Events & Opportunities
April 29, 2025
Conversation Project: The Science and Story of Awe
During times of great change, anxiety and overwhelm can keep us stuck asking “What can I do?” on repeat, often leading to fear and isolation. The experience of awe, as employed in both science and story, can help us all get unstuck. What is awe, and what good does it do? Join Amber Peoples for an experience and exploration of the transformative nature of wonder.
Register for this free online conversation.
3:00 to 4:45 p.m. Pacific Time, Virtual Event, statewide
May 3, 2025
Terroir Creative Writing Festival
Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston will participate in the 2025 Terroir Creative Writing Festival. The aim of the festival is to build a stronger literary community by encouraging and spotlighting local writers while also making connections with the writing and publishing community beyond Yamhill County.
9:00 a.m., Stoller Experience Center, Dayton
May 3, 2025
Media Literacy Workshop: Advanced Media Literacy and Civic Engagement
The North Bend Public Library is offering a three-part workshop on media literacy for teens and adults on the first Saturdays of April, May, and June. During each session, facilitator Liam Gleason will lead a conversation focusing on the tools to navigate today’s complex media landscape and to act against misinformation and disinformation. Each session is designed to be engaging, inclusive, and politically neutral. The workshop is free to attend, and lunch will be provided.
1:00 p.m., North Bend Public Library, North Bend
May 3, 2025
Conversation Project: Talking About Values Across Political Divides
“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?
2:00 p.m., First United Methodist Church of Portland, Portland
May 5, 2025
The People and the Public
Oregon Coast Community College presents an evening of learning and discussion of historic Oregon African American contributions to Lincoln County with Valerie White.
5:00 p.m., Oregon Coast Community College Community Room, Newport
May 6, 2025
Talking About Values Across Political Divides
“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?
Register for this free online conversation.
4:00 to 5:45 p.m. Pacific, Virtual Event, statewide
May 6, 2025
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Is there an alternative type of leadership? When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders?
6:00 p.m., Happy Valley Library, Happy Valley
May 7, 2025
The People and the Public
Oregon Coast Community College presents an evening of learning and discussion of historic Oregon African American contributions to Lincoln County with Valerie White.
5:00 p.m., Oregon Coast Community College Community Room, Newport
May 7, 2025
Consider This: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century with Danielle Allen
A conversation about the failings and challenges of democracy in the United States and what we can do about them with Danielle Allen, director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center. How can we find common purpose to build a stronger democratic society amid today’s complex political climate?
7:00 p.m., Tomorrow Theater, Portland
May 7, 2025
Conversation Project: Parenting in a Noisy Time
How do we parent and why? Who and what do we allow to affect our parenting? Parents are under many pressures, from social media, peer judgement, and the changing world around us. We can learn to see the distinct individuality in each of our kids and make better choices for them when we are mindful of navigating these pressures with our own internal compass. Participants in this conversation will gain new lenses for parental reflection.
Learn more about this free event.
6:00 p.m. Pacific, Virtual Event, statewide