Kevin Cook (aka Poison Waters) has been busy making the rounds on local media. A recent highlights the class he’s teaching this August titled Histories of Drag Performance in Portland, found in the Music and Theater section of our catalog and online schedule.

In fact, the class is so popular that we’ve just added a new class for summer, beginning August 22nd.

From an earlier article in PCC’s magazine:

“In the late 1940s, Portland Mayor Dorothy McCullough Lee used her influence to threaten liquor licenses for clubs that featured female impersonators. In the 1960s, drag professionals were often relegated to trusted homes or underground clubs to safely ply their trade.

Fast forward to 2020, the city’s longest running drag club Darcelle XV Showplace, which opened during those tumultuous times (1967), was designated a national historic site for its role in the city’s LGBTQ+ history.

But what happened in between?

In instructor Kevin Cook’s three-week summer class, “Histories of Drag Performance in Portland,” students learn about the origins of the local drag scene, beginning in the 1950s and expanding to the 2020 social justice movements. The class also explores the joy, glitz and artistry of the performances.”

Read more at pcc.edu.

Calling all Portland backyard gardeners!

Do you find that your plants aren’t performing up to par? Are you encountering hard-to-grow regions of your yard, or saddened by your harvest despite a cultivation season full of hope? Are you looking at unruly shrubs and wondering how to tame them without inflicting unsightly damage?

PCC Community Ed has a revolving series of Garden, Nature & Yard classes that renew each quarter and that cover a variety of seasonal topics. Below we’ll share some of our current classes and we encourage you to check in each season at pcc.edu/community/schedule so you may prepare for the next.

Landscape Irrigation: System Installation and Maintenance
Irrigation for the Home Gardener! Learn the basics of residential irrigation system installation and maintenance including system components and operation. Gain skills to install and maintain PVC pipe, sprinkler heads, nozzles, valves and controllers for your home.

Organic Vegetable Gardening: Basics for Beginners
Excited to grow your own food, but have little to no experience? New to gardening in Portland? Learn organic gardening basics: soil care, site preparation, crop selection, planting and care techniques, crop rotation and companion planting. Organic gardening expert Jolie Donohue will demystify food growing and share her tips and techniques for beginner success.

Small Space Organic Vegetable Gardening
No space is too small to grow your own food. Learn how to grow a victory garden in containers and raised beds. Site your small space garden, select containers, build a raised bed and learn tips for which crops to plant. All gardening experience levels welcome.

Planting a Fall and Winter Vegetable Garden
The mild climate of the Portland metro area allows to grow vegetables year-round. The key to a successful fall and winter harvest is proper planning and timing in late August. Learn about a variety of successful vegetable crops that grow through fall and winter, harvesting them and storage techniques.

Troubleshooting the Organic Vegetable Garden
Did you recently plant a beautiful vegetable garden but are noticing your crops beginning to wilt or die? Never fear…organic gardening expert, Jolie Donohue, will demystify pest, disease and yield problems common in our local vegetable gardens. Students will learn organic strategies for maintaining a healthy and happy vegetable garden.

Organic Culinary Herb Gardening
Herbs are easy plants to grow in the edible garden and can thrive in a range of sites, including containers. Learn how to site your herb garden, culture, harvest and store your herbs. Gain recipes for 20 different culinary herbs that will enhance your culinary creations!

Fall Care of The Organic Vegetable Garden
Learn what vegetables and herbs to plant in fall, tips for seasonal harvest and storage, season extension techniques, garden cleanup, planting cover crops, composting, and organic methods for soil care. All experience levels welcome.

PCC Community Ed has been holding remote classes for more than a year in response to COVID-19. But the pandemic hasn’t stopped our team from developing robust programming to bring community together in spite of our remote locations. Below we’re sharing a few of our seasonal Food and Drink favorites. Pick up a few new skills or knowledge, and impress your fully-vaccinated friends when you feel comfortable to gather together in-person once again. Find the following classes by clicking on the links below, selecting the Summer tab, and search for the “Food and Drink” heading to register.

