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.

What class are you teaching?

3 courses using Mindfulness for Wholesome Living 1. “Disruptors in Science, Politics, Climate, Self-Identity and Religion” 2. “Real Talk about Living and Dying” 3. “Enjoying Giving Speeches”

How long have you been teaching at PCC?

2 years

What do you like about working at PCC?

There is nothing more exciting than being in a learning environment. Students come with an open, fresh mind. We learn from each other and explore new territory. It`s the best!

How did you become interested in the subject matter?

I have studied the far reaches of human consciousness since I was a child. I have forever been fascinated by the meaning and essence of consciousness and attempted to understand it through my engineering work, body movement therapy training , and communications background. I enjoy sharing this knowledge and bring it into my classroom.

What is it about the subject that compels you to remain interested?

My focus is on Mindfulness so that we can live a full life consciously, clearly and with joy. Is there anything more exciting or fulfilling than being awake to the surprises, the mysteries and the meanings of life?

Share an interesting thing that you have learned from your students.

As my classes often get a bit philosophical, when my students show me a new and fresh perspective I deeply love it. For example, talking about time or death or the source of fear can be fairly far-reaching, but new ideas and laughter always lighten up and bring the class environment back to reality.

How will your students be impacted by this class?

Within each of these 3 courses we look at the many ways to challenge the anxieties of modern society through understanding and overcoming our fears along with personally being in a more alive, awakened state; a place where many opportunities arise.

How do you intend to keep exploring this subject matter?

These topics I focus on every day of my life including sharing thoughts with others who teach in these compelling areas of society

What are you doing to stay current in your field?

I do End-of-Life volunteer work and explore these mysteries of life and death with my patients along with researching trends in health care. My Speech clients are from all walks of life – from corporate CEO`s to individuals transitioning out of prisons into society; I love the blend of people as everyone has their own truth to share. For my Disruptors class I meet with Futurists on a regular basis along with staying current on science and political breakthroughs. I often give seminars on these topics open to the public e.g. at IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences based in San Francisco, CA), along with IANDS (International Association of Near Death Studies).

Learn more about Britton’s upcoming courses under the “Personal Development” heading.

The ancient healing art of Qigong (chee gong) is gaining momentum and acceptance in Western medicine – and PCC Community Ed is offering several coursesfor people interested in exploring the practice.

Referred to as a ‘moving meditation,’ the rhythmic movements of Qigong are repetitive and gentle. Coordinated with relaxed breath and mind intention, the forms are easily learned. These movements allow for physical limitations, and can even be practiced from a seated position.

PCC Community Ed Qigong Instructor Rose Allen has been a student of Qigong since 2005 when she met her first teacher, who was leading classes in Laurelhurst Park. When that teacher opened an institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2011, she relocated to the high desert in order to immerse herself in six years of deep study and teaching.

Rose accumulated hundreds of hours of classroom instruction, in addition to her own personal practice, and is well-regarded for her devoted study and comfortable teaching style. While at the institute, she also studied yoga, internal alchemy, meditation, gong fu, Tai Chi – and life from a Daoist perspective. A certified Qigong instructor, she has also studied with other Qigong Masters and is quite well-read on the subject.

Rose says Qigong is self-empowering and easy to learn, particularly for those who find other forms of exercise challenging.

Designed to increase the flow of energy in the body, blockages that cause pain and other health problems are released. Rose says pressures and demands can leave us overwhelmed, agitated, and addicted to intensity, but a practice such as Qigong can effectively bring about the necessary relaxation needed for self-healing.

She says her life goal is to share this healing practice with as many people as possible.

“The more abundant your energy level, the easier it is to stay healthy – and Qigong participants build, rather than expend energy during this practice.”

Did you know that experts believe more than will require computer skills and technology knowledge as soon as 2020? If you’ve had a job in the past ten years you’re much more likely to believe it’s 100%, but who are we to argue with the U.S. Bureau of Labor? This statistic might be staggering, but not when you realize how quickly technology has infiltrated every moment of our lives. In China they are even using computers for a social credit system! Yikes! At we are not using artificial intelligence quite yet – but we DO recognize everyone uses computers, and sometimes we could all use a little refresher to improve efficiencies and make our lives easier.

Tech in the Home Office or the Job Market

You would expect to need computer knowledge if you’re training to work in tech, but there are a wide range of personal activities and jobs that require a significant level of computer proficiency.

• Small business owners require a variety of digital literacy – from Quickbooks to social media technology
• Medical and health professionals are now responsible for managing spreadsheets related to budgeting, reporting and compliance – as well as handling secure electronic health records on computers or with handheld devices
• Many entry-level or gateway positions require employees to be versatile with spreadsheet, word processing and presentation software

What Are the Most In-Demand Computer Skills?

