California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) is continuing its three-year grant, "Collaborative Capacity Building on Biodegradable Soil Sensors for Sustainable Agriculture," initiated in 2023. The project integrates research, education, and outreach/extension to advance the development and deployment of biodegradable sensors for…

Out-of-school time (OST) programs that work with historically marginalized youth, employ staff that match the demographics of participants, and are well connected to mental health resources are uniquely positioned to support participants to recognize the risks and assets linked to their mental health and well-being. Such programs can…

The SoCal Urban Wildlife Refuge Project team responded to a national challenge and regional needs by developing integrated programs and services chiefly through partnerships with organizations throughout Southern California. The San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex has put a $1 million annual funding award to work by supporting a suite of…

Many California arts organizations want their participants and artists to reflect the socioeconomic diversity of the state's population. The Exploring Engagement Fund supports new approaches that these nonprofit organizations are using to reach more diverse participants. Through project experiments, Irvine and its grantees are learning valuable…

This report distills lessons from the early implementation of Exploring Engagement Fund projects. The first phase of the Fund featured five rounds of grantmaking. It is based on information from three of these rounds; it covers the first year in a series of two-year grants. It is drawn from analysis of grantee reports and interviews, and offers…

February is a natural time to teach students that love involves more than hearts and candy--it also means giving of oneself. According to Terri Kennamer, a third-grade teacher at West Elementary School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, it is the responsibility of educators to help students recognize that they are citizens of the world. Children have…

The High School Puente Project, one of several outreach efforts of the University of California, is an innovative program that is designed to assist traditionally underserved students. Puente builds on community and the idea of "familia" and features a strong component of professional developments for teachers as well as structural…

The Library Rural Literacy Outreach Program targeted to ten rural communities in the Fresno County, California, Free Library district is reported. The sites were chosen based on inquiries from volunteers in those communities and support for the program by the branch library staff. Goals of the program were to provide literacy services to adult…