• Summer Pasta Dishes
  Summer is the best time to make easy, fast, one skillet meals…and nothing beats pasta! Learn to make farfalle with chickpeas and lemon, fusilli with crab and snap peas, Ziti with garlic and prosciutto and the famous pasta primavera.
• Summer Wine…in a Can
  As we prepare to hike, picnic and barbecue our way through summer, learn about wines in cans that are delicious, easy to throw in a cooler and more gentle on the environment. Many wineries are improving these canned choices while boasting “premium” wines in easy to go and more sustainable packaging. Students will pick up their four can wine samples at The Wine Cellar beginning two weeks before the start date of the class. You must be 21+ to take this class.
• Barbecue and Wine Pairing
  Whether you are barbecuing tofu or ribs, we have you covered! Learn the concepts of wine pairing and discover the flavor combinations that will enhance and delight your summer meals. Gain recipes with wine pairing suggestions to sample for summer and even cook along in the class if you wish! Students can pick up their three half-bottle wine samples at The Wine Cellar beginning two weeks before the class start date. You must be 21+ to take this class.
• Summer Table Plant-based Series
  Show off your plant based cooking skills with these backyard summer season recipes! Whip up new salads, entrees and desserts that will make your summer season meals with friends and family extra special. Register for this class to enroll in the series at a discount.

Community Ed offers more than a dozen Music and Theater classes each term to help students hone their talents or connect with others to express their creative side. These courses are online/remote during the coming term – so your options are not bound by your location. We’ve shared several options below, but you can review all upcoming courses at the Community Ed schedule page.

Group Singing
Come together online in real time to sing. Build music reading and ear training skills. Work on breath management, range and resonance. You will hear and sing along only with the instructor, and you will see your classmates doing the same.

Jazz Singers Workshop 1
This workshop utilizes a 50 page workbook and vocal exercise CD authored by the instructor to introduce students to the art of singing America’s indigenous music, jazz. Proper vocal technique, breath control, using a microphone,counting in, talking musician talk, connecting with the audience, repertoire and key selection are explored as well as what is swing and to do it. Telling a musical story, phrasing like you speak and designing intros and outros are also part of the workshop learning. A professional pianist is in class and a performance at a local jazz club wraps up the eight week workshop.

Jazz Singers Workshop 2
Take your jazz singing to the next level, with advanced concepts, techniques and vocal improvisation.

Jazz Singers: Vocal Techniques
Study and emulate vocal techniques of the great jazz masters. Compare and contrast three versions of ten songs. Analyze how these vocalists turned American standards into original and timeless interpretations.

Music Theory for Singers
Demystify music theory that’s pertinent to singers so that you can work confidently beside professional musicians, grasp the theory behind your songs, and use it to hone your craft more precisely.

Looking for additional educational opportunities for teens? Check out the collection of PCC Community Ed teen courses with options ranging from yoga to guitar – even cooking! Did you read that right Mom and Dad? Train your kid up right for a magical pasta dinner while you sit back and enjoy!

These online training courses for high school-age students are flexible, online, and focused on topics teens enjoy and that allow them to dive deep into a topic. After a yearlong pandemic-driven quarantine, your teen can safely connect with other students who are interested in the same topics in a friendly environment with the quality of PCC education.

Here are just a few of the courses that the online program can bring into your teen’s life.

Cooking Made Fun

Cooking classes are tailored to teen favorites and to the level of engagement that they have available: no funky ingredients, no complicated techniques that are hard to learn. Instead, classes like Boba Tea Shop, Cooking and Chemistry, and Pasta Made Easy have clear instructions, but also lots of options and interchangeable ingredients so that everyone can participate and have fun. These classes are a great option for teens who are exploring a potential career in the culinary arts, or maybe just want to bring some PIZZAZZ! to the next family meal. See what classes are coming up by visiting pcc.edu/community/teen.