With jobs that don’t require computer access becoming increasingly obsolete, computer skills that support productivity and collaboration are in high demand. Many organizations also consider intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite programs an asset – but many of the formulas and functions are now transferable to products made by Microsoft competitors. Consider the following courses to improve, refresh or elevate your computer-related skill set:

• Word: The premier word processing platform, ideal for creating everything from legal documents to invoices, business cards to college papers.
• Excel: Creating simple spreadsheets or complex numerical analyses requires use of Excel – especially for creating actionable reports.
• PowerPoint: Visual communication is extremely powerful, especially as businesses expand globally. PowerPoint allows you to create colorful and engaging presentations for meetings or seminars.
• Calendars: Whether it’s Outlook, iCal or Google Calendar – these platforms are used around the world both in desktop, web and mobile versions – and they’re increasingly performing sophisticated actions.

Not every job will require broad-scale office productivity software. There are plenty of specialty talents that require increased knowledge of software that can enhance your earning potential, too.

Desktop Publishing and Graphic Design Software

Printed and digital marketing and communications materials are a highly viable way to share your message with the world. Increasingly, many office roles require a basic understanding of graphic programs from the Adobe Creative Cloud. .

• Photoshop is advanced photo editing software that allows you to create nuanced designs by restoring, editing and manipulating images.
• Illustrator provides highly detailed, vector artwork that is based in mathematics and can be effectively scaled larger and smaller without losing image quality.
• InDesign is an exceptional desktop publishing platform that integrates well with Photoshop and Illustrator to create cohesive, multi-page marketing and advertising materials such as magazines, banners and brochures.

While some graphic design professionals choose to use either Illustrator or Photoshop for their primary design platform, a provides you with highly marketable skills for the future. In fact, some of the most in-demand skills include creating online advertising campaigns and launching social media programs.

Where will your future jobs take you? When you gain a solid foundation with computer skills and technology classes, you can acquire a type of agility that prepares you for whatever type of project you encounter in the future. Learn more about improving your computer skills with ˿����Ƶ’s comprehensive list of computer and technology courses.

In 2017, a in MarketWatch found that about half of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. It’s no surprise that a survey also found that are “concerned, anxious, or fearful about their current financial well-being.” How can you avoid being part of these statistics? One way is to take a non-credit class like so you can master your budgeting skills.

Why You Should Learn Proper Budgeting Techniques

Good budgeting puts you back in control of your money. It also gives you the tools you need to save up for unexpected expenses, planned costs like vacations, and more – without giving up essentials like food or electricity. Budgeting works because it makes your expenditures more efficient.

Other Benefits of Budgeting

One of the biggest problems people face is that they don’t know exactly where their money is going. “Where did it all go?!” is a common question, especially when faced with a bill that there is no longer enough money left to pay. Budgeting stops these surprises. With it, you can spot the mounting costs of impulse buys and unnecessary spending – before they consume your month’s income. Budgeting is also important if you’re considering taking out a loan. It will make it clear how much you can really afford to pay back, so you don’t end up over your head in debt.

The practice of budgeting is meant to put you in control of your finances, not to ruin your fun or put you in a box. Done right, it is flexible enough to help you adapt to sudden expenses and give you the freedom to spend without guilt.

Who Should Budget?

Everyone should use budgeting, not just those trying to pinch pennies. In fact, people who make over $75,000 per year are to budget! Yet, overall, only 30 percent of Americans currently have a that includes savings and investment goals. This doesn’t mean that budgeting is only for the rich. Instead, it implies that using budgeting can help you increase your financial well-being.

Quick Keys to a Successful Budget

In order to successfully use budgeting, you first need to find out exactly where you stand. Assess your current assets, bills, and miscellaneous expenses. This will illustrate your current financial situation, and importantly, reveal spending habits.

Next, determine your financial goals for the next one to three years. Make sure to include known upcoming expenses such as vacations, major home repairs, and similar things.

Some quick guidelines to try to meet include:

• Housing – This should make up about 33 percent of the average budget, whether the expense is in the form of rent or mortgage payments.
• Transportation – Seventeen percent of the overall budget is allocated here. The vehicle cost – car payments – can get up to 40 percent of this budget, while the rest goes to expenses like gas and repairs.
• Food – This gets only 12.5 percent of the overall budget. Most families use about 56 percent of this money to eat at home and the rest on dining out.
• Personal Insurance – Eleven percent of the budget can go to house, car, life, and other insurance.
• Health Care – Despite some reports, this should only get 7.8 percent of the budget. Of this amount, 69 percent is for health insurance.

Of course, these are just guidelines that you can follow to get started with budgeting. Budgets are crucial for knowing and controlling your finances. It’s never too late to begin this practice. Sign up for one of our to learn all about the best ways to achieve financial well-being and stability.

