community-based efforts are on the rise as means to nurture community and create local and autonomous food systems. In this conversation, author Kristy Athens will ask participants to think about the impact of their food choices. Are these choices as consequential as consumers would like them to be? Does “voting with your dollars” significantly shape our agricultural systems?
Good Food, Bad Food: Agriculture, Ethics, and Personal Choice
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Ethics Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: Laptop, digital projector, screen, chalk/whiteboard
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
20 Oregon Humanities
Can acknowledging our mortality bring greater meaning to life?
Courtney Campbell is the Hundere Chair in Religion and Culture and a professor in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion at Oregon State University. His teaching and research interests focus on ethical issues in medicine, religious ethics, concepts of peace and war, theories of death and dying, and theologies of embodiment. Campbell serves on the board of directors for Benton Hospice and the ethics committee for Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 737-6196
Location Corvallis
Courtney Campbell
Contemporary American culture is commonly portrayed as death-denying or death-defying. However, other cultural traditions understand our mortality as a teacher about living a purposeful life. This conversation explores these different cultural understandings—including “death online,” Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos, indigenous traditions in Africa, death goddesses, and Asian understandings from Tibet to Cambodia. Conversation participants discuss these perspectives through video, song, humor, short readings and other activities.
Grave Matters: Cultural Diversity on Life and Death
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: The Human Condition Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: Chalk/whiteboard, screen, microphone
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
21 Oregon Humanities
How we can use science to make better decisions together?
Gail Wells was born in Oregon and has lived here for most of her life. She has written about all kinds of things, but mainly scientific and historical topics, for more than 30 years. Midway through her career she completed a graduate degree in scientific and technical communication at Oregon State University, and now makes her living as a science communicator.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 760-3070
Location Corvallis
Gail Wells
Americans have more confidence in scientific and medical leaders than in leaders of any group except the military, according to National Science Foundation polls. However, the relationship between citizens and science is often fraught with misunderstanding and mistrust, especially on topics like climate change. Why is our relationship with science so complicated? Why do we mistrust a field for which we profess respect? Science writer Gail Wells asks participants to consider the role of science in guiding policy and how citizens can use science to make better decisions together.
In Science We Trust? The Role of Science in a Democracy
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Ethics Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: Microphone, digital projector, screen
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
22 Oregon Humanities
Why is privacy important?
Kristian Williams has studied state surveillance for almost twenty years, writing as both a scholar and a journalist. He is the author of Our Enemies in Blue: Police and Power in America; American Methods: Torture and the Logic of Domination; and Hurt: Notes on Torture in a Modern Democracy. He is one of the editors of Life During Wartime: Resisting Counterinsurgency, as well as an occasional contributor to Counterpunch, Toward Freedom, and In These Times.
Email [email protected]
Telephone Please email
Location Portland
Kristian Williams
Recent revelations about government surveillance, including Edward Snowden’s leak of NSA documents, have renewed worldwide attention to questions around privacy. Why is privacy important? What are the uses of surveillance? What are the dangers? Independent scholar and writer Kristian Williams will lead participants in a conversation about the scope and consequences of government surveillance, as well as ethical and legal limits of surveillance practices.
Keeping Tabs on America: Surveillance and You
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Ethics Justice Equipment needs: Microphone, chalk/whiteboard
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
23 Oregon Humanities
What can Abraham Lincoln teach us about dealing with polarizing issues?
Richard W. Etulain is professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico, where he taught American history and cultures and directed its Center for the American West. Etulain is the author or editor of fifty books, including Conversations with Wallace Stegner on Western History and Literature (1983) and The American West: A Twentieth-Century History (2007). He is currently working on a new book, Abraham Lincoln and the American West.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 698-3287
Location Clackamas
Richard W. Etulain
Does Abraham Lincoln’s adept use of bipartisanship during the Civil War offer guidance in dealing with the polarizing controversies of the twenty-first century? This conversation, led by independent scholar and Lincoln expert Richard Etulain, will look at what today’s leaders might learn from Lincoln’s handling of slavery, emancipation and civil rights, political patronage, and reconstruction during the Civil War era. Can these lessons serve as a model of bipartisan behavior as we debate health care, immigration reform, tax policy, and conflicting sources of government power?
