This project is a master class in teaching and learning, relying on the wisdom and care of a vibrant community. So many people who contributed their time, ideas, resources, patience, and authentic writing, stories, and art that I will inevitably forget someone. Without our collective creativity, this book and course would have never happened. I appreciate you!

Family and Friends

To my wife, Valerie J. McDowell: Thank you for your love and care. You keep the world steady, so I can walk with balance and confidence. Between your ability to see pictures and my ability to write words, we create in beauty and power. I love you always!

To my parents, Anna Christine Linder Skach and John Puttman Sr., you believed in me from the very beginning. Knowing that you love me gives me the courage to tell my truth. And to Judith Scott Puttman and Loraine Linder Skach, your love, care, and willingness to share your professional experiences make our family (and this book) better.

To all the Puttmans, McDowells, and members of my chosen family. Your willingness to live your lives authentically, be curious, and be a loving model of relationships and community inspires me. This book would not have happened without many conversations and much care.

To David Boyes. Thank you for the practical assistance with unending Zotero entries, and the intangible care that encourages me to keep going, every day.

OER team, coauthors, and reviewers

To Amy Hofer, who took a chance on me in the beginning, and who always has time to explain the intricacies of academic work. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. I hope I gave back as much as I received.

To Veronica Vold, whose passion for opening, accessible, and transformative learning stretches my vision and my skills as a teacher and a learner. You get straight to the heart of things.

To Heather Blicher and Valencia Scott, whose commitment to centering the experiences, wisdom, and resilience of people of color has called me out and called me in. I’ve only just started on this path. Your willingness to stay in the fight inspires me

To Michaela Willi Hooper, whose generosity, creativity, and passion for research inform our sources, illustrations, and attributions. Your dedication and persistence are woven into every chapter.

To Michelle Culley, whose steady and thoughtful approach to instructional design lowered my stress, and more importantly, whose work ensured that our courses were both beautiful and accessible to everyone.

To Colleen Sanders, whose attention to detail and fierce commitment to equity informs every word and image of this work. We wouldn’t have made it through 123 lines of checking and rechecking without you.

To Stephanie Lennox and the wise and hardworking folks of Chemeketa Press. You managed to turn a messy set of incomplete ideas into a real book. Thank you for making my writer’s dream come true, and advancing the cause of social justice, one book at a time.

Coauthors

Patricia Antoine, thank you for representing the world of first responders, end-of-life caregivers, and rural Oregonians. Your questions helped me focus more clearly on what makes a social problem a social problem, and on how we approach interdisciplinary work together.

Kathryn Burrows, thank you for sharing your own story, helping students to make sense of the complex world of health and mental health, and for helping me navigate the murky waters of academics in Oregon.

Bethany Grace Howe, your willingness to create community with fire survivors, agencies, community members, and students continues to resonate in the healing of Otis and the wider county. I appreciate your authenticity, your passion for this work, and your willingness to teach me about writing.

Nora Karena, in your work and in your life, you model how to be both fierce and kind. Your lived experience and wise analysis inform your deep commitment to anti-racist social justice. Thank you for your mentorship and your care.

Kelly Szott, thank you for helping me survive my first professional sociology conference after my long break from academic work. Your deep knowledge of social theory, and your willingness to learn more about racism and anti-racism helped me also get clearer.

Avery Temple, thank you for the integrity with which you live your life and the passion that you have for environmental justice. Without you, the chapter would have wandered around lost. Thank you for your patience as I tried to make sense of a topic that was both new to me and essential to get right.

Reviewers

Thank you to the reviewers, pilots, and workforce advisory board members who contributed their time and talent to making this work sing. Although I don’t know everyone by name, I particularly appreciate Franki Trujillo Dalbey, whose willingness to tell the truth….. “No, Kim, that’s racist!”…. supported me in challenging my own White supremacist privilege. Thanks also to the community of the book club. Your encouragement helps me to persist.

Students

Most importantly, I thank my students. You enter the classroom with courage, struggle with some of the most challenging issues of our time, and stay open to always learning more. Your questions and your wisdom inspire me every day. Thank you!