Supporting Equity and Inclusion at Berkeley
As a public university, UC Berkeley embraces inclusion and diversity as critical drivers to our distinctive excellence. Thank you for supporting these crucial initiatives!
Projects
19 Projects
Health for All: Supporting students health care costs
By UC Berkeley
Your philanthropic donation will directly support the health equity fund that directs money to students in need with out-of-pocket expenses for services at UHS.
Your philanthropic donation will directly support the health equity fund that directs money to students in need with out-of-pocket expenses for services at UHS. Help students cover their health care costs and ensure they have access to care that promotes mental and physical well-being. Why We Need You University Health Services (UHS) truly believes in a campus that improves student well-being and meets the health needs of the changing demographics of our university. In addition to our health services, we provide a safety net for our growing student community, many of whom have no other healthcare options or need assistance covering health care costs. Your philanthropic donation will directly support students in need with out-of-pocket expenses for medical services and pharmacy prescriptions at UHS. Donations will support the Health Opportunity Fund to assist with student fees at UHS. Who We Are UHS provides comprehensive medical, mental health, insurance, and health promotion services to all Berkeley students and health programs for faculty and staff. Our services are designed to minimize the impact of illness, emotional distress, and injury on studies and work. Health equity, where every person no matter their background has the opportunity to attain their highest level of well-being, is a vital component of everything we do. Providing access to seamless, integrated, high-quality health programs and services for students, staff, and faculty is at our core. Any amount helps and your participation will help to alleviate some of the cost barriers to access care and will reach those needing assistance.
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Equity in STEM Education
By UC Berkeley
Your gift will increase equity in STEM education, diversifying the pipeline of future healthcare workers, scientists, and policy experts.
Your gift will increase equity in STEM education, diversifying the pipeline of future healthcare workers, scientists, and policy experts. THANK YOU! We reached our first $5,000 goal! *** We have a new stretch goal of $10,000!*** Lloyd and Christine Bakan have generously offered to match each gift up to $10,000 so if you give during this campaign, your gift is DOUBLED, maximizing its mpact to undergraduate STEM students now. Please continue to share this project with your networks. With your help we'll reach our new stretch goal soon! ---- Join us in shaping a future where diversity thrives. Your support fuels this transformation by fostering new talent and ensuring a representative science and healthcare workforce. Together, we can create a brighter, healthier, and more innovative world. Established in 1992, the Biology Scholars Program expands access to the sciences for undergraduates from historically underserved communities by providing a pathway to overcome barriers, support through mentorship, and creating an inclusive environment where students feel they belong as each of them embark on their academic and professional careers. Critical to this mission, BSP tutoring and study groups form the basis of creating community for BSP members. Study groups provide students with academic and social support to persist beyond notorious "weeder" science courses to achieve their full potential. BSP alumni are serving in medically under resourced communities and crating their own outreach programs. They are founding initiatives to address community health gaps. They are using their lived experience to evolve the conversation around mental health. They are changing the world. Post-COVID Challenges and Opportunities The words most often used by members to describe the value of BSP to them are 'family' and 'community.' We saw evidence of this in their increased levels of participation in the program activities during the pandemic as compared to pre-COVID levels. This bump in participation was across the board, in program tutoring, mentoring, advising, internships, and professional development workshops, underscoring the importance of providing a community of support, trust, and kindness for our members. With the onset of COVID, BSP activities went 100% online, including tutoring. As students returned to campus and we have transitioned back to in-person program delivery, we find that our students are still struggling to recover from the academic, social, and emotional trauma of COVID. Within this context, BSP is innovating ways to revamp our services to meet the 'new normal' in the wake of unprecedented change and uncertainty. Today, we need your support as we critically re-envision and re-imagine the design and delivery of BSP's programs and activities, most especially our tutoring and study groups, building on the new practices developed during COVID to meet new student needs. During this crowdfunding campaign, your collective gift will help to sustain the delivery of critical support to undergraduate students.
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A Place for Belonging: Work + Learn Students at the Library 2023
By UC Berkeley
The UC Berkeley Library is a wellspring of knowledge and a welcoming place for all students. Make a gift today!
The UC Berkeley Library is a wellspring of knowledge and a welcoming place for all students. Make a gift today! With nearly 700 student employees, the UC Berkeley Library is one of the leading student employers on campus. Our students come from every background and academic discipline, and find a welcoming home in the Library’s Work+Learn program. With their unique skills and life experiences, our student employees provide much-needed services to the university community, from translating and cataloging foreign language materials to producing promotional videos. As the name suggests, the program offers students a financial boost from steady work and an opportunity to learn skills to launch their careers. Our students in the Work+Learn program help keep our buildings open and operating smoothly. And they often serve during nights and weekends, and periods with extended hours such as finals week. Even when the pandemic disrupted Library operations, our Work+Learn students continued to assist with vital services, such as digitizing course materials; gathering and shelving items for the university’s contactless pickup service; and working with our Preservation Department on critical restoration needs. On-campus jobs are essential for student success. They provide steady employment, stable income and an understanding and supportive work community. A job on campus can be a deciding factor in whether a student continues to study at UC Berkeley during challenging times, in particular, for first-generation and other historically underserved college students. Click here to read about Raquel Moral’s rise from student worker to HR lead for all of the Library’s student employees. Your gift supports these students directly, bolstering the Library’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and ensuring that we can continue to offer even more job opportunities. Learn more about the Library’s Work+Learn Program on our website, or contact us at give-library@berkeley.edu. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest Library news.
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HBCU-Berkeley Environmental Scholars for Change Program
By Sunil Prasad
Your support will help expand pathways for Black environmental scientists by creating opportunities for HBCU undergraduate students in ESPM.
