Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC Offers Professional Skills Development Series

Photos and story by James Hill

PORTLAND – A six-part professional skills development series offered this winter by Portland Community College will focus on topics ranging from stress reduction to communication skills. The non-credit series will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 25 through March 1, at the Multnomah County Library, 801 S.W. 10th Ave. Sessions are free.The series begins Jan. 25 with Inner Strength During Outer Conflict. Speaker Joseph Kurtright will teach participants how to build core strength by focusing on their integrity and boundary-setting skills, and then use that strength to feel more confident during tumultuous situations. In session two of the series, to be held Feb. 1, speaker Phil Mandel will discuss how to Reduce Stress in 6 Seconds or Less. He will demonstrate a 6-second technique for reducing stress that can help improve overall health.The series continues Feb. 8 with Get Serious About Fun at Work. Speaker Duane Smelser will debate the long-held belief that work should be serious and solemn, and offer tips on ways to improve workplace communication and resolve conflicts by having fun.Session four of the series will focus on becoming a concise and dynamic communicator. Speak Up and Be Heard will be led by Clayton Lance, J.D., on Feb. 15.Difficult people and how to deal with them will be explored in The Benefit of People Who Bug You, the fifth session in the series on Feb. 22. Speaker J’aime ona Pangaia will discuss the redeeming features of people who push others’ buttons and the benefits of interacting with them.The series concludes March 1 with The Power of Your Thinking. Speaker Stephanie Smith will offer advice on how to deal with people who are grouchy, pessimistic or sarcastic, and break negative mind traps that serve as barriers to success.For more information, contact PCC Community Education at 503-614-7308. Beginning Fencing Class Offered at PCC PORTLAND – An Olympic athlete and international champion will teach a beginning fencing class this winter at Portland Community College.The non-credit class will meet from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 13 through March 31, in the Building 5 gym on the Rock Creek Campus, 17705 N.W. Springville Road. Cost is $50.Instructor George "Gia" Abashidze will introduce the techniques of this fast-paced sport. All equipment will be provided. Abashidze is a national fencing champion in his native country of Georgia, in the former Soviet Union, and won a gold medal in the 1998 Nike World Masters Games.For more information, contact PCC Community Education at 503-614-7308. Learn to Fix it Yourself in PCC Class PORTLAND – The basics of home repair will be taught in a five-week, non-credit class being offered this fall by Portland Community College. Fix it Yourself! will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 10 through Feb. 7, in Room N118 at Westview High School, 4200 N.W. 185th Ave. Cost is $33. Instructor Harriett Miller will cover rudimentary electrical, plumbing, painting and miscellaneous home repairs. Topics include proper tools, grouting and leaky toilets. Miller does her own home maintenance whenever possible. For more information, contact PCC Community Education at 503-614-7308. PCC Class to Explore Great Outdoors PORTLAND – Basic skills for outdoor survival will be explored in a six-week, non-credit course being offered this winter by Portland Community College. Outdoor Survival, Map and Compass, will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 10 through Feb. 14, in Room 233 at Lincoln High School, 1600 S.W. Salmon St. Cost is $75. Topics to be covered include reading topographic maps, using a compass and essential outdoor survival techniques to use in emergencies. The class is sponsored by the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, an international award-winning outdoor skills program, in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Although focused primarily on women, the course is open to both men and women. For more information, contact PCC Community Education at 503-614-7308. PCC Series Focuses on Single Professionals PORTLAND – Single professionals can enjoy salsa dancing and wine tasting during a three-part series being offered this winter by Portland Community College. The series is co-sponsored by Dinner With Friends. The non-credit series begins Tuesday, Jan. 9 with Salsa at the Crystal Ballroom from 6 to 9 p.m. Participants will learn the basics of salsa dancing during a one-hour lesson, and then spend time practicing on the ballroom’s famous floating dance floor. The evening begins with a light no-host dinner in the ballroom’s downstairs pub at 1332 W. Burnside St. Tuition is $20. The series continues Feb. 7 with Wine Tasting at Atwaters from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Under the guidance of a wine expert, participants will learn to distinguish a viognier from a syrah as they sample some of the Northwest’s best Rhone-style wines. A light no-host dinner will follow in Atwater’s lounge at 111 S.W. Fifth Ave. Tuition is $30. Poise Under Pressure concludes the series from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10 at Morrison Park, 803 S.W. Morrison St. The discussion will center on which words to use to make a favorable first impression, whether on a blind date or in a job interview. A no-host dinner will be held afterwards at the Bush Garden Japanese restaurant. Tuition is $30. For more information, contact PCC Community Education at 503-614-7308.