Are you interested in working with nonprofits and supporting those organizations in fundraising? With grant writing courses from PCC Community Ed, you can learn how to use grant writing to boost their fundraising efforts and help them secure funds that will bring their dream projects to reality.

What is a Grant?

A grant is one of the ways the government funds your ideas and projects to provide public services and stimulate the economy. According to , $50 billion is awarded through foundations and corporate grants every year. support critical recovery initiatives, innovative research, and many other programs listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). Though they do require preparation, grants allow many people to pursue projects they wouldn’t have had the chance to pursue otherwise.

Types of Grants

1. Improving facilities

These grants help schools, nonprofits and other organizations that do not have the funds to complete renovations on their own. They provide funds for rebuilding or renovating damaged structures, weatherproofing buildings, making structures more environmentally friendly, or adding additional structures to serve the needs of a growing population.

2. Social programs

These grants cover environmental improvement projects, literacy centers and programs that assist people with disabilities. Most of the time, a program must have nonprofit status, be a government institution or be affiliated with a school to receive a grant of this nature.

3. Other grants

There are a number of other grants available for organizations seeking funds, such as grants that provide educational opportunities, emergency preparedness, research and artistic endeavors.

The grant procurement process follows a linear life cycle that includes creating the funding opportunity, applying, making award decisions and successfully implementing the award. ˿����Ƶ offers a number of classes that help you understand and navigate the process:

Grant Writing

The Grant Writing Introduction class helps you understand how to properly position the need your project plans to fill within your community. It will cover a step-by-step plan for writing a grant, from concept, to research to a viable letter of inquiry. The instructor will also guide you through techniques for clear and concise writing, presentation and use of appropriate agency. The class is designed to take the guesswork out of grant writing and help you get started with helping organizations reach their financial goals.

Fundraising

With our fundraising classes, you will learn the fundamentals of raising money as well as tips and strategies for securing project funds. In the Fundraising Fundamentals class, we’ll cover how to create a fundraising plan for an organization, which includes building a development plan, identifying a focus area, working with volunteers, establishing donors and more. The Fundraising Events – Raising Money class teaches participants how to plan, coordinate, evaluate and follow up a successful special event, which is an essential part of fundraising.

Individuals who know how to write grants are in high demand, as organizations need guidance on how to properly structure the document and use the right wording. Grant funders take these documents very seriously and want to make sure funds are going to the right projects. A grant writer is the person to ensure all these variables are in place.

The classes above are a perfect way to begin helping nonprofits that are striving to make a difference. For many organizations, a grant is the stepping stone to making their dreams and projects become a reality. Sign up for a class today at ˿����Ƶ to learn more about how you can make a difference in the community and serve a higher purpose through grant writing.

Public speaking is a learned skill. For some, of course, it may come more naturally than to others. Learning effective speech creation and delivery skills empowers all: the speaker, the message, and the audience.

Set Your Speech Goals.

Imagine being invited to give a toast at a wedding, or asked to make a presentation at work. You prepare well: you know your audience and topic, the goal of the speech, and have a working outline. You’ve practiced. When you’re finally ready to speak, your nervous energy is transformed into the fuel that helps you to deliver the speech or presentation with poise and confidence. After you finish, your audience is appreciative and has reaped the benefits from hearing what you have shared.

People successful in school, work, even personal relationships, understand the value of being able to clearly communicate facts, ideas, and feelings, whether it involves speaking to an audience, a small group, or even one-on-one. How have these people overcome their fears about public speaking to become confident and effective speakers?  Many have learned about important elements such as audience identification, speech construction, and delivery techniques. They also know that it takes preparation and practice to deliver an effective speech. As a result, they are not threatened by public speaking, but find it rewarding as they confidently deliver a message that benefits an audience.

Structure and Practice.

Yes, public speaking anxiety and apprehension are real – both physically and mentally, and sometimes an audience isn’t as appreciative as you would have liked. But when you determine your speech goal, think about audience characteristics, know how to structure a speech for impact, properly use an outline, and practice and polish your delivery – you will discover you’re a far more confident and effective toast-master. As a wise speaker once said: you become a conduit of the message; make those butterflies fly in formation!

Remember, it’s not about you being judged up there. It’s about offering an audience the opportunity to learn, to consider, to be entertained, or to be inspired.

Sue Wendel earned a Masters degree in Communication from Portland State University, and achieved DTM standing (the highest level) in Toastmasters International. She is a public speaking coach, and tutors public speaking in the Rock Creek Student Learning Center. Her classes, Public Speaking for All: Introduction and Make Your Next Speech Shine Workshop, offered through PCC Community Ed, is for people who want to learn the basics of public speaking, and for those who want to tackle speech anxiety and build confidence. The class covers speech structures, creating and using outlines, and effective delivery skills – all through interactive and fun activities. The small class size allows students lots of opportunities to practice and receive constructive feedback within a supportive learning environment.