Welcome to Portland Underground Grad School! PUGS is school for everyday life, a space to make connections and friendships by going to class and learning, just like we did when we were younger. No prerequisites, no tests, and no credentials; just learning outside the expensive, non-inclusive university industrial complex.
We created PUGS in 2015 to be half learning and half community. As we look to reboot PUGS in the 2025, our focus will be connection as much as education. Civic loneliness is a core problem today; we don't feel really connected to one another. We'll all grabbing at community but so many forces in modern life keep us separated. In these different times, can we come together to rebuild the civic life of the city?
Stay tuned as we look for us to start offering courses again Fall 2025.
"PUGS has reawakened my dormant desire to LEARN." - Sara Guest
"PUGS offers courses that I've never seen anywhere else - thought-provoking, creative, unique, innovative and really inspirational." - Melea Seward
""PUGS classes just feel different - it's a mix of learning and community building like nothing I've experienced. I've learned as much from my classmates as I have from my teachers." - Betty Brickson
"It's more accessible for learning than traditional school or learning spaces." - Justin Buri
"PUGS has allowed me to stimulate my mind outside of its usual confines. I have learned so much and more important, spent more time thinking about my world in new ways." - Will Fain
"Comfort, community, great caring people, insight, education" - Judy Laddon
"PUGS has given me community, change within myself, opening new doors, rethinking my past education, friendships and complexity." - Jen Azlant
"What value! Exposure to new ideas, opportunities to think about how to be a better Portlander, exposure to the wisdom and activism that is alive in Portland!" - Lindsay Burnette
"It's been so helpful in organizing next steps in my life." - Beth Schechter
"I value the open discussion with people who have had various experiences, ideas, and approaches to interacting with the world." - Mark Chen
Upcoming Classes (coming soon!)
"PUGS classes just feel different - it's a mix of learning and community building like nothing I've experienced. I've learned as much from my classmates as I have from my teachers." - Betty Brickson