As part of the 11th Vanport Mosaic Festival
May 22-31
May 30, 9:30-3:30pm
Historic Alberta House, 5131 NE 23rd Ave
Portland, OR
FREE
Are you an educator? join us for a free, full-day workshop on Saturday, May 30, 2026— the anniversary of the 1948 Vanport Flood — at the Historic Alberta House in NE Portland. This session is designed for educators ready to bring the story of Vanport to life in the classroom through place-based, inquiry-driven learning.
Built in 1942 to house shipyard workers and their families, Vanport became at its peak the largest World War II federal housing project in the United States and Oregon's second-largest city. More than 40,000 people from all corners of the country formed an instant multiracial community there. On Memorial Day 1948, a catastrophic flood destroyed the entire city within hours, killing at least 15 and displacing 18,700 in what's often called "Oregon's Katrina." It remains one of the most consequential, yet under-taught, chapters in Oregon's history.
What you’ll take away:
A place-based education framework adaptable to Vanport or any local history topic
Facilitation techniques for engaging students and colleagues
Project examples from educators who’ve already designed Vanport units
A deeper personal connection to Vanport’s history and legacy
A community of fellow educators committed to teaching honest, community-centered history
PDU credits: up to 5 hours of documented professional development
James Hamilton, visionary superintendent of Vanport Public Schools, once said: “When we came, we knew that Vanport had no future except what we built into the children and into ourselves through the experience here.”
His words still resonate today. What are we building into our students? What can Vanport teach us about how we show up for one another and the communities we hope to create?
With educators like you, the story of Vanport, the “Miracle City,” can continue to inspire a new generation.