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Berkeley Connect: Mentoring Makes a Difference

Participation Drive
14 Donors
14%
Towards goal of 100 Donors
$1,675.00 Raised
Project has ended
Project ended on November 30, at 11:59 PM PST
Project Owners

Berkeley Connect makes our great, big university feel a little smaller

"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.

Levels
Choose a giving level

$50

Berkeley Connect Supporter

Help us spread the Berkeley Connect message to more students: You belong here! Every dollar makes a difference.

$100

Berkeley Connect Booster

Your gift can help provide a student with mentoring that will transform their time at UC Berkeley!

$300

Berkeley Connect Believer

Help provide more students with access to personalized mentoring and community-building!

$600

Berkeley Connect Benefactor

It costs approximately $600 to give one student at UC Berkeley a semester-long Berkeley Connect experience. Your generosity will ensure that one more student can benefit from participating Berkeley Connect!

$1,200

Berkeley Connect Super-Donor

Every $600 we raise will cover the cost of one student's participation in Berkeley Connect. Thank you for helping us reach more students and let them know they belong here at UC Berkeley!

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