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On Saturday, March 23rd, 2024, Oregon's Kitchen Table held the second Hatfield Futures Showcase and it was amazing!  We gathered at the Native American Student and Community Center at Portland State University. We filled the space with crepe paper flowers, covered all the tables with paper! Our Helping Hands student alumni team gave pep talks and we did warm-ups to calm our nerves.

Over 120 elected leaders, principals, college students, community organizers, and friends and family from across the state who joined us to listen to students’ ideas for shaping Oregon’s future! We started the day by grounding ourselves in place, introducing the project and our many collaborators, sponsors, and supporters. Hatfield Futures participant and poet KB Licitra shared a poem about their origins that helped us arrive. 

Each team had worked over the past two months on a proposal to address a pressing issue in Oregon with an eye to shaping Oregon in 2050 through actions that center interconnectedness, are strategic, equitable, and creative. The team from Griswold High School in Helix, Oregon took on the intersection of homelessness and public water access in their community. Their presentation focused on various ways to encourage water recycling and installing Benson bubblers. 

Students from Kalmiopsis High School in Cave Junction presented their creative proposal to reduce the buildup of trash on public lands by launching a trash art campaign and storefront.

Bend Tech Academy students looked at how to prevent fentanyl overdose by creating a peer-to-peer education program to connect middle and high schoolers and build community. Student artist Sage Rae Hulse shared her poetic reflections on the future.

We had an awesome lunch catered by Melinda at Miss’ipi Chefs. After lunch, alum and Helping Hand Grace Peterson brought us back with a poem exploring despair, anger and hope in. Then, the Mapleton High School team presented their ideas for intervening in the addiction and housing crisis by employing people to build tiny home villages and remodel old buildings into community centers in Mapleton.

Students from St. Helens High School shared their ideas for fostering positive, engaged school environments by creating a virtual network for schools to track and share learning about how to support student engagement and wellbeing.

Finally, the 2024 cross-regional team, which features students from West Linn High School, Astoria High School, Liberty High School, and a student who is homeschooled, presented their proposal for reducing plastic waste statewide through policies that support alternatives to plastic use, inflating the costs of production to discourage further production, cultural work that shifts the norms, and innovative strategies like mealworm facilities to dispose of plastic that is already in circulation.

After each team presented, our three judges, Jacque Fitzgerald (Resonance Coaching & Project Advisor/2023 Hatfield Futures Project Lead), Zavi Borja (Central Oregon Staff for Governor Kotek), and Miles Palacios (Oregon Association of Student Councils) asked them questions about their presentations and reflected the strengths of the proposals.

At the end of the day, State Treasurer Tobias Reed congratulated all the students and encouraged them to continue to “take the experiences and the opportunities that have been put in front of you here and find ways to continue serving your community, wherever that is, whatever that is.” The judges and Helping Hands presented awards to each team, and we offered a special congratulations to the Bend Technical Academy team, which took home the $1000 prize this year for their proposal. Everyone present was inspired by the teams' hard work, bold visions, and creative proposals! 

We closed the day with gratitudes, which were flying in all directions. Shout-out to the Hatfield Futures team: so many PSU staff, guides, chaperones, parents, teachers, friends, caterers, alumni, and donors who helped to make this youth program possible. 

Our goal continues to be to amplify youths' voices to shape the future of Oregon. We hope Hatfield Futures empowers youth to see themselves as change-makers now and for their future; we are excited to hear that many teams want to take the next step to implement their projects locally and we're excited to support them!

In 2023 the Oregon Legislature passed a bill called the Early Literacy Success Initiative. This bill directs the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to help community groups and families support young children develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This is to take place both in the community and at home. ODE is partnering with Oregon’s Kitchen Table to hear from families with young children and community groups who support families with young children.

ODE is partnering with Oregon's Kitchen Table to hear from people across the state about:

• Activities that help children develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills;
• Important topics for community groups in supporting young children and developing literacy skills;
• What people are most interested in learning about in regards to early literacy;
• What barriers and opportunities people see to be able to have the kinds of supports for children in community and at home that they would like; and
• What hopes families and community groups have for the children they support as they develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

Your input will help ODE create a framework and toolkit that works for community groups to support families.  Please share your thoughts in this survey (https://tinyurl.com/okt-earlyliteracy) through April 11th. Ask people you know in Oregon who support young children in their family or through a community group to take this survey.