Lessons from Lincoln: Is Political Bipartisanship Possible?
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: Carousel slide projector, screen
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
24 Oregon Humanities
What are the responsibilities of a community that sends its citizens to war?
Jim Lommasson is a freelance photographer and writer living in Portland. He received the Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University for his first book, Shadow Boxers: Sweat, Sacrifice & the Will to Survive in American Boxing Gyms. He is currently working on a book and traveling exhibition about American veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and their lives after their return called Exit Wounds: Soldiers’ Stories—Life after Iraq and Afghanistan. Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 939-1939
Location Portland
Jim Lommasson
When does a war end? Does it ever? Many returning soldiers bring wars back with them, and these wars can reach beyond the battlefield or firefight, infiltrating the very thing that defines comfort and safety: home. The trials of homecoming are vast and complex, often resonating with tales of Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca from the Trojan War. Photographer Jim Lommasson has collected oral histories from returning soldiers and documented their struggles at home. In this conversation, participants will consider the wars at home faced not only by returning veterans, but also by communities at large.
Life after War: Photography and Oral Histories of Coming Home
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life The Human Condition
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, microphone
Leader photo
Leader video
Press release
Resource list
Leader bio
25 Oregon Humanities
How does technology both connect and disconnect us?
Tod Sloan is a professor of psychology in the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland, Oregon. He was trained in a field known as personality theory, which addresses fundamental questions about human nature. Sloan is fluent in Spanish and has taught in universities in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. In Latin America, he often experienced the power of community dialogues and is committed to enhancing such practices in Oregon.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 928-2779
Location Portland
Tod Sloan
Many social theorists agree that community life has been transformed by communications technologies. Is community disappearing or strengthening as we gaze at smartphones, video games, online movies, and web pages? How do these technologies both connect and disconnect us? Where online do we engage deeply with friends, family, and neighbors alike? Tod Sloan, a professor at Lewis & Clark College, will lead participants in a discussion about how our sense of community is created, eroded, and transformed in the age of the Internet.
Lost and Found: Community in the Age of the Internet
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Technology
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen
Program available in: Spanish
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26 Oregon Humanities
How can we better understand the complex ways gender affects our daily lives and identities?
Jade Aguilar is an assistant professor of sociology and women’s and gender studies at Willamette University. Her broad areas of study are gender, sexuality, and family, and her main area of focus is the study of intentional communities. Her current research is on how women age together in community, and she is interviewing lesbian women living in Southern Oregon and in senior cohousing communities.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 370-6195
Location Portland
Jade Aguilar
From the moment we are born, gender shapes every aspect of our lives: our interests, opportunities, and how we move through the world. In the twenty-first century, disparities among the genders still prevail, especially at the intersections of race, class, immigration status, and geography. What can these disparities tell us about society’s values and priorities? How can we better understand the complex ways gender affects our daily lives and identities? Jade Aguilar, an assistant professor of sociology and women’s and gender studies at Willamette University, will lead participants in a conversation about these questions and examine ways of finding meaning within gender gaps.
Mind the Gaps: How Gender Shapes Our Lives
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Justice
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, laptop, audio speakers/sound system
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27 Oregon Humanities
Jonathan Blasher was born and raised in Eugene. He is executive director of Playworks, a Portland-based national nonprofit that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at recess and throughout the school day. Jonathan earned his BA from University of California, Santa Cruz, and MBA from the University of Oregon.
What is the value of play?