Your support will help expand pathways for Black environmental scientists by creating opportunities for HBCU undergraduate students in ESPM. We cannot express enough gratitude for your incredible support in helping us achieve our initial goal! Each and every one of you has made a tremendous impact, and we are beyond thrilled! But guess what? We're not stopping there! We've set our sights even higher and are now aiming for a new goal of $10,000! Agricultural intensification, food sovereignty, climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity are intersecting socio-environmental crises that necessitate interdisciplinary perspectives and systems thinking. Addressing these deeply-rooted challenges requires committed changemakers whose perspectives and experiences reflect those who are most deeply affected. The Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM) recognizes the urgency of the task at hand and the enormous opportunities to work toward transformative change. ESPM has partnered with Tuskegee University and Spelman College to launch an intensive two month summer research internship and mentoring experience for students from Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU). This initiative is called HBCU-Berkeley Environmental Scholars for Change Program. This Program facilitates two-way learning among UC Berkeley and HBCU students and faculty while fostering preparedness and belonging for HBCU students interested in environmental science graduate work at Berkeley. These objectives work toward a larger goal of increasing the recruitment and retention of Black graduate students in Berkeley’s environmental science programs by addressing some of the many barriers that exist for Black students at a Predominantly White Institution. The Program consists of: A 25-hour per week research project with the mentorship of an ESPM faculty and PhD student/postdoc. Students develop specific environmental biophysical or social science research skills and at the culmination of the program present their work in a well-attended symposium. Developing a community of belonging through mentorship activities that foster relationships with Black faculty, staff, and graduate students at Berkeley and connect participants with vibrant Black environmental and cultural spaces in the Bay Area and beyond. Interdisciplinary environmental science skill-building and graduate school preparedness workshops. Field trips to garner exposure to a range of post-graduate environmental science career tracks in academia and community organizations. Beyond their summer in Berkeley, students have the opportunity to continue to work with their research mentors, such as presenting at national conferences and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications. Your donation will help us raise $5,000 to support DEIBJ initiatives at the Rausser College of Natural Resources. 2023 scholars Chris Bass, Na'Zyia Dowdy-Arnold, Destinee Whitaker, and Carlos Jackson with ESPM and UC Cooperative Extension mentors Drs. Fred McPherson, Mary Blackburn, and Vernard Lewis. Photo by Pam Kan-Rice. “[Dr. Ray] was super easy to talk to. I feel like I could TRULY talk to her about anything, which is a main reason I will continue a relationship with her—it is rare to find that openness in academia.” Love Lundy (2022) "The mentorship lunches were absolutely amazing. They were perfect. We created a relationship with those various people…and from there a bond was started. So the fact that they even came to our [research] showcase was beautiful.” Christopher Bass (2023) “The program solidified [Berkeley] being my top choice. The way the program was set up I had the opportunity to not only do the research but to build relationships in the department as well as people at Berkeley. I also feel like what really sealed the deal for me was we had a cookout at Vernard Lewis’ house and showing all the different Black figures in Berkeley and that gave me a sense of home…Once I had that opportunity I was like, ‘I knew I’d never be alone out here.” Destinee Whitaker (2023) 2022 scholars Massa Godbold, Joy Rutledge, Marianna Beard, and Love Lundy. Photo by Rosalie Z. Fanshel.
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Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp at Cal Performances
By Cal Performances
Make a gift to support this tuition-free, six-week dance camp for local middle school students at Cal Performances.
Make a gift to support this tuition-free, six-week dance camp for local middle school students at Cal Performances. Cal Performances Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp is a joyful and rigorous six-week program free to selected youth ages 11–14. AileyCamp’s talented staff and teaching artists offer campers classes in African dance, Ballet, Jazz, Modern Dance, Creative Communication, and Personal Development, as well as a variety of field trips, guest workshops, and special events. Camp culminates in a performance that showcases campers’ accomplishments before an audience of hundreds in Zellerbach Hall. AileyCamp provides a supportive community where young people can connect meaningfully with each other and with caring adults, express themselves creatively, and experience the transformative power of dance. Did you know that Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp is a 100% tuition-free program? Here are some of the ways your donation can make a difference for an AileyCamp student: $7,000 pays the full cost of tuition. $1,500 covers one week of camp. $750 provides 6 weeks of breakfast and lunch. $600 buys roundtrip transportation for 6 weeks. $250 defrays the cost of uniforms. $100 purchases dance shoes. Any gift–small or large–enriches the experience of AileyCampers and enables us to provide more opportunities for middle school youth all across the Bay Area. Thank you for your support! All photographs were generously provided by © Gabriel Harber Photography.
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ElevateHER: Investing in Women's Empowerment at Berkeley
By GenEq
Your gift supports GenEq's ElevateHer initiatives which serve the women of UCB encouraging them to reach their fullest potential while here and beyond.
Your gift supports GenEq's ElevateHer initiatives which serve the women of UCB encouraging them to reach their fullest potential while here and beyond. GenEq Your gift supports GenEq’s ElevateHer initiatives which serve the women of UCB encouraging them to reach their fullest potential while here and beyond Our Women's Initiatives provide a supportive environment for women at UC Berkeley to form communities across identities and disciplines. You will be supporting educational community theatre such as GenEq’s “Our Monologues”, stories written and performed by UCB students addressing gender and sexual violence. You will also be supporting mentorship programs, self-defense workshops, and educational seminars on financial literacy and overcoming imposter syndrome. By investing in women's success, we uplift the entire campus community.
