Skip to main content.

Senior Seminar

Senior Seminar is a graduation requirement for seniors in the Tigard-Tualatin School District. It was designed to help students summarize their high school experience and make it more relevant to their next steps in life. To pass the course, students must complete a volunteer experience, three job shadows of interest, and a civic-involvement project.

To support students in the community, the City of Tualatin has designed this Senior Seminar page to better assist with the completion of school requirements. Volunteer opportunities, civic involvement project ideas and job shadow experiences are detailed below.

Volunteer Opportunities

Thank you for your interest in service, particularly with the City of Tualatin. Our program offers flexibility. Your level of commitment may vary from a few hours at a one-day project or special event to a longer-term project. Volunteering is a great way to share your abilities with others, generate a sense of community pride, and gain skills to enhance your future goals.

The City of Tualatin offers many volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups. You can make the difference in your City's environment by joining us at a Tree Planting Event. Develop job skills, build your resume, and learn about Tualatin’s Public Library by getting involved in TOP Teens.

Student Service Dates:

Volunteering is a great way to share ideas with others, generate a sense of community pride, and gain skills to enhance your future goals. To learn more about volunteering with the City of Tualatin, please visit Volunteering in Tualatin. A signed Volunteer Application is required for all volunteers.

Civic Involvement Projects

The City of Tualatin has various ways that students can complete their civic involvement project. The Tualatin City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 7:00PM. In addition, there are several other City Advisory Committees meeting throughout the month, including Architectural Review Board, Park Advisory Committee, Library Advisory Committee, Arts Advisory Committee, Budget Committee, Planning Advisory Committee, and the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee. There are also many opportunities to get involved with Tualatin Tomorrow, a community visioning process.

Job Shadow Opportunities

The City of Tualatin offers a number of job shadow opportunities that range from full to half days. Each opportunity is listed below with the relevant staff contact information. Please feel free to contact staff if you need more information before making a choice. To sign-up for an opportunity, you must fill out and submit the following:

Job Shadow Online Sign-Up Form

Job Shadow Waiver

In some of the departments, we are limited to two Job Shadow experiences per week. By filling out the form, City staff will be able to check schedules and contact you directly to confirm availability. City business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The following City departments are offering job shadow opportunities:

Administration Department

Opportunities range from city management, clerical services, human resources facilitation, and risk management. For more information, please contact Debra Bullard at 503.691.3022.

Community Development Department

Meet City planners who are working on current and long-term planning issues, economic development, and urban renewal needs that face the Tualatin community. Learn more about Tualatin Tomorrow and ways that citizens interface with staff to design an infrastructure that will impact the community 20-30 years from now. For more information, contact Stacy Crawford or 503.691.3026.

Community Services Department

Volunteer Services
The City of Tualatin benefits last year nearly 1,000 volunteer served more than 35,000 hours throughout various City departments. Experience the planning and implementation of a volunteer project firsthand through Community Services, Operations, and/ or the Tualatin Public Library. To get involved contact Victoria Eggleston or 503.691.8105.

Library
Experience a host of different jobs and activities within the framework of the Tualatin Public Library. Work with staff to shelve books, shelf read, process new and dated materials, assist with the internet stations as needed, and observe the many uses of this public space. Contact Margie Bradley or Christina Hanson 503.691.3070.

Parks & Recreation
Find out more about how our parkland and greenways are purchased, planned, and developed for community use. Learn more about our parks and facilities reservation process. Explore recreation opportunities within the City of Tualatin, particularly revolving around youth. For more information, contact Carl Switzer or 503.691.3064.

Finance Department

Become familiar with the City's accounting practices, payroll and more. Job shadow opportunity may include filing, copying, and data entry tasks, as well. Please contact Lisa Thorpe at 503.691.3054.

Engineering & Building Department

Geographic Information System (GIS)
Spend the day with a GIS technician and learn about digital cartography, spatial analysis, and geographic data modeling.

Engineering Division
Shadow a civil engineer and/or public works inspector. Learn about the development process, infrastructure plan review, and infrastructure construction and inspection.

Building Division
Observe a regular workday of a building inspector. Learn about the building process, building plan review, and building construction and inspection.

For more information about the job shadow opportunities within the Engineering & Building Department, please contact Claudia Harris or 503.691.3032.

Operations Department

Administration Division
Spend the day with the Administration staff of Operations, which provides clerical, administrative support to the other divisions within the department. The administrative staff is also responsible for management of the solid waste franchise, the departments volunteer program and coordination of disaster planning and response for the City. Shadow the Director of Operations and experience what it takes to ensure that the city's infrastructure is maintained on a regular basis.

Maintenance Services Division
Spend the day with Maintenance Services staff shadowing a mechanic, building maintenance technician, inventory control clerk or supervisor. Find out what it takes to maintain the city's vehicles and equipment or set up a new police vehicle. You could also learn more about the daily maintenance required to sustain the various City's buildings including electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. Or choose to shadow our inventory control clerk who is responsible for shipping, receiving and storing supplies for the department.

Park Maintenance Division
Are you ready to get your hands dirty? Experience a typical day with one of our park maintenance staff members and see what it takes to maintain the city’s various parks, greenways, natural areas, public spaces and landscaping around public buildings including city parking lots and right-of-ways. You could also shadow the Parks Maintenance Supervisor and experience what it takes to supervise the various crews, as well as completing administrative work as well.

Street/Sewer/Storm Division
Spend the day with one of the Utility Technicians and learn what it takes to maintain the city’s storm and sewer infrastructure. You could experience the operation of equipment while cleaning out sanitary sewer lines or maintaining inlets/outfalls, drainage basin areas, water quality facilities and catch basins. You could also shadow Utility Technicians within the Street Division. They are responsible for maintaining the roadways including patching potholes, installation of new signs or the repainting of street legends including bike lanes, crosswalks and stop bars.

Water Division
This division regularly inspects and services the water reservoirs, main line valves, pressure reducing/sustaining valves and booster systems. Employees also inspect/paint and exercise fire hydrants and valves as well as taking water samples to ensure the compliance of the City with the State of Oregon regulations. They are responsible for the backflow/cross connection program.

For more information on Job Shadow opportunities within the Operations Department, please contact Kathy Kaatz, Program Coordinator ot 503.691.3093.