Tara Doherty is program director at Playworks, where she has had the opportunity to see and participate in the positive transformation of hundreds of school communities through recess. She truly enjoys that play is an integral part of her work, and is always excited to share her experience with others.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 928-8686
Location Portland
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 928-8687
Location Portland
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: The Human Condition
Equipment needs: none
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“Grow up and stop playing.” Most of us have heard this admonishment in some form as we moved from youth to adulthood. But is it good advice? In our age of inactivity and frequent screen time, what are our kids learning from us about how to be healthy adults? Research shows that play and physical activity can have positive effects on children’s health, well-being, and education; they also boost health and creativity in adults. This conversation, led by play activists Jonathan Blasher and Tara Doherty, will look at the concept of play among children and adults and explore the question, What is the value of play? Please note: this session will include interactive play for all levels of ability.
The Power of Play: Promoting Health and Creativity
Jonathan Blasher
Tara Doherty
28 Oregon Humanities
Why, when so many people are avoiding or dissolving marriages, do so many others wish to marry?
Leslie Dunlap is an assistant professor of history at Willamette University, where she teaches courses on the history of women, families, sexuality, and social movements in the United States. She is currently working on a book on women’s efforts to reform men, marriage, and the state in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Her teaching and research explore the historical dynamics of love, sex, marriage, and parenthood, and how social movements and governments have shaped these personal relationships. Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 569-6674
Location Salem
Leslie Dunlap
The institution of marriage has undergone significant change, especially in the last decade. In Oregon, citizens remain in a contentious debate about how to define marriage generally. What do the debates about marriage—in this state and beyond—reveal about the institution as a whole? Why is a private relationship so publicly significant and contested? And why, when so many people are avoiding or dissolving marriages, do so many others wish to marry? Leslie Dunlap, an assistant professor of history at Willamette University, will lead participants in conversation about the nature and bounds of marriage, the public and private meanings of the institution, and the related ideas of love, justice, freedom, and commitment.
Something Old, Something New: Exploring the State of Marriage
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Justice
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, laptop computer
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29 Oregon Humanities
What qualities are unique to Oregonians?
Richard W. Etulain is professor emeritus of history at the University of New Mexico, where he taught American history and cultures and directed its Center for the American West. Etulain is the author or editor of fifty books, including Conversations with Wallace Stegner on Western History and Literature (1983) and The American West: A Twentieth-Century History (2007). He is currently working on a new book, Abraham Lincoln and the American West.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 698-3287
Location Clackamas
Richard W. Etulain
In the late eighteenth century, the French-American writer Crevecoeur posed the question, “What is an American?” in an attempt to learn more about American identity. Today, Northwest native and prolific history writer Richard Etulain proposes the question, “What is an Oregonian?” in a similar effort to explore the changing identities of our state and its citizens. This conversation will start by considering various historical identities of Oregon, including an Eden of freedom and verdancy, a laboratory of democracy, and a land of logging. Etulain will then challenge participants to consider their own definitions of Oregon’s identity, their role in these identities, and how diverse interpretations of Oregon might help us better understand the past, present, and future of our state.
A State of Change: Oregon’s Evolving Identities
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Oregon Place and Land
Equipment needs: Carousel slide projector, screen
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30 Oregon Humanities
Michael Hibbard is a professor emeritus in the Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management at the University of Oregon. His research focuses on community and regional development.
What are the ties that bind urban and rural communities to a common future?
Ethan Seltzer is a professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University. He was the founding director of PSU’s Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 346-3897
Location Eugene
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 725-5169
Location Portland
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Oregon Place and Land
Equipment needs: None
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Every state has a legacy of truths—stories residents tell to explain why things are how they are. When those truths conflict, as they inevitably do, the result is political, social, and cultural tension. In Oregon, tensions manifest themselves as wet versus dry, the valley versus the east side, and, perhaps most fundamental, urban versus rural. Our state’s conflicting truths can bedevil and sometimes paralyze us despite our shared state borders and public processes. The aim of this conversation is to explore and imagine what unifies Oregon.