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Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program
By UC Berkeley
Give to the Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program that directly supports Indigenous/Native artists and creates public programming on our campus
Give to the Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program that directly supports Indigenous/Native artists and creates public programming on our campus “Story is the most powerful force in the world. In our world, maybe in all worlds. Story is culture. Story, like culture, is constantly moving.” — Deborah A. Miranda, Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir The Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) in collaboration with the Arts Research Center (ARC) have created a multi-year Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program, which allows us to host a performance by emerging Indigenous performing artists yearly, along with a visit to campus by the artist for a public talk and an opportunity to work with students in class visits and workshops. The mission of the artist residency program is to strengthen relationships with Indigenous community partners and to create ongoing financial and material support for upcoming Indigenous performing artists so that Native stories can be told on our campus now and into the future. It utilizes the longstanding collaborative partnership that ARC and TDPS have established with each other over many years, and utilizes both our units’ connections to local California theater and performing arts organizations off campus. The program stems from the idea that embodied theater and performance practices are a site of historical remembering and knowledge production. Image: The 2023 TDPS production of Daughters of Leda, a play written and directed by Indigenous theater artists Madeline Sayet (playwright) and Shannon R. Davis (director). Pictured left to right: Audrey Schultz, Sophia Partain, Emma Hoehn, Jordan Goodwin, and Emma Gardner. The Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program builds a relationship with a local performance company for multiple years, to premiere Native or Indigenous creative works in their theater/performance space. ARC and TDPS will then collaborate to reprise those artistic works in one of our campus performance spaces. During the presentation of the performance, the artist(s) will be invited to campus to meet with our community, give talks, engage with our students in a variety of ways that best support the artistic production. Image: Actor Steven Flores in Pueblo Revolt by Dillon Chitto (Diné), world premiere with AlterTheater at Arts Research Center, 2023 / Photo by Laurie Macfee Budget In the short term, we are seeking funds to help augment the residency program so that the first three years are secured. Our current goal of $5,000 will secure the first year, and act as a match to funds already pledged. If we exceed our goal, it will help fund years two and three of this multi-year project. Ideally, we are seeking to create an endowment to ensure the permanence of the program for many years to come. Your donation will go directly toward the artist fee and bringing the artist to campus for a free public talk, workshops, and class visits. Our hope is that the Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program could become a template for how other units on campus can work towards more reciprocal and material relationships with Native communities both on and off campus. Programming The Indigenous Performing Artist Residency Program is the logical next step to supplement the ongoing commitment of ARC and TDPS to supporting Indigenous voices in the arts. Examples of recent programming for ARC include a collaboration last spring with AlterTheater to host the world premiere of Pueblo Revolt by Dillon Chitto; artist talks with Jeffrey Gibson, Cara Romero, and Wendy Red Star; readings by poets including Jake Skeets, dg nanouk okpik, and Natalie Diaz; our current Artist-in-Residence visit with artist/choreographer Tanya Lukin Linklater; ARC's Indigenous Poetics Lab; and our Poetry & the Senses Fellowship program based around the theme of Reclamation. Row 1: Deborah Miranda, Esther Belin, Natalie Diaz, Jeffery Gibson, Dillon Chitto, Wendy Red Star Row 2: Terry Jones, Cara Romero, Craig Santos Perez, dg okpik, Canuppa Hanska Luger, Robert Sullivan Row 3: Joy Harjo, Jake Skeets, Claire Hong, Tanya Lukin Linklater, Alice Te Punga Somerville, Michael Wasson Recent TDPS programming with Indigenous artists/guests includes: a production of the play Daughters of Leda, written by Madeline Sayet and directed by Shannon R. Davis; public talks and conversations with costume designer Asa Benally, dancer Erica Estrada, community organizer Corrina Gould, artistic director Pauline Lampton, playwright and attorney Mary Kathryn Nagle, and musician-scholar Jessica Bissett-Perea; class visits with composer Raven Chavon, dancer and choreographer Jack Gray, and playwright Drew Woodson; and a performance of Bayal Kaymanen (Dancing Smoke), a collaboration between Miriki Performing Arts and the Northern Pomo Dancers. Row 1: Asa Benally, Jessica Bissett-Perea, Shannon R. Davis, Corrina GouldRow 2: Pauline Lampton, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Madeline Sayet, Dancing Smoke Both ARC and TDPS serve the public through our research and programming, which allows us to create bridges between the university and local communities. Learn More: ARC Website: arts.berkeley.edu ARC Instagram: @ArtsResearchCtr ARC Email: ucb_arts@berkeley.edu TDPS Website: tdps.berkeley.edu TDPS Instagram: @BerkeleyTDPS TDPS Email: tdps@berkeley.edu Your support matters! UC Berkeley sits on the unceded territory of xučyun (Huichin), the ancestral land of the Chochenyo speaking Ohlone people. Land acknowledgments without material commitments are empty gestures. Support Indigenous artists today! Image from Artist/choreographer Tanya Lukin Linklater, This moment an endurance to the end forever, 2020 (video still)
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Berkeley Connect Mentoring Fellowships
By Shana Love
"You belong here!" Help thousands of students increase their sense of belonging by connecting them with graduate mentors & a supportive community of peers.
