Her classmates are spread around the Oregon Health Sciences University classroom checking blood pressures, testing reflexes and listening for heartbeats. Now all I have to do is find his pulse. Club Med is one of more than 70 Saturday Academy classes offered this spring. Now in its 15th year, the nonprofit group links hundreds of highly motivated young people with professionals in science, arts, humanities and technology. I hope I can give them another impression than they might be used to about who a lawyer is and what she does.
Classes range from cartooning and calligraphy to marine biology and nuclear science.
Some, like robotics, computer programming, fashion design and medicine, fill up weeks in advance. Dozens more kick off this weekend, and a few start as late as May and June. We're trying to motivate all the kids to stretch themselves and learn as much as they can. Jacki Jackson, a former music teacher, founded the Saturday Academy in 1983. Although she died this year, co-workers said her philosophy continues to guide the program.