Toward One Oregon: Bridging Oregon’s Urban and Rural Communities
Michael Hibbard
Ethan Seltzer
Bruce Weber is a professor of agricultural and resource economics at Oregon State University and director of the OSU Rural Studies Program. He teaches courses on rural community economics and policy.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (541) 737-1432
Location Corvallis
Bruce Weber
31 Oregon Humanities
How does our pursuit of happiness continue to be shaped by the Declaration of Independence?
Wendy Willis is a poet, essayist, and national leader in civic engagement and collaborative governance. She serves as executive director of the Policy Consensus Initiative, a national nonprofit organization housed at Portland State University and devoted to improving democratic governance. Her first book of poems, Blood Sisters of the Republic, was released in 2012.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 725-9091
Location Portland
Wendy Willis
As Americans, we often refer to ourselves as a “constitutional republic,” and we are engaged in ongoing public and heated debates about the meaning and interpretation of the Constitution. What we don’t often talk about, however, is our second founding document: the Declaration of Independence. If the Constitution speaks to the head, the Declaration, particularly the first three paragraphs, speaks to the heart and to the body; if the Constitution is prose, the Declaration is poetry. Wendy Willis will challenge participants to consider the history and legacy of the Declaration of Independence and to ask themselves: What does the Declaration of Independence have to offer us as twenty-first century Americans?
The Truths We Hold: The Poetry and Lessons of the Declaration of Independence
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Words and Information
Equipment needs: Digital Projector, screen, wireless Internet access
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32 Oregon Humanities
How is the disability community viewed?
Jill Crawford Hurt is a proud member of the disability community. As the second of three generations to share a hereditary neuropathy, she devotes her personal and professional life to disability advocacy. She holds a master of rehabilitation administration degree from the University of San Francisco. Her professional experience includes facilitating community advocacy and youth peer support activities and serving as director of a parent advocacy organization.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 269-4942
Location Keizer
Jill Crawford Hurt
The disability community accounts for 12 percent of the US population and almost 14 percent of the population of Oregon. All Oregonians are influenced by the disability community, whether as individuals with a disability or as family members, friends, or allies of someone with a disability. Join writer and activist Jill Crawford Hurt in an exploration of our experiences and perceptions of this community. Participants in this conversation will look at what they know of the stories of their own family, friends, and colleagues and consider the sources of their perspectives. Whether these stories contain themes of pride, oppression, resistance, failure, or success, they offer us an opportunity to rethink our perceptions.
Understanding Disability: Family and Community Stories
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Justice
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, microphone, assistive listening device
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33 Oregon Humanities
How can our relationship to food empower us and create deeper connections to our communities and neighbors?
Wendy Willis is a poet, essayist, and national leader in civic engagement and collaborative governance. She serves as executive director of the Policy Consensus Initiative, a national nonprofit organization housed at Portland State University and devoted to improving democratic governance. Her first book of poems, Blood Sisters of the Republic, was released in 2012.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 725-9091
Location Portland
Wendy Willis
Oregon is famous for its food—for its long traditions in agriculture and fisheries, and its role in the movement to promote whole food in communities, schools, and home kitchens. In addition to the daily practice of cooking and eating, many Oregonians also think, talk, and write about food. This program, facilitated by Wendy Willis, poet, essayist, and executive director of the Policy Consensus Initiative at Portland State University, will offer participants a chance to reflect on how our relationship to food production, preparation, and consumption might help create self-sufficiency and empowered citizenship.
We Are What We Eat: Connecting Food and Citizenship
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Equipment needs: Digital Projector, screen
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34 Oregon Humanities
How does our work shape us?