Zoom Conversations for Community Groups

If you are part of a community-based organization, group, or institution that supports families and young children as they develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, please join us for a Zoom conversation to talk about what could be helpful for community groups in this work.  Register for one of the Zoom conversations through the links below:

• March 21,  12:00pm - 1:30pm: Zoom registration - https://bit.ly/mar21-earlyliteracy
• April 1, 3:00pm - 4:30pm: Zoom registration - https://bit.ly/apr1-earlyliteracy
• April 4, 9:00am - 10:30am: Zoom registration - https://bit.ly/apr4-earlyliteracy
• en español: 10 de abril, de 3:00pm a 4:30pm - https://tinyurl.com/abr10-alfabetizacion 

Kitchen Table Conversation Guide

Are you interested in hosting a conversation about what could help community groups and families support young children develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills?

• For families of young children: if you care for a young child and want to lead a conversation with other families, download the Kitchen Table Conversation Guide for Families. 
• Familias con niños pequeños: Ésta guía es para cualquier persona que quiera organizar y presentar una Conversación de Oregon Kitchen Table con su familia, amigos o vecinos sobre el tema del Alfabetización temprana. 
• For community groups (organizations, institutions, and entities): if you are part of a community group and want to lead a conversation about with your community group or other community groups, download the Kitchen Table Conversation Guide for Community Groups.

Contact us (email info@oregonskitchentable.org) if you want help hosting a conversation.

The Oregon Department of Forestry and the Board of Forestry oversee many forests in Oregon. Now they are updating their strategic plan for the forests.  ODF and the Board’s plan includes the mission, values, and goals that they use to make decisions about our state’s public and private forests. It was last updated in 2011.

ODF and the Board are partnering with Oregon's Kitchen Table to hear from people across the state about:

• How are you connected to forests in Oregon?
• How would you like to be more connected to forests? What could help make those connections possible for you? 
• What do you hope to see for the future of forests in Oregon? 

 Your input will also help the state make decisions about forests in Oregon.  Please share your thoughts in this survey (https://bit.ly/oregon-forests) through October 9th. Ask people you know who live in Oregon to take this survey.

Kitchen Table Conversation Guide

Are you interested in hosting a conversation about Oregon’s forests? If you want to lead a conversation, download the Kitchen Table Conversation guide. Contact us (email info@oregonskitchentable.org) if you want help hosting a group conversation about forests.

Audio Stories from Oregonians

People in Oregon have many different experiences in forests.  Several Oregonians have shared stories with us about how they are connected to Oregon forests.  Take a few minutes to listen to them. If you'd like to share your own story about forests in Oregon, send us an audio file to info@oregonskitchentable.org.

In Oregon we have a plan for our water: the Integrated Water Resources Strategy.  This Strategy helps us understand what water we have available in Oregon and what we need for people, plants, animals, and the land. Now it’s time to update that plan. The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) and 13 other state agencies are working with Oregon’s Kitchen Table (OKT) to hear what Oregonians want to see in the update to the Strategy.  Starting May 11th, anyone who lives in Oregon can share what they think in different ways:

• Online survey in 9 languages - https://consultations.oregonskitchentable.org/
• Working with community organizers and partners to hold culturally specific engagement activities
• 7 Regional Community conversations and 1 Virtual Conversation - Learn more at https://bit.ly/water-conversations
• Oregonians can also host their own conversation with their family, friends and neighbors.  Download the Kitchen Table Conversation guide to organize your own conversation and get the input to OKT. 

Meet the Thurston Team from The Hatfield Futures Project! We're so excited to have Grace, Tenia, and Hannah from Springfield join us for this year's competition. Stay tuned to meet all of our teams from this year's program. 

Names: Grace Gee, Tenia Morris, Hannah Montgomery (Thurston High School, Springfield)

What do you love about where you live?

There are many places to hike and explore nature in Springfield. Family lives near us.

What are you most excited about for your Hatfield Futures proposal? 

If it actually becomes a piece of legislation, it will be impactful for as long as it exists. We get to truly make a difference in the world.

What is one surprising fact about each of you?

Hannah - I am the President of the Black Student Union at Thurston.

