OCH Press Releases

Twelve Oregon High School Sophomores Receive $2,000 Humanities Grants (June 4, 2007)

Oregon Council for the Humanities awards summer research grants to high school students from Beaverton, Corvallis, Central Point, Pleasant Hill, Portland, and Troutdale.

Twelve Oregon high school sophomores have received Young Scholars Grants from the Oregon Council for the Humanities (OCH). Each will receive $2,000 to spend the sunny days of summer researching various humanities topics, including the rise of jazz music in Portland, the World War II Battle of Leyte Gulf, and the effects of Japanese, Korean, and American TV shows on teenagers from each culture.

OCH board and staff selected 12 scholars from an applicant pool of 26. This is the sixth year that OCH has awarded Young Scholar Grants, which provide a unique opportunity for teens to design their own humanities research project and to contribute to the cultural life of their community. Grant recipients work independently throughout the summer with the guidance and support of a mentor and their Young Scholar peers statewide.

The 2007 Young Scholars will convene for the first time at an orientation on June 18 and 19 at Catlin Gabel School in Portland. They will then gather again at the end of summer, on August 31, during a public symposium and reception where they will present their projects. Please contact Education Program Director Jennifer Allen or Communications Director Kathleen Holt at (503) 241-0543 for more information about these events.

The 2007 OCH Young Scholars and their projects are listed below:

  • Beaverton--Michelle Schafman, Valley Catholic High School, The Battle of Leyte Gulf: How It Changed History and the Lives of Those Involved
  • Central Point--Stephanie Colson, Crater High School, A Tale of a Boy and His iPod
  • Corvallis--Jennifer Johnson, Corvallis High School, Why We Leave
  • Pleasant Hill--Kelsey Grimsley, Pleasant Hill High School, Politics and Religion: A Discussion
  • Portland--Kassel Galaty, Oregon Episcopal School, The German Identity in Post World War II Literary Works
  • Portland--Hilary Gross, Catlin Gabel School, A Study of Portland's Personality: Its Influences and Sources
  • Portland--Rosa Loprinzi Hardin, Cleveland High School, Japanese, Korean, and American Television Shows: Their Effects on Teen and Identity and Culture
  • Portland--Tierney O'Rourke, Jesuit High School, Media, History, and My Tribe: the Treaties of the Stockbridge-Munsee Indians
  • Portland--Annie Oldani, Grant High School, In Search of Romeo and Juliet
  • Portland--Meaghan Russell, Franklin High School, Sondheim and his Audience
  • Portland--Amelia Wolf, St. Mary's Academy, Tradition and Tolerance: A Look into Orthodox Judaism in the Northwest
  • Troutdale--Taylor Long, Reynolds High School, Jazz: The Rise of a Genre

    • Contact: Jennifer Allen, Education Program Director (jallen@oregonhum.org), or Kathleen Holt, Communications Director (kholt@oregonhum.org), at (503) 241-0543 (Portland); (800) 735-0543 (statewide)

    General OCH information

    The Oregon Council for the Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. OCH was established in 1971 and is one of five statewide partners of the Oregon Cultural Trust. If you have questions about any of our programs, please view our staff list to find the appropriate contact person or call us at (503) 241-0543 in Portland or (800) 735-0543 from elsewhere in the state.