"You belong here!" Help thousands of students increase their sense of belonging by connecting them with graduate mentors & a supportive community of peers. "You belong here." That is the core Berkeley Connect message. UC Berkeley is a great, big university. Students have access to outstanding professors and an abundance of resources and opportunities--but sometimes the university can seem impersonal, the faculty intimidating, the choices overwhelming. This is particularly true for students who enter the university unsure if it's a place where they truly belong. The mission of the Berkeley Connect mentoring program is to increase every participating student's sense of belonging and confidence that they can succeed at UC Berkeley. Can you make a gift to Berkeley Connect and help the amazing students at UC Berkeley realize their full potential? Every semester, Berkeley Connect matches over a thousand students with outstanding graduate student mentors who meet with them one-on-one to provide personalized advice and support. At the same time, students join small groups where they meet peers who share their academic interests. All the component of Berkeley Connect--individualized mentoring conversations, relaxed small-group discussions, events featuring professors and alumni, field trips to explore the campus--are designed to help students build community, feel less intimidated and more confident, and make the most of their time at UC Berkeley. Berkeley Connect is remarkably effective. Each semester, over 90% of participants report that taking part in Berkeley Connect increased their sense of belonging and confidence that they can succeed at UC Berkeley. Who participates in Berkeley Connect? The program is open to all undergraduates, regardless of major or year. The Berkeley Connect message "you belong here" is particularly impactful for students who have historically felt less welcome at UC Berkeley. Up to 50% of Berkeley Connect participants are transfer students, and approximately 28% are African American, Latinx, and Native American students. Our research has shown that students in these groups often enter Berkeley Connect with a lower sense of belonging, and experience the largest increase in confidence over the course of the semester. Berkeley Connect is a donor-supported program. When you give to Berkeley Connect, you are sending a message to students: This is your university--you belong here! The cost of each undergraduate's participation in Berkeley Connect is approximately $600 a semester. Every $600 we raise pays the cost of one student's Berkeley Connect experience. Can you help? Berkeley Connect makes our great, big university feel a little smaller and more welcoming. The thousands of students benefiting from Berkeley Connect mentoring and community-building thank you for your support! Questions? You can learn more about Berkeley Connect at https://berkeleyconnect.berkeley.edu/ or reach us at berkeleyconnect@berkeley.edu.
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DEI in Psychedelic Facilitation Education at UC Berkeley
By Moana Meadow
Help the BCSP fund scholarships to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in a unique professional psychedelic facilitation certificate program.
Help the BCSP fund scholarships to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in a unique professional psychedelic facilitation certificate program. How You Can Help Donate today to support learners from historically underrepresented groups. We are raising scholarship funds to support those who could not access our program otherwise. The UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics is entirely funded by the generous philanthropic support of donors. Your support today will help the center to scale DEI initiatives within its pioneering Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program. Our Mission The overall mission of the BCSP is to strengthen the burgeoning field of psychedelics with culturally informed research, science-based, accessible public education, and robust interdisciplinary training. Clinical trials show promising results for therapies that include psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin. As a result, there is increased focus on the facilitation of safe, equitable, and accessible care. Increased Demand for Psychedelic Facilitation Training There is a growing demand for professionally trained and deeply educated facilitators who can provide safe, legal, culturally sensitive, and effective psychedelic care. To address this need, BCSP’s Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program provides interdisciplinary training for advanced professionals, with an emphasis on spiritual approaches, traditional uses, and equitable access to care. BCSP Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program BCSP’s Psychedelic Facilitation Certificate Program is a nine-month curriculum designed for advanced professionals who wish to provide legal, safe, effective psychedelic-assisted care to their patients, clients, and communities. We aim to develop our learners’ critical social consciousness on matters of power, marginalization, and belonging in the broader field. Among other topics, our participants examine how social positions shape experience in the psychedelic-facilitation space. The program is committed to providing culturally sensitive training that prepares facilitators to adequately address the needs of people from a diverse array of faith traditions and communities of origin. We commit to training historically underrepresented facilitators so that underserved communities can access providers who understand their unique lived experiences. Centering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Psychedelic Facilitation Principles of inclusion, reciprocity, and respect for all beings guide the BCSP Certificate Program. We aspire to provide a learning environment that is safe and supportive for everyone, including BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities, and other underrepresented groups. Our interdisciplinary curriculum blends contemporary scientific knowledge with ancestral and communal perspectives. In gratitude for the Indigenous traditions that have inspired our learning, we seek to respond with service and community engagement. To diversify enrollment and to encourage members of historically underrepresented groups to apply, BCSP offers financial assistance to those who qualify. Donate to BCSP and provide scholarships for robust, interdisciplinary training in psychedelic facilitation from one of the world’s top universities. Each additional $12,000 raised supports another full diversity scholarship. Our goal is to be able to fund every learner from underrepresented communities at a level that meets their financial need. Help the BCSP fund scholarships to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice in the emerging field of psychedelic facilitation!
