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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 2020)
6A | AUGUST 20, 2020 Learn from A1 Rainsong. “It just supports us at a ground level so that I can do a lot of this work.” With the challenge posed by COVID-19, however, the center is exploring new avenues of education. While Singing Creek Educational Center has only been in Cottage Grove about a year, it has a history in the area. From 2007 to 2015, Rainsong coordinated ed- ucational programs at the Alvord Farm and Muse- um in West Eugene, which included summer camps, workshops, field trips and special events like visiting with baby farm animals. Following that, the cen- ter operated out of a farm in Junction City for four years before moving to its current location in Cottage Grove. “So I’ve been doing this about 12 years now,” Rain- song said. The educational center is now located in the historic Snapp House on 360 River Road along the Coast Fork of the Willamette River greenway. The location is also ad- jacent to a city park, which allows room for outside ac- tivities as well as its inside programs. The house, built in 1886, bears the name of one of Cottage Grove’s first physi- cians, Dr. G.O. Snapp. The doctor built the house to serve as his resi- dence and office and was later moved to its current location to preserve it. As well as the house re- taining many of its histor- ical features, the Cottage Grove Prospectors and Golddiggers Club has fur- nished the historic build- ing with period furniture that was common when it belonged to Dr. Snapp. The center’s programs take deep dives into local Oregon history and at- tempt to bring the experi- ence alive to children. “We really focus on kids,” said Rainsong. The programs center around concepts such as sustainable living skills, how to “live lightly” on the land and how to recycle and reuse materials through the lens of historical methods. “We’ve always done crafts and activities and food-making and things that revolve around these ideas, but now we want to emphasize them and bring them more into our everyday, modern lives,” Rainsong said. “We want to start as far back as we possibly can with learning about indigenous people’s relationship with the land | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL and how they used plants and animal resources in a way that was sustainable as well as ethical.” The ideas of human reci- procity with the landscape, a natural flow of give and take and getting kids in touch with nature are key elements to the process. The age of technology, Rainsong said, can often be a barrier to this in daily life. “It’s really easy to become distanced from nature and see yourself as separate from it, so we attempt to remedy that,” she said. The center’s curricula may tie into pioneer set- tlers’ lives, for example, by visiting with domesticated animals and participating in activities like grinding grain and churning butter. Even older skills such as making cordage out of na- tive plants are employed. DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL “So we have a volunteer that comes in with dried, Executive Director Karen Rainsong dresses in fash- stinging nettle stocks — ion of the historical period while engaging children that don’t sting you any- in hands-on experiences. more — and he is an ex- pert cordage maker,” said the Oregon Trail. In its first activity since Rainsong. “It’s these kinds Rainsong is also looking March, Singing Creek Edu- of skills that are often lost to expand with a program cational Center has recent- in our modern culture that looking into local the min- ly started up a light version we’re helping bring back.” ing history. of its summer camp. While Singing Creek “The kids are wearing Educational Center has Meeting the Challenge masks and we’re hand san- used the Snapp House to Meeting this standard itizing a lot, so we’re trying teach crafts and conduct of “living the experi- to stay as safe as possible,” other programs, it also has ence” amid the pandemic, said Rainsong. shown up at school sites though, is a new challenge. Now with an eye on fall, when requested. “We’ve really had to the center is readying itself “Whenever a teacher adapt with this pandemic with new ideas. would order the program and it’s tough because what “Our exciting new proj- … we would come into the we do is hands-on, in-per- ect is bringing homeschool classroom and do a half- son — that’s who we are,” online,” said Rainsong. an-hour to 45-minute pre- said Rainsong. “This is really big for us sentation,” said Rainsong. The sudden halt of atten- and I’m really excited about One program developed dance due to health-based it.” by the center, for example, state mandates has slowed Once a month, the cen- helps teachers meet state the center’s momentum, ter plans to publish an ed- standards for literature and too, putting newly devel- ucational video online and writing by letting children oped classroom-based pro- email resources for parents engage with fictional letters grams and field trips on to use at home with their based on real journals from hold. Imagine The Difference You Can Make DONATE YOUR CAR 1-844-533-9173 FREE TOWING TAX DEDUCTIBLE Help Prevent Blindness Get A Vision Screening Annually Ask About A FREE 3 Day Vacation Voucher To Over 20 Destinations!!! Church of Christ 420 Monroe Ave Cottage Grove, OR 97424 Let the Bible Speak “The truth shall set you free” Sundays at 8:00 am on KEVU 23 Camcast 4; Spectrum 11; Dish/Direct TV 23 Presented by the Churches of Christ unityseeker@hotmail.com LetTheBibleSpeak.com (214) 585-6453 children. “So it’s almost going to be like a kids’ history TV channel with all the differ- ent videos I’m going to be doing,” said Rainsong. The project is slated to start in September and run through next May and Rainsong is hoping to work with community partners who will help create vid- eo interviews at sites such as farms or animal rescue ranches. Each month will be characterized by a differ- ent theme, starting Sep- tember off with a seasonal approach to cooking and gardening. Rainsong plans to have