The Palma Scholar experience is distinguished in a number of ways from the already-rich experience enjoyed by all Catlin Gabel students. These include:
The Seminar
In addition to Catlin Gabel’s highly regarded coursework, Palma Scholars are automatically enrolled in Palma Seminars for each of their first three years in the Upper School. The seminar aims to prepare leaders for the 21st century with an interdisciplinary curriculum that promotes problem-solving, dialogue, and real-world engagement, while integrating knowledge and resources from a breadth of faculty, community members, and national experts.
The 2025-26 Palma Seminar
Subversive Aesthetics: Art and Literature as Tools of Dissent
From ancient Egyptians’ carved reliefs criticizing pharaohs to Banksy’s guerilla graffiti challenging consumerism and capitalism, artists have used art as a tool of protest for several thousand millennia. In this interdisciplinary seminar, we will explore the diverse methods that artists use to draw attention to their social concerns, and the lasting impact of their creations. We will also analyze a variety of texts to understand how and why authors’ unique methods of expression illuminate their opposition to the status quo. Our exploration will be guided by these essential questions: What is and should be the role of art in expressing dissent, criticism, or resistance? How does our interpretation of art contribute to more just societies, and when does it merely inflame division? This course will count for a half-Social Studies credit and a half-English credit, and is open to all students.
Past Palma Seminars
- People Problems: Disputes, Entanglements, and Inspiring Leadership: analyzes the nature of human conflicts at the local, national, and international levels, and how perceptions shape the ability to make positive change.
- This Mortal Coil: explores how to live through various stages of life, drawing on philosophy, religion, community wisdom, and personal storytelling
- Climate Change: extensive attention to projected impacts around the globe and potential courses of action at local, national and international scales
- Revolutionaries: an activism-oriented course that built toward student-led social initiatives
- Sports and Human Rights: a survey of the many ways that sports engages with matters of great social importance, with special emphasis on the Olympics and World Cup
The Capstone
In their senior year Palma Scholars pursue a year-long project of their choice under the guidance of the Palma Scholars Program Director. Students enjoy great latitude in the nature of this project, with options ranging from intense academic research to community-oriented initiatives to hands-on endeavors. Past Palma Scholars have pursued Capstone projects that saw them creating jewelry out of microplastics to bring attention to marine waste, interning with a state congresswoman, learning jazz piano, developing a podcast, and building a sailboat.
No Graduation Requirements
Aside from the Palma Seminar and Capstone, Palma Scholars have no graduation requirements at Catlin Gabel. This affords them the opportunity to customize their course load and to pursue a set of classes that aligns with their personal goals and cultivates their intellectual passions. While college admission requirements and course-specific prerequisites still play a part in the decision-making process, this grants Palma Scholars more control over their educational journey.
Spring Retreats
The Palma Scholars cohort participates in a 4-to-7-day spring retreat, focused on a project or initiative that relates to that year’s Palma Seminar work. The retreat is an opportunity for authentic hands-on learning, while also providing the students and program director quality time together. Most recently, the cohort visited New York where they volunteered at a wetland preserve, hiked in Hudson Valley, and toured historical and cultural sites in New York City. This was followed by a one-week intensive service project back in Portland. Other retreats have included traveling to Louisiana to learn about the impact of climate change; Mississippi to experience the Deep South’s blues, civil rights movement, and criminal justice, while also volunteering for Habitat for Humanity; Eastern Oregon to experience living and working on a ranch; and Vancouver, BC to examine firsthand the impact of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Leadership Development
The centerpiece of the leadership development programming for Palma Scholars is a customized diagnostic tool that breaks “leadership” down into skills that can be identified, studied, and practiced. Built around Daniel Goleman’s groundbreaking work on emotional intelligence, it provides Palma Scholars with a rich and nuanced profile of their leadership skills and establishes priorities for instructional coaching by the director, which occurs in both monthly one-on-one meetings and weekly cohort meetings.
Community Engagement
Service represents one of the program’s four pillars, and as such Palma Scholars are expected to make a meaningful commitment to a project or projects of their choosing. In addition, the program has taken on a leading role in the coordination and facilitation of the Upper School’s Community Engagement program. Each year, the Palma Scholars help to identify meaningful opportunities for student engagement in Portland, promote student-led initiatives at the school, and spotlight significant accomplishments from their peers.
