TAHPDX: Project Team
Partners
Portland State University
Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies
The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies (IMS) is a service and research center located in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University (Portland OR). Involvement in the Teaching American History project enableD the Institute to help advance the goals of excellence in educational institutions and services in the metropolitan region. The IMS served as the primary partner and provided both program coordination and content expertise. This combination of expertise, including history, drama, geography/Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and web technology, allows the Teaching American History project to approach historical research and inquiry in an exciting and innovative way.
Contact information:
Diane Besser, TAH Coordinator
Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751 Portland, OR 97207
503-725-5869
tahpdx@pdx.edu
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Beaverton School District
The Beaverton School District participated in the 2007 and 2008 Teaching American History Project as a suburban partner. In 2008 the district was awarded its own Teaching American History Grant (2008-2011). Beaverton is the fastest growing district in the state of Oregon with 47 school sites serving over 37,000 students. This area is also experiencing significant growth in the districts' minority, special needs, and ESL populations. Closing the achievement gap and increasing academic achievement district-wide are key district goals.
Contact information:
Monica Gorman, TAH TOSA
Beaverton School District
16550 SW Merlo Rd. Beaverton, OR 97006
503-866-7812 (cell)
monica_gorman@beavton.k12.or.us
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Hillsboro School District
Located in central Washington County, Oregon, the Hillsboro School District is the 4th largest school district in the State of Oregon with 32 school campuses and a school-wide 2007 enrollment of over 20,000 students.With a commitment to good teaching practices and outreach programs, particularly to the district's large Hispanic population, the Hillsboro SD strives to provide its teachers and students with a "world class" instructional program.
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Forest Grove School District
The Forest Grove School District , located in the west central part of Washington County, Oregon, straddles a suburban/rural locality that includes Forest Grove, Cornelius, Dilley, and Gales Creek. The district serves over 6000 students covering a 225 square mile area with a diverse minority student population (40.6%) and a large ESL population (23.4%). The district is committed to innovation in teaching and learning.
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Portland Public Schools (2002-08 Partner)
Portland Public Schools (PPS), the largest school district in the state of Oregon, received two USDOE-funded Teaching American History Grants, in partnership with the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies at Portland State University. During the six years of the project (2002-2008), 50 middle and high school social studies teachers received rigorous history content training and access to innovative historical inquiry methods and tools. During that time, significant achievements were made in both teacher and student learning.
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Oregon Historical Society
The Teaching American History project worked closely with the Oregon Historical Society (OHS). Operating for over a century, OHS is the largest historical organization in the State of Oregon. In addition to its archival services, the Society operates a press which produces a quarterly scholarly journal, the Oregon Historical Quarterly. The extensive OHS artifact collection encompasses over 85,000 objects while the research library holds an enormous collection of records relating to Oregon. OHS, as a collaborative partner, allowed the TAHPDX access to its collections, research opportunities for teachers, and ongoing collaboration in developing educational curriculum units.
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Historians
Dr. Craig Wollner (in memoriam), Associate Dean and Professor of Public Administration, College of Urban and Public Affairs, Portland State University. Dr. Wollner passed away on November 20, 2010. He served as the project manager and lead historian for this Teaching American History Project for close to 8 years. History was more than just a subject to him, it was a calling. It was his passion to ignite the "historical imagination" in teachers and students alike. He will be sorely missed.
Dr. David Peterson del Mar, Professor of History, Portland State University/University of Oregon/Oregon State University. Most recently, Dr. del Mar has written a history of the state of Oregon, Oregon’s Promise. Dr. del Mar is the instructor of record for the TAH graduate-level history courses. He brings his in-depth knowledge of early U.S. history and the history of the Pacific Northwest to the project.
Dr. Carl Abbott, Professor of Urban Studies/History, Portland State University. Dr. Abbott is a nationally recognized Urban Historian who has written seminal books about Portland and its development. Dr. Abbott serves as an historian consultant to the project and guides the historical research processes relating to his areas of expertise.
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Staff and Consultants
| Meg Merrick Geographer/Project PI, Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, Portland State University. Meg is the Coordinator of the Community Geography Project. She oversaw the geographic and GIS components of the Teaching American History Project as well as serving as Project co-director. |
Karin Magaldi Associate Professor of Drama, School of Fine and Performing Arts, Portland State University. Karin has extensive experience as a dramaturge and specifically in designing and implementing historical dramatization in the K-12 classroom in both the U.S. and Canada. |
| Diane Besser Geographer/Project Coordinator, Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, Portland State University. Diane is a Research Assistant at the IMS and coordinated planning and administration for the TAH project. Diane also assisted in the program's GIS and interactive mapping components. Contact |
Monica Gorman Monica was the Beaverton School District's TOSA (Teacher-on-Special-Assignment) for the Teaching American History Project. Monica assisted in recruitment and helped participating teachers to incorporate historical content and inquiry tools into their classrooms. Contact |
Yves Labissiere Roberta Badger-Cain |
Thanks to our Teaching American History Graduate Research Assistants: Chris Brown (2010-11) |
