The Clackamas print., October 26, 1994, Page 3, Image 3

The Clackamas Print Page 3
Wednesday, Oct. 26,1994
FEATURE
Retired Costa Ricans visit on exchange program
by Anjanette Booth
News Editor
The Retired Persons Ex­
change Program of Oregon’s
chapter of the national Partners
of the Americas is hosting 21 re­
tired professionals from Costa
Rica.
Partners of the Americas is
the largest volunteer organization
in the western hemisphere. The
program was founded in 1964
under President John F.
Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress
agenda.
The organization works with
different committees in the United
States and Central American,
South American and Caribbean
countries. These committees
form programs to help strengthen
neighboring countries by
partnering with the states.
Programs consist of commu­
nity education development pro­
grams, a health program, an ag­
ricultural program, a child abuse
program and a retired persons
exchange program.
The retired persons exchange
program was the last program to
be formed in the Partners of the
America’s by Carlotta Holley in
1988. This be­
gram so each
gan Oregon’s
Costa Rican
chapter with
spends
two
Latin Ameri­
weeks with two
can country
different fami­
Costa Rica.
lies. This gives
“The pur­
the
Costa
pose of the
Ricans a better
program today
idea of how
is
to
Americans live.
strengthen;
Host families
not only to
in Oregon pro­
help them eco­
vide food and
nomically and
lodging for their
technologi­
guests, making
cally, but to
this exchange
strengthen the
fairly inexpen­
bonds
of
sive for the trav­
friendship be­
eler.
tween
the
All that is
countries,”
needed is a
Holley said.
round trip ticket
Each Oc­
and less than
tober, the pro­
$200
for
gram brings
planned activi­
photo by Josh Kehler ties.
more than 20
retired profes­ Twenty-one retired professionals from Costa Rica ask about
There are a
sionals from the ELC's recycling center as a part of their tour of CCC.
variety of activi­
Costa Rica,
ties scheduled
and in January sends 20 retired cooperation, understanding and for the Costa Rican visitors and
Oregonians to Costa Rica.
social and economical develop­ their hosts.
This exchange helps to pro­ ment.
These activities include a
mote inter-American friendships,
Holley has structured the pro­ guided tour of CCC’s Environ­
mental Learning Center and Re­
cycling plant, a visit to the Port­
land Art Center for Performing
Arts, a walking tour of Portland,
a visit to the Newport Aquarium,
a two-day trip to the Columbia
Gorge, Hood River, and Mount
Hood, as well as a number of other
activities.
Clackamas’ Spanish Club is
also involved with the Costa
Ricans during their visit. The
club entertained the visitors with
refreshments after their trip to the
ELC.
The visitors have also spoken
in Holley’s Spanish classes about
Costa Rica.
The Oregon-Costa Rica Part­
ners of the Americas Retired Per­
sons Exchange Program has made
a number of new friends and con­
tacts for Holley in Costa Rica.
These friends and contacts
enable Holley to find homes in
Costa Rica for students she feels
may like to experience the Latin
American culture first hand.
Last year, Holley was able to
take a group of six students to
Costa Rica.
These students stayed with
past cultural exchange retirees.
COLLEGE FOUNDATION: THE STRENGTH BEHIND THE SCENES
by Christi Snavely
Staff Writer
learning in the classroom.
The foundation has running
The College Foundation has programs called major capital
influenced the lives of virtually campaigns that allow them to
everyone at CCC in some way or sponsor projects to help specific
another, although very few people areas of the college that have pro­
know the extent of what the foun­ jected growth in the future. For
dation is about.
example, the foundation fur­
The foundation was formed nished all the equipment and fur­
23 years ago as a source for niture for the Oregon Advance
knowledge about the college to Technology
Center
in
reach the community around it.
Wilsonville. The final funding
In the past seven or eight was completed June 30.
years, the foundation has taken a
Another capital campaign is
much more active role in both the Family Resource Center. The
“friendraising and fundraising,”
foundation has raised all but about
said David Dickson, director of $60,000 of the $1 million that the
the foundation. The fundraising center cost, and they hope to have
has been very successful; last it completed by December.
year’s gifts of cash, land and
The
success
of the
equipment totaled just under $1.5 fundraising has increased more
million.
than ten times what it was five
The money provides private years ago.
scholarships and grants for stu­
Dickson attributes that di­
dents in all programs at Clacka­ rectly to the 25 active local com­
mas. Last year, about 100 students munity and business leaders who
received the funds.
sit on the board. These members
Additional services include act as a liaison for the school by
the availability of mini-grants for way of direct interaction with
staff of up to $3,000; awarded to members of the staff and student
a member who submits applica­ government representatives. They
tions for creative, innovative can take the information and
projects that will help student needs of the campus directly to
those who have an interest in
making contributions.
“For people who want to sup­
port the college, typically it’s an
emotional decision to make a con­
tribution of $50,000 or $10,000.
And to hear a real life example of
a student whose life was changed
as a result of contact with the
foundation or a donation really
makes people who donate the
money feel good about their do­
nation,” Dickson said.
Students from the Young Par­
ent Opportunity program or Life
and Career Options participate
directly with the tours for the
Family Resource Center and are
able to give personal statements
about how the program has
helped them.
With the completion of the
two projects in the final stages,
the foundation is surging ahead
with plans for the future.
Community Conversations
are brainstorming sessions for
faculty and staff with the purpose
of identifying the most important
things the foundation can do with
private support for the college.
The group narrowed the
ideas to a final four, took them
to 40 community and business
leaders and asked them to shorten
them down to two.
The final decision was to ob­
tain funds to support learning in­
novations using state of thu art
equipment for instruction, as well
as raising additional support for
student scholarships and grants to
ensure access to higher education.
This venture will be less of a
capital campaign (which raises
money year to year) and more of
an endowment campaign that will
establish a large fund that will
have the interest and income from,
the fund go directly to the pro­
grams.
The foundation is in the pro­
cess of a 12-month review and
study of the school’s private schol­
arship and financial support pro­
gram.
The purpose of the study is
to renovate the entire program to
be much less time-consuming.
“We want to improve our
ability to make it a user-friendly
system which students can use
and which is simple and efficient
and practical for both student and
donor,” Dickson said.
At this time, students have to
fill out an individual form for ev­
ery scholarship or grant they are
interested in.
Eventually, Dickson would
like to develop a system of one in­
dividual form with access to all
available programs.
Dickson summed up the
work of the College Foundation
by giving its mission statement.
“The foundation is really
about making a difference in the
lives of students here at the col­
lege.
" The more we can get people
in the community feeling like they
can make a difference through
their contributions, thé more suc­
cessful we’re going to be.”
Get The Facts On
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Air Force ROTC allows you to earn a commission
as an officer while attending college. In addition, the
program offers scholarship opportunities to qualified
students with GPAs of 2.65 or better. Get the facts on Au-
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it has exactly what you're looking for so call now for more
information:
Tara Hinkley, Air Force ROTC Program Counselor
Detachment 695, University of Portland
(503) 283-7216
A ir F orce R otc
Leadership Excellence Starts Here