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REPresenting in Psychology: Uplifting Underrepresented Voices
By REPresenting in Psychology
Help us advance diversity and multicultural excellence in higher education by providing early research, professional-development, and community-building
Help us advance diversity and multicultural excellence in higher education by providing early research, professional-development, and community-building REPresenting in Psychology The mission of the REP in Psychology program is to advance a vision of diversity, multicultural excellence, and belonging in higher education. To this end, the REP program works to provide underrepresented undergraduate students with hands-on experiences in support of their research, professional, and community development in science. The REP program training structure centralizes the cultivation of three values we believe to be pillaring factors for academic success: Competencies, Culture, and Community. Competencies: This refers to technical and conceptual skills that are needed to plan, perform and disseminate research, manage and analyze quantitative data, and work collaboratively as well as independently within academic contexts. These competencies are developed through sustained research engagement as members of a paired lab, one-on-one training by peer, graduate student, and faculty mentors, and structured training in research methods, statistics, data analysis, and scientific literacy through our weekly professional development workshops. Culture: This refers to conceptual and applicable knowledge of the underlying “ropes” or “ins and outs” of academic environments (e.g., labs, departments), institutions (e.g., graduate programs, scientific societies), and systems (e.g., social structures, professoriate pathways). Students’ cultural development occurs through structured and interpersonal learning experiences. Structurally, students engage with panels of faculty, graduate students, and working professionals to gain nuanced knowledge about several aspects of higher education, including (but not limited to) the structure of graduate school and the application processes for psychological science and related fields, preparatory factors for various graduate pathways, as well as potential academic and non-academic occupations. Interpersonally, students gain a cultural understanding of the graduate school environment through their sustained engagement with their paired labs, mentors, and peers. Community: This refers to how students perceive themselves as part of a larger collective, and the benefits that arise from having a sense of belonging, validation, and visibility in higher education. To this end, students’ sense of community is developed through their close and positive contact with their faculty and graduate student mentors as well as their peers. Community-building activities in our weekly professional development workshops as well as monthly program socials (e.g. recreational activities, social events, etc) help maintain a sense of community within our program as a whole. Moreover, dedicated lectures and discussions also help identify and demystify academic spaces where students can find and foster community, such as academic societies, conference events, and affinity groups within one’s department. Funds raised will help support the sustainability and development of resources for students, graduate mentors, and the program itself. Student-wise, funds will be allocated towards costs related to work-study fees (e.g. administrative fees), research efforts (e.g., data collection, research poster printing), and professional development (e.g., travel and registration costs for conferences). Mentor-wise, funds will be allocated towards stipends to incentivize mentor recruitment, participation, and retention in the program. Program-wise, funds will be allocated towards community building activities and resources for students and mentors (e.g. food/beverage costs for resume-building workshops, and monthly student socials). Funding acquired from the fundraiser will be used to cover yearly operating costs and will allow the program to expand the opportunities and the resources that we provide to students participating in the program. Quotes from students in the program: “I am very thankful to have had this opportunity. I truly feel as though REP has set the stage for me to continue embarking into research.” “The opportunity meant so much more to me than a resume boost. I felt like I am part of a supportive and amazing community” “I feel like the program gave me the push I needed to start looking into grad school seriously.” “It was the best experience and space that I have been in and I really felt supported academically and personally.” “It was a great experience for me, I am new to UC Berkeley and I really wanted to get involved in research so I felt like I created my first home and friendships at REP workshops”
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Undergraduate Research in Africa
By UC Berkeley
Support undergraduate students to pursue research in Africa, expand their opportunities and contribute to a vital area of knowledge production
Support undergraduate students to pursue research in Africa, expand their opportunities and contribute to a vital area of knowledge production Support Undergraduate Research in Africa! The Center for African Studies supports undergraduate students who aspire to be involved in research in African countries. Most of the students we support through the Geist & Rosberg Undergraduate Research Award are first-generation and BIPOC students. We rely on our wonderful supporters to continue providing these students with the financial means to pursue their research interests and academic ambitions. Supporting undergraduate research in Africa contributes to DEIBJ at Berkeley by: Assisting students who do not otherwise have opportunities to conduct international research or learn from African counterparts. Exposing students to the diversity of Africa-focused research that remains underrepresented at Berkeley and other American universities. Building a pipeline of future researchers who can help bring new perspectives and insights to the study of Africa. The giving levels of our campaign reflect actual items in undergraduate student research budgets. Your support will help undergraduates undertake research in Africa. Will you join us today by making a gift? Find us on social media
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Support MBA Fellowships for students from HBCUs
By UC Berkeley
Create a pipeline for more Black representation in business through MBA tuition support for graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Create a pipeline for more Black representation in business through MBA tuition support for graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The benefits of earning an MBA from a top-ranked business school are profound—it allows students to future-ready their careers, explore new industries or functions, accelerate their career path, and expand and diversify their networks. Yet fewer and fewer students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups are applying to MBA programs around the country. This year, less than 5% of domestic students in the Berkeley Haas Full-time MBA Program identified as Black or African American. As a public institution, Berkeley Haas has an obligation to work against systemic racism and build more justice into our society. And as business leaders, we believe that more representation in business by underrepresented MBA graduates will change the world by strengthening our business cases and decisions. New discoveries won't be found on the same well-worn paths—we need new ideas, perspectives and approaches. Last year, the Haas School of Business established a first-of-its-kind endowment that will provide tuition support to MBA students with a degree from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). HBCUs emerged in the 19th century to provide undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities to people of African descent who were excluded from existing institutions. As opportunities have increased at predominantly white institutions for people of African descent, HBCUs have continued to thrive and grow their student communities to include non-Black students. As Haas looks to the next generation of leaders, HBCUs are a vital part of our recruitment strategy. This year, thanks to the first Fellowship award, we were able to recruit an amazing graduate from Howard University, Brittany Jacob! The HBCU MBA Fellowship was established by several generous founding members: Mike and Kelly Smith, Lisa Jones, Monica Stevens, Eric McKissack, Jessica Lindl. We consider this initiative of great strategic importance as it will not only increase diversity at Haas right now, but create a pathway for HBCU alumni applicants for decades to come. Together we have raised $626,000 for the Fellowship to date but this is just a portion of what is needed to make this a permanent annual source of tuition support. We ask you to support our goal of increasing underrepresented representation of students at Haas and creating a pathway for more equitable representation in business.
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Black Engineering & Science Student Association
By UC Berkeley
Make a gift to help Black STEM students get the resources needed to foster unity & family and increase Black STEM participation on campus!