a youth ambassador who will lead kids on the video tours on each of these monthly visits. There is also a Facebook group page called the Sing- ing Creek Center Commu- nity on which students are encouraged to post work online to share with others. For the more hands-on projects which require ma- terials, parents will be pro- vided with a list of resourc- es to find those materials. Rainsong also empha- sized that the center will focus more on “decoloni- zation training” this fall and winter by representing indigenous voices is their programs. “We want to start each video with a land acknowl- edgement,” said Rainsong. In particular, she hopes to provide the native Ka- lapuya perspective in the videos through storytelling and other resources. At a subscription price of $15 a kid per month, she believes that with enough sign-ups, the project will be financially sustainable. To achieve these goals, though, local volunteers and partners must be will- ing to play a part. Rainsong is looking for volunteers with specific skills including video edit- ing or locals willing to pro- vide locations and native perspectives for the video tours. “I’m also looking for community partners that are related to sustainable living or historical things such as a history museum,” she said. The center also relies on donations and Rainsong anticipates needing to in- vest in the center’s own video equipment should the COVID-19 restrictions continue. With this new project on the horizon, though, Rainsong is optimistic that the center’s popularity and magnetism for community participation will continue. “It’s going to be a chal- lenge, but the more engag- ing we can make the videos and make them speak to children — not talk down to them, but speak to them at their level — then I think they’ll watch and get en- gaged,” said Rainsong. “We have had pretty good, con- sistent attendance all these years. “Being here in Cottage Grove, I feel that we’re real- ly poised to be a big part of the community and have a lot more participation.” Donation options and more information can be found online at www.sing- ingcreekcenter.org. The center can be con- tacted by phone at 541- 968-1986 or by email at di- rector@singingcreekcenter. org. Worship Directory COTTAGE GROVE: 6th & Gibbs Church of Christ 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 10:00am Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th Tim Baker, Senior Minister www.6thandgibbs.com First Presbyterian Church 3rd and Adams St 541-942-4479 Rev.: Karen Hill Worship: 10:00am Sunday School: 10:00am fpcgrove.com Calvary Baptist Church 77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290 Pastor: Riley Hendricks Sunday School: 9:45am Worship: 11:00am The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm Hope Fellowship United Pentecostal Church 100 S. Gateway Blvd. 541-942-2061 Pastor: Dave Bragg Worship: 11:00am Sunday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday www.hopefellowshipupc.com “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE” Church of Christ 420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565 Sunday Service: 10:30am Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue 541-942-4771 Pastor:Bob Singer Worship 11am Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. 541-942-4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Services: 9:00am & 10:45am Hope In The Grove Baptist Church 77820 Mosby Creek Rd Pastor: Wayne Husk Worship: Sunday 10:00am Evening Bible Study: Wednesday 6:30pm 541.649.1043 For weekday and Holy Day of Obligation schedule see website OLPHCG.net Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM Saturdays or by appointment St. Philip Benizi, Creswell 552 Holbrook Lane Sunday 8 am St. Andrews Episcopal Church 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 Rev. Lawrence Crumb “Church with the fl ags.” Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213 Pastor: Kevin Miller Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00 Trinity Lutheran Church 6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373 Pastor: James L. Markus Living Faith Assembly Sunday School & Adult Education 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 9:15am Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a Sunday Worship 10:30 am Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur ages welcome) 5:00pm TLC Groups Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades) tlccg.com Non-Denominational United Methodist Church Church of Christ 334 Washington 541-942-3033 1041 Pennoyer Ave New Pastor Craig Pesti- Strobel 541-942-8928 Worship 10:30am Delight Valley Preacher: Tony Martin umcgrove.org Church of Christ Sunday Bible Study:10:00am 33087 Saginaw Rd. East Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm “VICTORY” Country Church 541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend www.pennoyeravecoc.com 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913 Two Services: Pastor: Barbara Dockery 9am - Classic in the Chapel Old Time Gospel Fellowship Worship Service: 10:00am 10:30am - Contemporary in the 103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999 Message: “WE BELIEVE IN Auditorium Pastor: Jim Edwards MIRACLES” Sunday Service: 10:00am First Baptist Church Join in Traditional Christian Worship CRESWELL: 301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242 Creswell Presbyterian Pastor: David Chhangte Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Sunday School 9:30am and St. Philip Benizi 75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 Worship Service 10:30am Catholic Churches Rev. Seth Wheeler Youth Wednesday 6:30pm 1025. N. 19th St. Adult Sunday School 9:15am cgfi rstbaptist.com 541-942-3420 Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am Father John J. Boyle Holy Mass: Saturday Vigil – 5:30 pm Sunday – 10:30 am website www.creswellpres.org Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature. If your congregation would like to be a part of this directory, contact us today! S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 116 N. 6th Street Cottage Grove, OR