Creative Expression

Creative classes in a high school setting may get competitive or have intensely graded components, and it can be hard to really let loose and play with your creativity. PCC’s teen program classes focus on giving you new skills while maintaining a fun and engaging environment. Students can take Everyday Creativity and practice different kinds of art to find what they like best, all while decompressing after long days at school. They can join Glee Camp to practice great singing strategies or learn how to turn short story writing skills into a technique for making art in our Comics class. Other art forms like the Origami and Kirigami classes are great ways to take a break from textbooks and try something new.

Building on Language Skills

German Conversation for Teens and Teen French Club both focus on putting language skills into practice with other teens who want to keep learning and growing. Getting comfortable with a language requires taking it outside of the textbook, speaking, and occasionally making mistakes while also seeing growth. PCC provides the environment to feel supported in endeavors to improve language skills while developing comfort in a language, and arguably even more important element of language fluency.

Getting Active Wherever You Are

If you have a teen who wants to stay active or wants a new outlet, we offer exciting options for those seeking to move their bodies. Yoga for Athletes and Teen Zumba: Dance Party both make getting active more fun. Consider signing up for these courses to have a low-stress, easy way to feel good and get your blood pumping.

Unconventional Musical Pursuits

Teens may have already been playing an instrument for many years or may have never taken an interest, but PCC offers online training courses for high school students of either type and anywhere in-between. Try, for instance, a first-time Piano for Beginners class, or learn the basics of playing a unique instrument with Teen Ukulele. Rock Guitar 101 focuses guitar lessons on fun contemporary music, motivating even long-time players to find a new sound. All the classes are focused on providing additional education opportunities for teens.

Many high school-aged students have a lot of areas in their lives where they are expected to achieve high marks, get good grades, win at all costs or receive acceptance into colleges or other programs. But isn’t learning also supposed to be fun??? PCC Community Ed classes are an opportunity to stay engaged, make connections, and have a fun time while learning something new. These courses can bring out a love of learning that helps teens in their other classes, establishing a bedrock of great habits. Learn more and sign up today for teen program classes!

Originally posted December 3, 2020. Current classes may vary.

Gluten Free Baking

Start baking your own gluten free baked goods! Students will learn to make a gluten free sourdough starter and use applesauce as an egg replacement for various recipes. Bake along or learn tips and tricks for baking gluten free cookies, cinnamon rolls, naan, muffins and scones.

Home Improvement for Sellers

Add value in the right place to sell faster for more money! Learn how to evaluate what improvements are necessary and find the fastest way to improve your curb appeal based on best practices in real estate, remodeling, and home staging.

Food Freedom

During this 6-week course, you will learn all about the macro and micronutrients that provide nourishment to your body. Which foods to eat and which to avoid for optimal health, the importance of digestion and how to improve it, Which fats improve your health, how to balance your blood sugar, how to read food labels. How to eat healthy on a budget. We will discuss different types of diets and how to determine which is right for you. Your instructor, Karen Davis, is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and is passionate about all things nutrition. Learn in a judgement-free, interactive style class.

Reiki Level 1

Are you curious about energy healing? Come learn this Japanese healing technique in a welcoming and fun environment! The intention is to create deep relaxation, to help speed healing, reduce pain, and decrease other symptoms you may be experiencing. Workshop will include a Reiki 1 attunement and a Reiki 1 certificate.

Barre Fusion

Enjoy a low impact, high energy, music-driven movement experience that blends the best of Dance, Pilates and Yoga. Strengthen and stretch the whole body with standing exercises using a barre (or chair back) and mat-based Pilates moves.

Collage from Your Junk Drawer

Recombine pieces of paper, photographs, fabric and other ephemera — both 2D and 3D — onto one surface to create an original image. Explore how collage can be a tool of visual expression, formal beauty or used for story-telling.

The Personal is Political: Art and Social Justice

Explore Portland through the protest art that local artists are currently making. Via mini-lectures, discussion, and your own experiments, we investigate what makes an artwork political, relevant and effective. Everyone is welcome.