Make a gift to help Black STEM students get the resources needed to foster unity & family and increase Black STEM participation on campus! The Black Engineering and Science Student Association (BESSA) is the University of California, Berkeley chapter for our parent organization the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). We are a student-run, non-profit organization that thrives on its members' support, success, and commitment. We diligently work to provide academic and social support not only to our engineering and science community but to the entire Black community. This organization is a strong believer in academic excellence, personal growth, and a commitment to minority communities in and out of the classroom. Your Impact Your support will allow us to: Fund high quality tutors for our weekly study jams in order to build and retain Black academic excellence at Cal ($500 / tutor) Host various outreach events throughout the school year to support and engage local Black K-12 with STEM and engineering in order to increase Black representation in STEM ($100 / student) Go on company trips and host professional development events to build corporate relationships and provide post-college opportunities to Black students on campus ($20 / person for transportation) Fund students for attendance at regional and national NSBE events and conferences, thus building the Black STEM network ($1000 / student) Follow Your Impact Learn more about us at http://www.ucberkeleybessa.com/, and connect with us through Instagram and LinkedIn to see your impact throughout the year!
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Redefine Her Street at Berkeley
By Redefine Her Street
Redefine Her Street is a growing international organization trying to create the largest women’s undergraduate finance network.
Redefine Her Street is a growing international organization trying to create the largest women’s undergraduate finance network. Redefine Her Street About Redefine Her Street at Berkeley Redefine Her Street is a growing international organization trying to create the largest women’s undergraduate finance network. We already have chapters at Swarthmore, Stanford, McGill, and more! Our intercollegiate network helps provide women with important educational resources and most up-to-date information about the recruitment process. Another critical part of Redefine Her Street is the partnerships we build with Wall Street firms and financial services companies that are interested in gender parity. These relationships allow us to have first-hand information about opportunities as we work with these companies to build a robust pipeline of talented, intelligent, capable, and well-rounded women. We work closely with our national board of directors who have experience working at Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Barclays SIG, DWS, and more! Events We meet bi-weekly to host finance workshops, recruitment prep, fireside chats, etc on all topics of finance (Investment Banking, Asset Management, Sales & Trading, Recruiting, etc) Also, every month, we invite speakers who are working in the financial industry to share their experience in work, interview, and job seeking. These events provide our members with access to educational resources outside the classroom and also equip them with knowledge of working in the financial industry. Finance Pod General Meeting Social Event Why Should I Donate Redefine Her Street at Berkeley? As a currently reactivated organization at UC Berkeley, we are facing a financial challenge that has made it difficult for us to run the club and hindered our ability to host events. Therefore, we are fundraising for all of our future events. Your financial support would make a substantial difference to our club which can support us to keep helping undergraduate women in finance and making the community better. Learn More About Us RHS National Website: https://redefineherstreet.com/ Instagram: https://redefineherstreet.com/
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Neurodiverse Staff and Student Focus group
By UC Berkeley
Make a gift to support neurodiverse students and staff find community, learn from each other and raise awareness.
Make a gift to support neurodiverse students and staff find community, learn from each other and raise awareness. Neurodiversity describes natural variations in the human brain that influence how we think, behave and process information. Most people are neurotypical, but around 1 in 7 of us is neurodivergent. Dyslexia, Sensitivity, Giftedness, ADHD, Autism are among the most common neurodivergent conditions. Each brings its own unique challenges — and strengths. Neurodivergent people think differently - their unique perspectives and experiences mean they can often excel at creativity and innovation, have highly specialized skillsets and an ability to hyperfocus. If embraced, this can be a huge advantage to organizations and society. However, the differences neurodivergent people experience can make life challenging. In order to thrive at work and at school, they often need some simple accommodations. For example, a sensory calm environment to recharge in or a routine with the same start and end times. About 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent - harnessing the full contribution of those people can be a significant contribution to every organisation and help generate a truly inclusive environment. We aim to build a community for neurodiverse learners, invite relevant seminar speakers, and help advocate together to help meet the needs of the neurodiverse campus community.
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Creating an MBA pipeline for Latinx students
By UC Berkeley
Help Berkeley Haas work against systemic racism and build more justice into our community by increasing Latinx/Hispanic representation in our graduate programs
Help Berkeley Haas work against systemic racism and build more justice into our community by increasing Latinx/Hispanic representation in our graduate programs Early MBA pathways program targeting the Latinx/Hispanic community. The benefits of earning an MBA from a top-ranked business school are profound—it allows students to future-ready their careers, explore new industries or functions, accelerate their career path, and expand and diversify their networks. Yet fewer and fewer students from underrepresented racial groups are applying to MBA programs around the country. This year, only 8.5% of Berkeley Haas MBA students identified as Hispanic or Latino. UC Berkeley is committed to becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution by 2028. As a public institution, Berkeley Haas has an obligation to work against systemic racism and build more justice into our society, reflecting the demographics of our state and country. And as business leaders, we believe that more representation in business by Latinx MBA graduates will change the world by strengthening our business cases and decisions. New discoveries won't be found on the same well-worn paths—we need new ideas, perspectives and approaches. We are excited to develop a pathways program to bring Berkeley Haas in alignment with the UC Berkeley Latinx-thriving Initiative. Project Description The purpose of this program is to educate, prepare and motivate individuals to apply and succeed at a top business school and support their career advancement. We hope to reverse the trend in declining applications from underrepresented racial groups by making it easier for students to apply to graduate school and by offering information on the benefits of pursuing graduate education. This experience will help rising college seniors through those completing their second year of employment expand their network and build their leadership skills. Participants will attend in-person and virtual sessions hosted by Berkeley Haas which will include various activities and services. Program Components The program is designed to be a one-year program meeting monthly with an opportunity for additional engagement over time. The program will offer curriculum on: Admissions to graduate school in business Financial aid GMAT/GRE preparation Building a personal brand Networking skills Exploring career options and opportunities It will include: Guest speakers from the corporate community Graduate-level discussions and case studies led by faculty Networking opportunities with industry professionals and the Haas community Mentorship opportunities Free GMAT or GRE test preparation and test sitting Application fee waiver for Haas graduate programs Progress to date We just accepted the first cohort of 2023 Haas Thrive Fellows and launched the first session of this intensive program. One student wrote: "Today marks the first day of our monthly sessions at the Haas School of Business for the first cohort of Haas Thrive Fellows (a pre-MBA pipeline geared toward LatinX students). It is such an honor to hold space with inspiring individuals and I cannot wait to see what the next 9 months will look like. ✨ Oh, and my husband got to come support and live like a bear. What a special day filled with a sense of belonging, community, and love!" Join us The transformative opportunity of attending Haas should be an accessible, compelling choice for students from all backgrounds. We ask you to support our goal of increasing representation for Latinx students at Haas and creating a pathway for more equitable representation in business.