Adam Davis is the executive director of Oregon Humanities and the editor of Taking Action, Hearing the Call across Traditions, and co-editor of The Civically Engaged Reader. Davis has taught classes and led workshops on the meaning of work. He has worked as a laborer in residential construction, a backcountry trail crew leader, a waiter, a burrito vendor, a teacher, a counselor, and a nonprofit administrator.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 241-0543, ext. 114
Location Portland
Adam Davis
Americans work a lot: according to Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average full-time American employee works about 1,700 hours per year, as compared with 1,500 in France and 1,400 in Germany. Often in America, introductions often begin with the question, And what do you do? We lead with our work. In doing so, we suggest that what we do for work says a lot about who we are, or even is who we are. This conversation, led by Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis, looks at our assumptions about work and our sense of ourselves, and considers how our work shapes us and what marks it leaves.
What Do You Do? Work and Worth in America
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Meaning and Values
Equipment needs: None
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35 Oregon Humanities
What is the role of education?
Alex Sager is an assistant professor of philosophy and university studies at Portland State University. His area of specialization is social and political philosophy and he has published widely on the political philosophy of migration. At Portland State University, he created the philosophy of education class and is closely involved with PSU student projects collaborating with Portland-area schools in philosophy-related education projects.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 725-9893
Location Portland
Alex Sager
America faces a crisis in education. In the last fifteen years, the US government has spent billions of dollars financing reforms—such as test-based accountability, charter schools, and the Common Core—largely designed to ensure our schools produce competent workers. These policies do not address some basic philosophical questions about the nature and goals of education. How does education relate to citizenship? To freedom and the good life? To social justice? Or to a love of knowledge and beauty? By drawing on ideas about education from philosophy, Portland State University assistant professor Alex Sager will lead participants in a conversation about the role of education in American society.
What Is Education for?
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Community and Civic Life Justice
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, chalk/whiteboard
Program available in: Spanish
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36 Oregon Humanities
What do we want from nature?
Adam Davis is the executive director of Oregon Humanities. His previous roles including directing the Center for Civic Reflection, where he helped the Aldo Leopold Foundation develop their Land Ethic Leader training, and the United States Forest Service, where he led backcountry trail crews and occasionally fought wildland fire. He has taught courses and led workshops on the human relationship to nature.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 241-0543, ext. 114
Location Portland
Adam Davis
Oregonians across the political spectrum place a high value on the diverse natural resources of our state, but we are divided about how these resources should be used and talked about. In this conversation, Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis will help participants step back from policy decisions and consider more basic questions about our relationship to the mountains, air, trees, animals, and streams around us. What do we want from nature? What do we understand nature to be, and how do we see ourselves fitting in?
What We Want from the Wild
Program available through October 2016
Program themes: Place and Land
Equipment needs: None
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37 Oregon Humanities
What does racial integration require of us?
Emily Drew is an associate professor of sociology at Willamette University, where she teaches courses about racism, race and ethnicity, immigration, and social change. Her primary areas of research involve understanding how race and racism operate inside of institutions. Drew serves as a co-trainer of “Understanding Institutional Racism” workshops for Crossroads Anti-Racism Organizing and Training.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 370-6556
Location Salem
Emily Drew
Although census data show Oregon’s population becoming more racially diverse, the state remains one of the whitest in the nation. Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society. Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges to creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era. What does the racial integration of place require of us, and how might we prepare to create and embrace this opportunity?
White Out? The Future of Racial Diversity in Oregon
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Justice Oregon Race
Equipment needs: Digital Projector, laptop computer, screen
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38 Oregon Humanities
How have historic laws shaped our state’s racial makeup?
Walidah Imarisha has taught courses on topics as diverse as the history of the Black Panther Party, race and the history of prisons, and hip hop as literature at Portland State University, Oregon State University, and Southern New Hampshire University. She has facilitated writing workshops in schools, community centers, youth detention facilities, and women’s prisons. She also filmed and codirected the film Finding Common Ground in New Orleans.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (267) 992-2617
Location Portland
Walidah Imarisha
Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools. Author and educator Walidah Imarisha will lead participants through an interactive timeline of Black history in Oregon that speaks to the history of race, identity, and power in this state and the nation. Participants will discuss how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and will continue to shape—the landscape not only for Black Oregonians but all Oregonians.
Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Justice Oregon Race
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, enough wall space to hang forty sheets of 8½” x 11” paper
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39 Oregon Humanities
How can we best balance our need to extract natural resources with our need to preserve them for the future?
Veronica Dujon is associate dean of curriculum development and enrollment management at Portland State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She teaches, researches, and publishes in the area of environmental sociology with a focus on contests over declining natural resources, sociology of globalization, and women in the global economy. One of her major research interests is how to build socially sustainable societies.
Email [email protected]
Telephone (503) 725-8503
Location Portland
Veronica Dujon
Oregonians are known for a fierce sense of independence and a rugged individuality, qualities long associated with natural resource vocations such as logging, fishing, farming, and ranching. The state is also known for its progressive environmental policies. Our sense of connection to a place informs our values and our approaches to conflict over resource and land use in our communities. Veronica Dujon, a professor of sociology at Portland State University whose research focuses on gillnet fishermen on the Lower Columbia and the conflict over water rights in the Klamath Basin, invites you to consider the various meanings we in Oregon attach to different places in the state and to explore how these attachments shape our desire to both use and preserve our natural resources.
Your Land, My Land: Using and Preserving Oregon’s Natural Resources
Program available through October 2015
Program themes: Meaning and Values Oregon Place and Land
Equipment needs: Digital projector, screen, microphone, TV with DVD player
Program available in: Spanish
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Program Themes
41 Oregon Humanities
Conversation Project
Community and Civic Life
American Character The Art of the Possible Beyond the Scoreboard Culture Wars Lessons from Lincoln Life After War Lost and Found The Truths We Hold We Are What We Eat What Is Education for?
Ethics
Good Food, Bad Food In Science We Trust? Keeping Tabs on America
The Human ConditionBeyond Human From Saving to Serving Going Solo Grave Matters Life After War The Power of Play
Justice
Keeping Tabs on America Mind the Gaps Something Old, Something New Understanding Disability What Is Education for? White Out? Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?
Meaning and Values
The Art of the Possible A City’s Center From Saving to Serving Going Solo
Good Food, Bad Food Grave Matters In Science We Trust? Lessons from Lincoln What Do You Do? Your Land, My Land
Oregon
A State of Change Toward One Oregon White Out? Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? Your Land, My Land
Race
White Out? Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?
Place and Land
A City’s Center A State of Change Toward One Oregon What We Want from the Wild Your Land, My Land
Technology
Beyond Human From Print to Pixels Lost and Found
Words and InformationFrom Print to Pixels The Truths We Hold
Offering a themed selection of Conversation Project programs helps host organizations build a dedicated group of repeat participants and offers more opportunities for participants to explore a given topic. We have suggested a number of related themes below, but we encourage you to create your own themed selection of programs based on your community’s interests.
Program Themes
42 Oregon Humanities
Conversation Project
By signing and submitting a Conversation Project application, the authorizing official of the hosting organization or institution provides the applicable federal certifications regarding compliance with nondiscrimination statutes, debarment, and suspension, as outlined below. If you have any questions regarding these guidelines, please contact the Oregon Humanities offices at (503) 241-0543 or (800) 735-0543, ext. 116.
Certification regarding debarment, suspension, ineligibility, and voluntary exclusion—lower-tier covered transactions, 45 CFR 1169: (a.) The prospective lower-tier participant (organization hosting a Conversation Project program) certifies, by submission an application, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency. (b.) Where the prospective lower-tier participant is unable to certify the statements in the certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to their application.
Certification regarding nondiscrimination statutes: The applicant (organization hosting a Conversation Project program) certifies that it will comply with the following nondiscrimination statutes and their implementing regulations: (a.) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), which provides that no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the applicant received federal financial assistance; (b.) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance; (c.) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance; (d.) Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, except that actions which reasonably take age into account as a factor necessary for the normal operation or achievement of any statutory objective of the project or activity shall not violate this statute.
Federal Certifications