The UC Links statewide office visited (both in Spring 2024 and 2025) the multiple programs housed in the Graduate School of Education at UC Santa Barbara: UCSB Club, St. George Youth Center, Campus Conexiones and School Kids Investigating Language in Life and Society (SKILLS). Also we had the pleasure to celebrate the life-long career of Professor Richard Durán alongside colleagues Professors Betsy Brenner and Diana Arya—all who put their passion and heart in community engagement.
All News
June 11, 2025
June 3, 2025
The UC Links statewide office visited the Eastbay Collaborative for Underserved Communities (ECUC) program during the Spring of 2024 and 2025.
We were able to check the amazing work being done by the UC Berkeley undergraduates as they engage with students from Unity High School in afterschool activities that support their academic preparation and college application and readiness.
May 2, 2025
UC Links wants to update you on the recent visits the UC Links Statewide office did (both in 2023 and 2025) to the COLLAB program at Cal State Sacramento (Sacramento, CA). Professor Erin Rose Ellison introduced us to their amazing team of students who collaboratively lead research projects with a local school. In this video we highlight some of the great moments we experienced and participated in both Spring 2023 and 2025.
April 3, 2025
We wanted to update you on the recent visits the UC Links Statewide office did (both in 2024 and 2025) to the Nuestra Ciencia program at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, CA).
April 1, 2025
Scholars and partners from throughout the UC Links international network will be coming to Denver, April 23-27, 2025 to participate in the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association.
March 11, 2025
It is a pleasure for the UC Links statewide office to share the news that Professor Alessandra Pantano (UC Irvine and Co-PI of the Math CEO program) has been awarded with the Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching as one of the Academic Senate's highest honors.
March 5, 2025
It is with great pleasure that we want to share the great news that Professor Travis Bristol (UC Berkeley) has been awarded the 2024-2025 Chancellor’s Awards for Public Service: Community Engaged Teaching Award
February 3, 2025
In November 2024, UC Links was invited by Professors Mónica Da Silva and Beatriz Falero (Universidad de la República - Montevideo, Uruguay) to visit the two UC Links projects (based on the 5th Dimension model) they have been working on with local schools.
This video field note showcases the following two projects:
November 21, 2024
September 25, 2024
The UC Links Office is thrilled to share some exciting news - Professor Amy Bintliff (UC San Diego) has recently received an award from the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE) in recognition of her exemplary contributions through research on service-learning and community engagement.
September 5, 2024
September 4, 2024
April 22, 2024
March 20, 2024
Scholars and partners from throughout the UC Links international network will be coming to Philadelphia, April 11-14, 2024 to participate in the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association
August 1, 2023
During the Spring 2023, The UC Links Statewide Office had the honor to visit the Youth - Plan, Act Now (Y-PLAN) program and course associated with the program. We had an amazing time listening to the great research presentations undergraduate and graduate students prepared after a semester of hard work. Additionally, Mara had the opportunity to visit the Laurel Dell Elementary School in San Rafael (CA) and see the youth in action finishing amazing projects they had been working on during the Winter and Spring.
Between February and June 2023, the UC Links statewide office (Mara and John) had the opportunity to visit multiple undergraduate courses associated with UC Links. In this video you will get the chance to see three amazing undergraduate courses. Two of them in UC Berkeley, led by Professor Travis Bristol, and the other course is from Berkeley Teacher Education Program (BTEP) led by Director nives wetzel de cediel. The third course shown in the video takes place in UC Santa Cruz, and is led by Professor Regina Langhout.
June 23, 2023
On February 15th, 2023, the UC Links Statewide Office had the pleasure to visit the Math CEO program at UC Irvine. It was great to see the youth engaging with undergraduate and graduate students in fun Math activities and Math-related games. We had the opportunity to see former Math CEO participants, now undergraduate mentors, engaging in the activities and hear their perspectives of being part of an intergenerational program and its impact on youth.
June 5, 2023
We wanted to share some great news — the book that former Executive Director, Charles Underwood, and current Executive Director, Mara Mahmood, wrote together with Emeritus UCSD Professor Olga Vásquez, A Cultural Historical Approach to Social Displacement and Uni
May 15, 2023
April 11, 2023
March 24, 2023
On March 22nd, the Del Mar Times posted a amazing article highlighting the multicultural and multigenerational impacts UC San Diego's La Clase Mágica. We invite you to check the article here.
February 28, 2023
February 24, 2023
February 8, 2023
The UC Links statewide office is thrilled to share the outstanding news that Associate Professor Angela Booker has been appointed as Eighth College Provost at UC San Diego.
December 6, 2022
Charles Underwood, Emeritus Executive Director for University-Community Links (UC Links) and a long-time colleague at BSE, has just publishedThe Odyssey A Prose Translation
November 21, 2022
The UC Links statewide office is pleased to share that many of our partners from around the globe will be presenting a structured poster session together at AERA in Chicago this Spring (April 13-16, 2023).
November 17, 2022
On April 28, 2022. The Statewide Office (Mara, John, and Karla, and the special guest from Barcelona, Cristina Zhang Yu) visited the Corre La Voz Program in Santa Cruz County. We had the chance to have great interactions with the students from Branciforte Middle School, and the undergraduate students of UC Santa Cruz while they worked on interview planning as part of the projects they do in the program guided by PI Leslie Lopez.
