Education and Outreach Committee

The Education and Outreach Committee serves as ambassadors for the planning profession, and shall be responsible for education and outreach about planning to public officials, allied professions, students, educators, interest groups, the media, and the public at large.

Current Projects

• Partnership with the City of Vancouver (see below)
• Opportunities for planning professionals in the classroom
• Higher education partnerships
• Allied professions workshops
• Public information and exhibits about planning
• Telling the Oregon Story
• Planning Commissioner Training 

Projects with other committees

• Graduate programs re-accreditation (Professional Development Committee)
• Improving Planning in Oregon (Committee on the Oregon Planning Experience)
• OAPA Chapter Communications (Communications Committee)

Outreach Partnership Between the American Planning Association and Vancouver Seeks to Increase the Diversity of Future Planners.

In these challenging economic times, partnership between organizations is critical. For the American Planning Association ("APA") and the City of Vancouver, partnership in outreach helps each achieve a common goal:  to support and encourage diversity in local government, urban planning and related professions. 

The APA has established an Ambassador Program which is designed to connect students, particularly students of color, with practicing planners in two main efforts: to expose them to the field of planning and related community development careers and,  to educate them about pursuing higher education studies in the field  The program provides a unique opportunity for planners to become directly involved in the recruitment and development of a diverse new generation of future planners that positively reflect the diversity of the communities they will serve.

The Ambassador Program's goals correspond well with Vancouver's diversity initiatives.  Vancouver strives to build a workforce that reflects the diverse community, and is respectful of diversity.  These workplace goals support a third initiative to ensure that City services are accessible to our diverse population.  Through this outreach partnership, Vancouver and APA hope to inspire students to consider careers in public service and the planning related professions.

As part of the partnership, Larry Vasquez, a planner and Permit Services Manager for the City of Vancouver, has teamed up with Portland area consultant and former Oregon APA president, Greg Winterowd of Winterbrook Planning, to develop a network of interest and support for community and educational outreach to diverse student in the Greater Portland/Vancouver region and link them to university and community colleges programs in Washington and Oregon.

For more information on the Oregon APA Chapter's program, contact Ann M. Pytynia, Development Planning Manager, City of Gresham at (503) 618-2859 or Ann.Pytynia@ci.gresham.or.us . For information on the City of Vancouver's diversity initiatives, contact Nancy Pionk, Interim Diversity Coordinator, at (360) 619-1148 or nancy.pionk@ci.vancouver.wa.us.  For information on careers in planning and community development at the City of Vancouver, contact Larry Vasquez at (360) 360.487.7811 or larry.vasquez@ci.vancouver.wa.us.