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Equity Fluent Leadership
By UC Berkeley
Your support helps us to educate Equity Fluent leaders to ignite and accelerate change.
Your support helps us to educate Equity Fluent leaders to ignite and accelerate change. The Berkeley Haas Center for Equity, Gender & Leadership (EGAL) develops Equity Fluent Leaders by creating unique courses and resources catered to individuals and organizations who are committed to transforming the future of business. For Berkeley students and eager leaders alike, we offer our Equity Fluent Leadership Academy, courses, fellowships, research grants, case compendiums, playbooks, guides, and more. We recognize that the status quo in business creates limiting and harmful barriers related to gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, and more, and help business leaders address systemic barriers to create lasting change. Our focus areas include: Products & Services: The products and services companies develop have massive impacts on people. They can advance bias and inequity, or advance inclusion and equity. Leaders & Colleagues: Individuals must act every day to advance inclusion. Inclusive mindsets and acts are critical throughout all employee ranks, especially for managers and leadership. Organizational Culture: Creating cultures of inclusion and belonging requires reimagining workplace expectations and the ways workplaces are structured. Organizational Systems: Vast inequities exist in society and work, while the structure and nature of work are changing. We advance organizational systems change that centers equitable societies. How can I help? Make a donation to EGAL today! We appreciate all donations. Giving levels start at $25. Share our work and follow us on social media. We regularly post updates about our work on LinkedIn and Instagram. Sharing and engaging with our work helps us fill our courses, connect with potential donors, and reach a broader audience that is interested in our work. @BerkeleyEGAL Use our resources. We develop things like our Inclusive Language Guide and our Belonging Sparks card decks because we want people to use them! We know that these resources are truly powerful (and fun) tools for changing the way we think to ultimately create a more equitable society. Utilizing our resources means that you are making a direct contribution to DEIB efforts in business and challenging the status quo by doing so! Where will my gift go? EGAL relies on philanthropy to continue offering transformative opportunities to students and leaders. With your support, we can continue offering programs, research grants, and fellowships, like our Equitable Product Design Fellowship, as well as offer them to a larger number of students. This means that more people are gaining skills and a toolkit to enter the business world with diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging top of mind. Please help us reach our goal! This campaign closes on November 30th. Keep in touch!https://haas.berkeley.edu/equity https://www.linkedin.com/company/BerkeleyEGAL https://www.instagram.com/BerkeleyEGAL https://berkeleyequity.medium.com https://mailchi.mp/berkeley/egal-mailing-list
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Underground Scholars Initiative: Wellness and Community Building
By UC Berkeley
Fueling Change: Empowering Students for Social Impact. Building the Prison-to-Higher Education Pipeline Since 2013
Fueling Change: Empowering Students for Social Impact. Building the Prison-to-Higher Education Pipeline Since 2013 Thanks to last year’s donors, we were able to spend a day of rejuvenation and tranquility at Vichy Springs as we continue to promote self-care, community building, and wellness. We hope to offer this outing to USI members in Spring 2024. Our Mission: Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) is an ASUC Sponsored registered student organization at UC Berkeley that works in partnership with BUS. USI is completely student-run. The two organizations, BUS & USI, are separate and aligned. Berkeley Underground Scholars (BUS) creates a pathway for incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and system-impacted individuals into higher education. We are building a prison-to-school pipeline through recruitment, retention, and advocacy. BUS is an academic support program housed within the Division of Equity and Inclusion at UC Berkeley. We prioritize our services for formerly incarcerated students. We define system-impacted as a person who is legally, economically or familially affected negatively by the incarceration of a close relative. System-impacted also includes people arrested and/or convicted without incarceration. Our History: Underground Scholars was started in the Spring of 2013 by formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students at UC Berkeley as the Underground Scholars Initiative (USI), a student organization. In 2014, USI received funding from the University of California Berkeley through a fee referendum that students voted on. That funding made it possible for USI to rent some office space at Stiles Hall and hire our first director, transfer coordinator, and five formerly incarcerated students to work in our office. In 2016, we partnered with Senator Loni Hancock. She led an effort to secure funding from the state to develop an academic support program to serve formerly incarcerated students in addition to the student organization, USI. Berkeley Underground Scholars was born out of that effort. Shortly after USI was developed at UC Berkeley, formerly incarcerated students at UCLA began to develop a chapter. As Berkeley’s USI members graduated and spread through the UC system for graduate school, they began building chapters on other campuses. There is now a USI chapter at every undergraduate serving University of California campus. Our Work: USI aims to shift the School-to-Prison pipeline to a Prison-to-School pipeline using higher education as an alternative to incarceration. Our program model and mission have been developed and actualized through: RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, and ADVOCACY. USI recently added a fourth pillar: WELLNESS. Recruitment: We recruit in prisons, jails, and community colleges. We serve hundreds of incarcerated students annually by providing academic advising, transcript analysis, and UC application support. We offer paid leadership development roles, cross-enrollment in UC classes, and transfer application support for community college students. Retention: We serve formerly incarcerated and system impacted UC students with resources to ensure their retention and graduation. We help students meet critical needs, including transportation, housing, and food; assistance securing financial aid; academic, career, and mental health advising; and peer mentorship. We partner with a range of departments on campus to develop and offer coursework and enrichment opportunities centered around advancing our students’ academic and career goals., Advocacy: We're working on expanding our model to the entire UC system. We work with admissions professionals, deans, and faculty on campus to eliminate barriers to higher education faced by our students