Kira Freed, MEd, MScN, is an adjunct faculty member at Portland Community College, teaching in the Functional Nutrition program. She also has several roles at her alma mater, National University of Natural Medicine, as the Teaching Kitchen Coordinator, a Professional Teaching Assistant for the Nutrition program, and as a Food as Medicine Everyday educator. 

The past two years have been a time of incredible change, including reconnecting with nature and many of its attributes. For anyone who thought that they lived in isolation from mother nature, we all realized how interconnected humanity is. 

Teachers, childcare workers, and mentors of all types receive training in physical safety and first aid, including in CPR certification. Most parents and guardians feel comfortable knowing that the people caring for their children have a strong knowledge of these skills so they can respond quickly should a rare crisis occur. It ensures caretakers have the tools they need to maintain physical safety themselves or seek the necessary emergency assistance from a local hospital or other healthcare resources.  

Dr. Sean Harry is an instructor who has worked at the CLIMB center since 2011. Harry teaches early business start up classes through the Small Business Development Center. Dr. Harry has helped hundreds of small business owners, and now he is ready to help you! Read more about Dr. Harry below.

The past few years have shown us that more education is possible online than anyone ever thought possible. With rapidly expanding tools, professors who are growing in online teaching proficiency, and substantial savings in costs, online education has become an advantageous and valuable option.  

Portland Community College has also seen value in the idea of a local online experience, offering a variety of hybrid courses that are primarily online but with practical or hands-on components here in Portland, Oregon. Whether you're considering online college vs. traditional college or trying to choose between online colleges themselves, you'll be impressed with the options available now. You should also weigh the online college pros and cons to make an informed choice and be ready for the benefits and drawbacks of this kind of program.  

The past few years' turmoil has caused many recurring mentality shifts, but a surprisingly positive one is how people have spent time in their homes and with their immediate families or roommates. Here in Portland, family members who would have been out at work or in socializing settings poured their time into their family life and, in many cases, discovered that there were changes needed in their more hectic day-to-day. 

In many careers, your first step after college is going to be an internship. Internships provide you with valuable experience, give you crucial insight into the working world, and help you land your first job. If you are truly fortunate, you may even be able to leverage your internship into a full-time position with that company. 

Developing hobbies at any age requires attention and skill, and learning is no exception. Many individuals discover that taking a course here and there can bring back some delights from their favorite classes in school or college.  

The turbulence of the pandemic has caused a shift in the way we think about work. After the pandemic ends, 26% of employees are planning on switching jobs, 80% of those are doing so out of career advancement concerns, and 38% of workers feel stuck in their careers during the pandemic. That shouldn’t be too surprising since a year prior a worker survey found 58% of those switching jobs were willing to take a pay cut to do so. People want to make changes that aren't just moving within the same field; instead, they require switching industries, responsibilities, and working knowledge altogether.