Yoga in French and English

Yoga and French? Body and Mind? Let’s flow together! Enjoy Iyengar/Vinyasa yoga and learn some French. Taught by a native French speaker and longtime yoga teacher. All levels of French and yoga students are welcome.

History of Persia and Modern Day Iran

Learn about the fascinating history of the Persian Empire and modern-day Iran. This course explores the evolution of Persian civilization, including art, culture and historical events that influenced the course of Persian/Iranian history.

Improved Self Talk With Less Conflict

Is your self-talk full of conflicts and criticisms? Have you tried to “think positively” without a lasting effect? Discover tools and strategies to shift your thoughts quickly, resolve internal conflicts and take new perspectives on old conflicts.

Research shows that can do so much for the brain and for our social experience. Not only does learning a language help you expand your mind, but it also opens up new communities where you can connect with potential new acquaintances and friends. It makes work, travel, and your social life more enriching, while also keeping our minds active at the same time.

However, many people are daunted by the often lifelong process of language learning when there are manageable steps you can take at any time. Whether you grew up speaking a language and are out of practice, are brand new to a language community, or need to be able to speak to new friends in Portland but don’t have the English language proficiency yet, the programs at PCC Community Ed will help you connect with the language community and get a jumpstart on the goals that you have.

Types of Language Courses Available

You’ll be able to reach a variety of goals in learning a new language using coursework from PCC, from prepping for a short jaunt to another country to communicating with your new coworkers to really pushing yourself to full proficiency or even fluency over time. Use different courses for different goals so that you don’t end up working intensely on elements of the language that you don’t intend to put into practice. These courses are also great ways to build on and supplement prior knowledge of languages, from learning as a child and forgetting some, to taking classes in high school years ago.

Conversation Classes

While some learners are focused on the ability to read or write in a new language, many of us are focused on the benefits that come with increased conversational fluency. Conversation/introductory classes are available in a wide variety of languages, including Latin, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese. These courses help you move beyond studying in a book to be able to talk with fellow speakers of the language and use these skills in your personal or professional life, whether you travel or interact with international populations here in the Portland, Oregon area.

American Sign Language

We offer a variety of levels of American Sign Language, a language used in both deaf and hearing communities, and as a bridge between different forms of linguistic expression. You can start from scratch or build on past knowledge of both ASL and deaf culture in order to better communicate with those around you.

Travel Courses

Many of our language groups include a course for travelers or those who would like to travel in the future. These courses focus your efforts on learning the elements of language that will be most useful when visiting a new country, from interacting with restaurant staff, hotel staff, and shopkeepers to asking for directions or other forms of help as you navigate a new place. These courses can be a fun way to daydream and build anticipation for a future trip, but be warned: you might be bitten by the language bug and want to keep learning the language further!

Accelerated Spanish Classes

Spanish is one of our more popular course offerings, and for those who want to become better at Spanish quickly or who have some background but need a quick-pace refresher, we offer classes that designate as ‘fast-paced’ or ‘intensive.’ Choose these courses to get better quickly and feel the immersive benefit of a high-energy learning experience.

Workplace and Medical Language Courses

We offer focused courses in both English and Spanish that help with professional skills you may need, either with a course specifically on the language needed in the workplace or with the language needed in medical fields. People who learn medical terminology in another language can begin the process of becoming a medical translator, a lucrative and much-needed career path. With almost 10% of the population in Oregon speaking Spanish, it’s key that medical and workplace services be accessible in each person’s needed language, and these courses can help you get started!

1-on-1 Instruction

As mentioned above, Spanish is a key need in the Portland, Oregon area and beyond. We’ve set up the ability to take 1-on-1 Spanish classes, which tailor to your needs and help you push your understanding and skill in a highly individualized format. Whether you want to use one of these lesson packages to push yourself through a particularly challenging element of the Spanish language or are interested in pushing past proficiency toward fluency after taking all our other Spanish coursework, this kind of instruction is very helpful for digging deep and making your Spanish as strong as possible.

No matter the language you’ve set about learning, PCC offers coursework that helps you advance your knowledge in the direction you seek. Learn more and check out all the levels and styles available for learning a new language!

