UC Berkeley News
Press Release

UC Berkeley Press Release

Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund awards announced today

– Thirteen projects to improve the quality of life for Berkeley residents have been awarded grants from the Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund at the University of California, Berkeley, the campus's Office of Community Relations announced today (Tuesday, July 24).

The projects represent partnerships between local, community-based organizations and UC Berkeley academic or administrative departments or individual faculty members, staff members or students.

This is the second year of the grant program, which was established by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau in 2006 and is funded by the university through an agreement between UC Berkeley and the city of Berkeley.

Grants are given in two categories - community support and service projects that enhance the economic, social or cultural well-being of Berkeley residents, and neighborhood improvement projects that enhance the physical environment of Berkeley neighborhoods.

The grants total $207,500 and will fund nine community service projects and four neighborhood improvement projects. The Office of Community Relations administers this fund. The winning projects were selected from 49 proposals submitted this year.

"Once again, I am impressed with the variety and creativity represented by these grant proposals," said Birgeneau. "They bring together the best efforts and thinking of the campus and local neighborhoods and civic organizations, and reflect their deep commitment to serving our community."

The community service project grants are awarded to:

Berkeley High Student Court: UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) students work with Berkeley High School students to provide a positive alternative to suspension for students facing disciplinary action.

Berkeley High School Youth Organizing Team: This group engages high school youth in multicultural, multi-racial leadership programs, advocating for youth-led school and community change.

Cal-Options Community Mental Health and Public Service Campaign: Free drug and alcohol recovery services, mental health services and housing are provided to persons near campus who are drug-addicted.

Evaluation of the Berkeley Schools Mental Health Program: This program evaluates a new school district mental health program, measuring its success in improving the academic performance, health and social/emotional well-being of students and increasing the knowledge and skills of school staff and service providers.

Family Resource Center (A Better Way): The center supports teacher training and community outreach to increase cultural competence and positive and equitable discipline practices at Rosa Parks Elementary School in Berkeley.

Informed by B-Tech: UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students and faculty work with and mentor high school students at Berkeley Technical Academy, engaging them in a year-long research methods class focused on educational inequality.

Local Carbon Reduction Initiative: A Web resource is being developed for Berkeley residents and businesses to understand, measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

Poetry in the Community: Visiting artists performing at UC Berkeley will also perform at Berkeley High School and La Pena cultural center; student/ teacher poets from Poetry for the People will conduct workshops at Berkeley High School and Epic Arts, a non-profit organization.

Youth Acupuncture Wellness Program: This program provides prevention, education and treatment to address youth substance abuse and mental health problems, and gives free services to Berkeley youth at accessible locations, using acupuncture, among other techniques.

The neighborhood improvement grants are awarded to:

Berkeley Teen Eco-Service Days: Local teens get involved in two hands-on habitat restoration days at Berkeley Aquatic Park.

Feasibility Study for Secondary, Emergency Access to Panoramic Hill: This study evaluates the engineering feasibility of a secondary, emergency road for Panoramic Hill.

Greening Berkeley Hands-On: Materials and supplies are provided to help citizen groups create and restore people-friendly, biodiverse green spaces in their neighborhoods.

Piedmont Avenue Landscape Rehabilitation Plan: This landscaping project honors an original Frederick Law Olmsted design for historic Piedmont Avenue between Dwight Way and Gayley Road.

The Chancellor's Community Partnership Fund will award grants annually through the year 2020.

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