The Portland Expo Center partners with Beaumont Middle School 2nd Annual Honoring Our History Event

It’s important to never forget our history, to honor those who have survived tragedy and to educate others about the struggles of the past. The Portland Expo Center and Beaumont Middle School will be partnering together to do just that on Thursday, May 25, 2017 from 6 – 8 p.m. in Hall D Lobby of the Expo Center. A special event entitled – Honoring our History: Reflections of Vanport and the Portland Assembly Center will showcase student projects that focus on two major events in Portland’s history – the Vanport Flood and the Portland Assembly Center (a detainment center for incarcerated Japanese-Americans during World War II). In addition to visual projects, the event will also showcase a student-created documentary, historical artifacts and the opportunity for survivors to give oral histories to the student historians.

“Both events played a major role within the history of the Portland Expo Center and we have been looking for a way to honor those impacted,” said Matthew Rotchford, Expo Center Director. “When we heard about Beaumont’s project, we were very impressed and wanted to give the students an opportunity to showcase their work to a broader audience.”

The projects were the idea of Beaumont Middle School 8th grade teacher Kirsten Parrott. In 2015 Beaumont 8th graders tackled documenting the Vanport Flood with support from Concordia University. In 2016, the focus was on the Japanese Internment and the stories of Japanese-American incarcerated during World War II. This year's project, entitled "Opening the Doors to Vanport's History," will once again focus on the Vanport Flood. “We have these two very significant events that impacted thousands of people in our region,” said Parrott. “I felt that it was vital for my students to understand that these were not simply stories from a text book, but events that impacted real people in our community and around the nation.”

The public is invited to attend the open house to view the student projects. Survivors of the Vanport Flood or the Portland Assembly Center are invited to come and have their oral histories recorded by a Beaumont Middle School Student. Community partners include: DWA Tradeshow & Exhibition Services and pacificwild catering.