Note – language classes may vary from term to term

Portlanders have experienced a lot of challenge and hardship in 2020! As if things couldn’t get more stressful from all the repercussions of COVID-19, home quarantine, economic hardship and social unrest – we’ve all recently had the collective experience of an additional layer of isolation due to unhealthy and hazardous air quality resulting from more than 1,000,000 acres of scorched forest land.

It’s a lot to take in.

This Fall PCC Community Ed is offering classes that may serve to ease the burden of all of these challenging events. Science suggests that both and are beneficial for overall wellbeing, and may reduce stress and anxiety. Though it’s worth pointing out that Mind-Body Wellness programming is available every term. We’ve summarized related programming below:

Yoga Classes 
Take group classes (found in the Community Ed schedule) or connect with an instructor for 1:1 lessons. Private lessons are an excellent way to get started with yoga or to deepen your practice. All levels welcome.

Mindfulness for Pain Relief 
Discover ways to move, breathe and approach your chronic pain to lesson symptoms. You will develop body awareness and self-care. This course benefits people with back and joint pain and stress related symptoms. Bring yoga mat and small blanket. Found under the “Mind-Body Wellness” heading on the Community Ed schedule.

Bringing Flexy Back
Improve the lines of your backbend! This class focuses on conditioning the upper body to improve strength and flexibility. We’ll work from the top of the shoulders down to the lower back, with an emphasis on alignment and injury prevention. Found under the “Mind-Body Wellness” heading on the Community Ed schedule.

Zumba.
Sometimes you just need to move. Ditch the workout and join the party! Burn calories while dancing to Latin and international music. We’ll move to the beats of salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, belly dance, flamenco and more! Found under the “Sports” heading on the Community Ed schedule.

The team at PCC Community Ed collectively sends its heartfelt condolences to everyone in our community that has struggled during this time.

Chasing finish lines, or just want to stay in shape? Join us for a supportive at-home fitness experience to be a better runner. You’ll workout and learn conditioning, injury prevention, training, race-prep tips and more. All levels welcome!

We recently connected with Runner’s Lab instructor Evan Jensen to learn a little more about what inspired him to form the Runner’s Lab class. Read more below!

Tell us what you’ll do in the class and how you’ll engage the students?

Running is a great way to stay in shape. But there’s also a lot of satisfaction that comes from going for a run, finishing a race, or running for a cause. The right training can help you tackle any distance, develop healthier lifestyle habits, and enjoy every mile. Sure, you’ll have to hustle, sweat, and struggle a little, but it’s worth the effort. In the Runner’s Lab, you’ll join me and other students for a mix of strength training, stretching, and cardio workouts via live video, along with training tips to be a better runner.

Register for Runner’s Lab for: weekly workouts and discussions about running-related topics to help you run far, be strong, and keep going. Outside of class, we’ll continue the conversation in the Runner’s Lab social media group.

What goals will students accomplish in terms of physical and mental health?

We’re creating a welcoming and encouraging environment for new and experienced runners to connect and improve together. Spend 10 weeks in the Runner’s Lab and you’ll learn runner-specific workouts and training tips to:

• Improve muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility
• Create your own running workouts and training plans
• Choose the right shoes and gear
• Improve nutrition and hydration for better performance
• Prevent and treat running-related injuries
• Develop mindset practices to tackle any distance

How long have you been teaching these sorts of classes and why?

Jump in the “Wayback Machine” and dial it back 25 years. That’s when I ran my first 26.2-mile marathon in Park City, Utah and started sharing the lessons I’ve learned from running marathons and ultramarathons. It’s pretty satisfying to point someone in the right direction, watch them do the work, and then accomplish a goal. There’s obvious health benefits to running, but I like to help people recognize running can help you feel better too. More confidence and determination. Better focus. Discipline. Running can do that for you, too.

What is it about fitness/running that excites you the most?

There’s kind of like this universal law. You get better, you improve, a little at a time. Take one step, and then another. Running is like that. Start. Try. Keep going, and you’ll get there.

