Fulfilling Our Purpose
- BY ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥
- May 15, 2018
Our purpose as a university extends far beyond our classrooms and campuses, into the communities from which our students come and to which they return as leaders and role models. Our purpose is quite simply to serve the greater good through education.
The more we can help students of modest means achieve lives of greater means, the better our economy and the stronger our communities will be. Since launching Rising in the East: The Campaign for ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥, we have raised $24.9 million toward those initiatives categorized under “purpose.”
Here are some of the ways we are fulfilling that purpose:
Improving STEM teacher proficiency: $7.1 million
The university’s Institute for STEM Education is improving the way teachers and faculty teach science, technology, engineering, and math by focusing on the design and implementation of programs that increase access to STEM education and opportunities for students of all levels and backgrounds.
Teaching logical reasoning through collaboration: $3.5 million
The Math Achievement Academies is intensive program helping prepare students for college-preparatory mathematics through interactive classes and activities that emphasize collaboration, creative thinking and logical reasoning. Students in the MAA come from 11 school districts throughout the East Bay and include those in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.
Feeding hungry Hayward families: $2.1 million
ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥’s Hayward Promise Neighborhood is a partnership of residents, local schools and nonprofits targeting the Jackson Triangle, a neighborhood marked by poverty. The HPN “Fresh Food for Families” program provides thousands of pounds of food per month and HPN’s “promise interns” graduate from the university at a 14 percent higher rate than their peers.
Fostering a love of math and science: $1.6 million
After 40 years, the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement has a proven track record transforming thousands of educationally disadvantaged students into math and science college graduates. Through its classes, hands-on competitions, counseling and transfer support for students from middle school through college, the MESA program is helping students grow their love and knowledge of math and science.
Sharpening the minds of seniors: $1.1 million
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥’s Concord campus provides learning opportunities for “mature” students — those ages 50 and older — creating space for them to explore new topics and challenge themselves intellectually. The program is only $40 and offers courses and field trips in science, art and the humanities, all led by ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ emeritus faculty or other distinguished educators.
Investing in building a financially literate community: $121,525
The ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ Financial Literacy Center is transforming the way students, faculty staff and members of the community manage money. Since its inception, the FLC has implemented several programs including personal finance courses, one-on-one financial counseling; and an online resource for the public to learn financial principles.
Supporting the psychological needs of the Bay Area’s most underserved families: $46,395
The Community Counseling Clinic at ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ provides no-cost counseling services to some of the area’s neediest residents while also serving as a training lab for the university’s graduate-level professional counselors-in-training.
Using sports to create lasting social change: $16,365
The Center for Sport and Social Justice strives to make sport at every level more inclusive and democratic. Staff regularly host workshops such as a recent panel on sports and the #metoo movement and regularly participate in research and community outreach projects. The goal? To create a place where ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ students and faculty can share ideas and use sports as a way to create positive, lasting social change.