Grace - I have a herd of goats.

Tenia - I am the Vice President of the Black Student Union. 

Meet the Hatfield Futures Project Team from Oregon's Kitchen Table! Stay tuned over the coming weeks to meet our incredible student teams from all over the state. 

Names: Wendy Willis, Sarah Giles, Jacque Fitzgerald, Meaghan Lingo, Roz Owen

What do you love about where you live?

Wendy: From SE Portland, I can walk to work and have seen sea lions in the Willamette!

Sarah: Woodstock neighborhood in Portland has a community feel, people look out for each other across generations.

Jacque: From SE Portland I can easily be in the woods or by water.

Meaghan: There are so many beautiful amazing parks in NE Portland that I can walk or ride to.

Roz: Lincoln City has a small town feel - neighbors help and look out for each other.

What are you most excited about for Hatfield Futures?

Wendy: I can’t wait to see and hear the ideas from these amazing young people. Lifelong relationships are being made here.

Sarah: Excited about how the students are really coming from all over the state – it exceeded our expectations.

Jacque: I can’t wait to bring students together from different places all over the state.

Meaghan: Meeting all of the students who are so future minded - it’s so inspiring and makes me think about all of the possibilities!

Roz: Seeing how students engage and what great policies emerge.

What is one surprising fact about you?

Wendy: I have a very clean and elegant jump shot. 

Sarah: I’m an Irish citizen.

Jacque: I write and produce music and released by debut album last year.

Meaghan: I’ve never had brain freeze.

Roz: I was offered a ballet scholarship at the University of Utah.

We're excited to host an opportunity at Oregon's Kitchen Table for all of us in Oregon to share what we think about high school graduation requirements. 

OKT is working with Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to gather input from people across the state about state high school graduation requirements.   In 2021, the state legislature directed ODE to review state high school graduation requirements. As part of that work, ODE wants to know what matters most to people about earning a high school diploma in our state.

It is important for policymakers to hear about your and your family’s experience in school. What you share will help ODE make recommendations about high school graduation requirements.

In addition to the online survey, there are different ways for people to share what they think on this important topic, including a Zoom community conversation in each of the state's 19 Educational Service Districts. You can find the community conversation for the region or county you live in here.  We are also working with community organizers and partners to do culturally specific outreach and engagement. 

Share what you think today. And encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to join you! The online survey is available in 7 languages.

العربية    简体中文   English   Русский    Somali   Español   Tiếng Việt

Share your thoughts here! 

Last fall, PSU President Percy announced the creation of a new Reimagine Campus Safety Committee (RCSC) - made up of students, staff, and faculty - to understand the array of safety needs of the campus community and to reimagine an approach to meeting those needs that reflects our commitment to racial justice and human dignity. The RCSC has been working to develop recommendations for not only new functional approaches to campus safety and security, but cultural shifts that will call forth a new vision of a welcoming campus that promotes well-being and creates the conditions for genuine belonging for all members of the PSU community. 

Now the RCSC would like to know what is important to members of the PSU community about safety and belonging on campus.  This fall, Oregon's Kitchen Table be hosting an online survey.  We are also providing materials and resources for groups to hold their own discussions as well as facilitation assistance for community groups.  Contact OKT (info@oregonskitchentable.org) for assistance or download a discussion packet here. 

We have until October 29th to share what we think either online or in community discussions. The online survey will be open through October 29th.

As Oregon's Kitchen Table has grown since our founding a decade ago to provide more meaningful opportunities for Oregonians all over the state to participate in public decision making, we've come to identify and embrace a few philosophical frameworks for our work and to hold ourselves accountable in achieving our purpose.  We have learned about Popular Education and the work of community healthworkers and those principles and approaches have resonated with us as we think about our foundations here at Oregon's Kitchen Table (more to come on that in the future!).  And at the same time that OKT was starting out, Berkeley professor john a. powell began to introduce a framework he calls “targeted universalism”, which has become a significant guide for us as OKT has and continues to evolve. In a 2020 piece published in the National Civic Review, "Take a Seat at Oregon’s Kitchen Table: Adapting Targeted Universalism for Broad and Deep Civic Engagement," OKT Director Wendy Willis shares how targeted universalism informs our thinking about civic engagement and improves our democracy.  Read on for more.