And running is about as simple as it gets. Lace up your running shoes and go. The only person you’re really competing against is yourself. Head out the door to run some miles, and there’s really just one question to think about: Are you physically and mentally strong enough to go the distance?

I love that about running. But even better, if you are physically and mentally strong enough to go the distance, or just brave enough to try, what else can you accomplish in other areas of your life?

Quick Questions

• Favorite snack: Greek yogurt
• Favorite treat: Brownies
• Favorite movie: Karate Kid
• Average number of running miles per year: 2,000
• Number of marathons finished: About 40…I’ve lost track
• Number of ultramarathons finished: 20+ (distances include 50K, 50 miles, and 100 miles)
• Crosstraining? Yes. Every runner should do this…Lift weights.
• Longest training run: Mapped out my own 105-mile run from Timothy Lake to Portland, and back to Boring on trails and backroads.
• Gnarliest run: Once ran the Hunchback Trail from the Salmon River side to the Zig Zag Ranger Station in the middle of the night…during a rain storm. Downed trees, poorly marked trails, steep climbs and descents. It was a lot harder than I expected.

Find the class

1. Visit pcc.edu/community/schedule
2. Click on the Fall 2020 Tab
3. Scroll down to “Sports” and click
4. Select Runner’s Lab and Register

Teen Program classes have become a year-round activity at PCC. PCC’s Community Ed Teen Program offers a variety of dynamic and engaging educational experiences for students aged 12-17. But please note, these classes have special registration requirements including forms that need to be signed by a parent or guardian.

Class sizes are small, and the focus is on having a good time while you immerse yourself in an intriguing subject. Learn more about Fall Teen Program classes below. Ready to register? Visit pcc.edu/community/teen to learn how.

Art

Facepainting 101
Learn tips and tricks from a face paint expert and the fascinating world of face painting. Explore strategies to create realistic 3D effects, traditional characters and creature faces. Impress your friends and family while expressing your creativity with face painting! For ages 12-17.

Halloween Makeup Artist
Learn face painting skills this Halloween to create your own unique look! Create a ghoul glam look or bloody beast, in this action packed class taught by an expert face painter. Reuse supplies you already have at home, paired with inexpensive makeup products to take your skills to the next level. For ages 12-17.

Baking

Baking From Around the World
Doesn’t everyone love cookies? These small portable sweets can be simple, elegant, sweet or salty. They are a favorite among home bakers as most countries have at least one famous recipe. Learn to make Mexican wedding cake cookies, Greek almond cookies, Florentines and Scottish shortbread.

Exercise

Yoga for Athletes
Develop or deepen a yoga practice to complement your favorite sport. Improve flexibility, strength, balance and mental focus. Experiment with sequences to integrate into warm up and cool down routines. Learn poses, meditation techniques and breath practices to help promote relaxation and recovery. For ages 12-17.

Teen Zumba: Dance Party!
Ditch the workout and join the party! We’ll move and groove to Latin music and learn basic dances while having fun together and staying fit. For ages 12-17.

Languages

German Conversations for Teens
Ja, du kannst Deutsch! Learn the basics in this fun, beginner’s conversation class. Explore the German alphabet, train facial muscles to master sounds of the German language and learn useful vocabulary to increase confidence and fluency. German conversation is encouraged on the first day of class…along with laughing!

Teen Spanish Club
Join Teen Spanish Club to learn and practice Spanish with your friends while participating in Spanish language and culture through reading, music, dance, food and more! Ages 12-17.

Music

Piano for Beginners
Learn the piano! This class is an excellent introduction to the keyboard and prepares pianists for private study or playing in a band/ensemble. Develop core keyboard skills like hand position, note-reading, chord vocabulary, rhythm and music theory while learning rock, pop and classical songs.

Rock Guitar 101
Learn to play some of your favorite songs! You will learn guitar basics, music theory and musical performance. Realize your musical dreams by learning and playing in a motivating and encouraging atmosphere. For ages 12-17.