Our History
Since 1982 the Global Classroom Education Program of the World Affairs Council of Oregon has been the "umbrella" under which activities for teachers and students have taken place. Its goals have been to increase student understanding of our state's links to the world, and to assist teachers in locating materials and providing educational experiences which teach about Oregon's global connections.
The MultiCultural Resource Center was founded in Lake Oswego in 1987 by concerned parents who were committed to the belief that multicultural education is essential for building understanding, acceptance and rewarding relationships between people of diverse backgrounds and abilities. Their goal was to provide the people and material resources to make this bridge possible. The MCRC moved to Portland State University under the sponsorship of the Office of International Affairs in 1997.
After 10 years of collaborating on multiple projects, the staff and boards of both organizations decided that it would greatly strengthen both programs to join forces. On February 22, 2002, the MCRC officially merged with the Council's Global Classroom Program, and was soon reborn as the Global and Multicultural Resource Center (GMRC). This union has greatly expanded creative support for international and multicultural education in Oregon. The GMRC is currently the centerpiece of the Council's K-12 Education Program.
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Karen Ettinger, Director
Karen Ettinger has been the Director of the Multicultural Resource Center (MCRC) since its inception in 1987. When the MCRC became a part of the Global Classroom of the World Affairs Council of Oregon in March of 2002, Karen expanded her duties to become full time director of both programs.
Karen is a graduate of Syracuse University and later received her Teaching Credential from San Francisco State. She began her career in education in San Francisco's inner city, in a truly multicultural setting. After calling the Bay Area home for 13 years, Karen moved with her family to Oregon in 1977 and found herself in deep "culture shock". She began the MCRC when her children started school in Lake Oswego, as a way to help teachers bring a multicultural perspective into their teaching, especially important in communities with little diversity.
Karen moved the MCRC to Portland State in 1997 as a way to expand the Center's outreach in the Metro Area. Since that time, under the sponsorship of the Office of International Affairs, the work of the MCRC has been honored by the Metropolitan Human Rights Commission, One America, the President's Commission on Racism, and the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors.
In January 2002, Karen was honored with the MLK Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Arts Foundation in recognition of her service to the community and the human dignity of all. She has been lovingly supported throughout her career by her husband, Roy, and children, Christian, Brandie and Amanda.
Awards & Recognitions
>Outstanding Service Award
United Nations Association, Oregon, 2006
MLK Lifetime Achievement Award
World Arts Foundation, 2002
Community Person of the Year
North American Foreign Students Association, 1999
Promising Practice of One America
The President's Commission on Racism, 1998
Community Harmony Recognition Award
Portland Metropolitan Human Rights Center, 1997
Community Person of the Year
Oregon Multicultural Education Society 1987
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