and advocate on their behalf in cases involving their parole and probation officers. Additionally, our students conduct policy research, draft proposals, and co-sponsor state bills to build skills in analysis, writing, and advocacy. To learn more about our work, please follow this link to our website: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/our-work Chancellor's Award for Public Service Underground Scholars won the Student Group Award for Civic Engagement in 2022 Crowdfunding Budget We are utilizing the crowdfunding platform to raise funds for community-building activities. When asked what they value about Underground Scholars, the overwhelming majority of students stated that they look to USI to build community and give them a sense of belonging at what can often be described as an intimidating and impersonal environment of a large research university. Our student organization will use crowdfunding donations for collective meals, teambuilding activities (half-day) through Cal Adventures, an outing on college night to a local bowling alley, and tickets to an amusement park (Great America). Any additional funding that we receive will go toward sponsoring more community meals. At this point, we hope to join together for a community meal once a month. Yet we acknowledge that if we could sponsor dinners once a week, instead of once a month, our community would grow stronger collectively. Check out our website: https://undergroundscholars.berkeley.edu/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theundergroundscholars/?hl=en Located at: Stiles Hall, 2400 C Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 USI Leadership Team 2023-24 Juan Francisco Salinas—-- Treasurer Alexander Nielsen—--------- Secretary Michelle Marie Maxwell—-- Advocacy Chair Cesar Ramon Garcia—----- Recruitment Chair Rainbow Alvarez—----------- Retention Chair
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Breaking Barriers: Inspire the Next Generation of Women in CS
By UC Berkeley
Invest in the future of innovation by giving incoming female students, an underrepresented group in tech, a chance to explore and build their foundation in CS.
Invest in the future of innovation by giving incoming female students, an underrepresented group in tech, a chance to explore and build their foundation in CS. Our mission is to empower incoming-freshmen women by facilitating an environment in which they can explore the vast world of computer science and its intersections. CS Kickstart hosts a week-long program for incoming freshman girls before the start of the school year. Through this, we aim to equip them with the tools they need for success at UC Berkeley and their future careers through various opportunities in CS. Our program holds a unique position in the lives of most students, as it is often their first-ever exposure to computer science. For these individuals, this initial encounter can be transformative, sparking curiosity and potentially paving the way for their future educational and career paths. We have the potential to ignite a passion for CS and demonstrate its relevance in the students’ respective majors. Our program strives to achieve the following: Skill Development: We provide a comprehensive introduction to python programming, web development, web design, data science, and electrical engineering in which our curriculum nurtures a strong foundation of technology and allows students to consider the career paths they are most interested in. 97% of students reported that CS Kickstart gave them a better sense of what computer science is. The funds will enable us to provide top-notch learning materials, resources, and experienced instructors for our lessons throughout the week. Students engage with the material through hands-on experiences such as labs and their own individual projects to apply the concepts they learned throughout the week. Industry Insight: With your support, we can organize enriching visits to startups and established tech companies in Silicon Valley. Participants will have the chance to interact with industry professionals, gain insights into real-world applications of technology, and be inspired by success stories. In each field trip, we engage in conversations with female industry experts to foster inspiration and deepen understanding, focusing on how to overcome obstacles as a female in the tech industry. Smooth Transition: We prepare incoming freshmen for the challenges and opportunities of college life. Your contribution will allow us to continue providing mentorship, club panels, industry panels, professional workshops, and discussions with professors during the week to provide students with a confident start to their academic journey. CS Kickstart also teaches the students fundamental skills that are commonly used in introductory classes, providing them with a headstart in their first year of college. 93% of students felt prepared to take their first computer science courses at UC Berkeley. Furthermore, we meet with CS Kickstart alumni throughout the year which allows participants to better understand their own journey at Cal. Community and Empowerment: We foster a tight-knit and empowering community among participants in different ways. The funds will facilitate the organization of engaging social activities like ice cream socials and mixers with faculty during the week as well as dinner events and networking events with alumni throughout the year which create lasting connections and a sense of belonging. When incoming freshmen girls have the chance to engage with those who have successfully navigated the CS journey, it instills a sense of possibility and inspiration. This network becomes a safety net and a source of wisdom, allowing current participants to envision their own success and understand that they are part of a supportive and thriving community. Starting college can be intimidating, especially for those entering a male-dominated field. We strive to give incoming freshmen girls the chance to get to know their future classmates ahead of time as we foster early connections and allow participants to find like-minded peers who share their aspirations and challenges. 92.5% of participants reported that they found friends who are also interested in computer science through CS Kickstart. This pre-established support network helps counter feelings of isolation that can hinder success, particularly for underrepresented groups. Furthermore, we support students’ academic growth by providing them with a curriculum that will equip students with valuable technical skills, which can be applied to projects, coursework, research, internships, interviews, and more. We also foster connections between students and the tech industry through alumni events and help them prepare for their professional journeys through workshops such as resume-building. By donating to our cause, you will directly contribute to empowering a new generation of underrepresented women in computer science. Your support will enable us to provide a transformative experience that equips them with valuable skills, industry exposure, and a supportive network as they embark on their CS educational journey.
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