September 26, 2022
On June 29th, Mara and I had the opportunity to visit the Live Oak community in Santa Cruz County to participate in one of the Youth Action Network’s (YAN) Pop-Up Events. See a video field note from our visit here!
August 9, 2022
From July 15th to July 17th, John visited San Diego County to participate a Family Summer Camp hosted by La Colonia of Eden Gardens, Inc. in collaboration with La Clase Magica program (UC San Diego). During the camp families shared fun and bonding time, exploring the importance of well being, cultural identity, and caring for one another.
July 13, 2022
On April 19th, the UC Links Statewide Office Mara, John, and Karla visited the Y-PLAN Youth Summit at Oakland City Hall. All PIs associated with Y-PLAN were present (both Deborah Mckoy and Shirl Buss) and helping alongside with undergraduate students from UC Berkeley with the logistics and attendance of the students from the different schools—from Oakland and San Francisco—who presented to the visitors and the Mayor of Oakland their projects and proposals to make their cities and communities a better place to live in.
July 12, 2022
On May 4th, the UC Links Statewide Office (Mara, John, and Karla) visited the Math CEO program at UC Irvine.
We were able to enjoy the day, witnessing and participating in the amazing activities that Alessandra Pantano and Li-Sheng Tseng (PIs of the program) held with the support of an amazing group of undergraduate and graduate students. The students that participated had a great time while playing and exploring Math in a very different and engaging way.
On May 23, Karla was able to visit la Clase Magica in San Diego. A great community celebration was held and she created a beautiful and colorful video to share!
June 2, 2022
Our friends from Math CEO in UC Irvine have shared with us a great video created to thank the middle school mentors for a successful and fun quarter. This was also an opportunity to celebrate the first full in-person quarter since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic—what a special additional reason to celebrate!
The video was created in collaboration with the undergraduate and graduate students who support this amazing program.
April 14, 2022
On March 3rd 2022, I (Karla) observed and participated in Math CEO’s - Virtual High School Session. It was led by Prof. Luke Smith (UC Irvine), the instructor of the UC Irvine Math 192: Learning & Teaching in Secondary Mathematics, Prof. Li-Sheng Tseng (UC Irvine), Prof. Shoo Seto (CSU Fullerton) and Fallbrook High School Math Teachers Amylene Cabrera and Shavonne Donoghue. This virtual after-school class takes place on Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
April 7, 2022
On Friday March 18, 2022 the UC Links Statewide Office (John, Karla, and Mara) was able to make an in-person visit to Escuela Popular, a PreK-12th grade bilingual charter school founded on the teaching principles of Paulo Freire in 1986 by the current director’s mother! (you can’t make this up!!) The school is located in East San Jose, and hosts an intergenerational Y-PLAN action research project connecting the school, the San Jose State University Department of Child and Adolescent Development, and the San Jose Department of Transportation.
March 29, 2022
On Saturday, March 5, 2022—I (John) visited the “El Círculo de la Vida” event at the El Sol Science & Arts Academy in Santa Ana (CA) from 1:00 to 4:00pm. The event was held in person and hosted by Sue Cronmiller—Poet and Founding Director of the Poetry Academy at El Sol. Sue has been a UC Links partner for decades and currently collaborates with PI Professor Ana Rosas (UCI Chicano/Latino Studies; History).
March 9, 2022
We are pleased to announce that the Youth Summit 2022, will be happening on Friday May 27, 4pm-7pm at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Youth Summit is a hybrid (virtual and place-based) conference for K-12 students to share and celebrate their knowledge, experiences, concerns, and visions for what it means to live and thrive in our communities.
March 4, 2022
AERA 2022 - UC Linkers presentations' Agenda
Scholars and partners from throughout the UC Links international network will be coming to San Diego, April 21-26 2022, to participate in the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association.
Below are some examples of AERA posters and presentations by our partners from throughout the UC Links network. This list is not exhaustive - please let us know of other presentations that we may have missed!
March 1, 2022
Join US on MARCH 5, 2022 from 1pm to 4pm to Celebrate the New Community Mural at El Sol Academy! El Circulo de la Vida
About this event
January 26, 2022
This video (from UC Santa Barbara's Community-Based Literacies program) is a multimodal, melodic synthesis of a reflection activity that Harding UnderGraduates (called HUGs) co-created with 4th graders at partnering elementary school, Harding Elementary (Santa Barbara, CA).
January 20, 2022
We are thrilled to welcome UC Links Associate Director, Dr. John Cano!!
November 13, 2020
Hola amigos, I wanted to share my excitement with all of you. Our new Resources page is a gold mine of information.
October 28, 2020
Have questions about how other programs are adapting? Want to brainstorm some innovative solutions to complex challenges? Feel like trying out a new technology or diving into the NEW Resources page on the UC Links website?
Please drop-in and join Mara and Karla for the first UC Links Virtual Office Hours Monday, November 2nd 9-10am PST.
October 20, 2020
The UC Links Statewide Office has developed a NEW Resources pageon the UC Links website to strengthen UC Links connections and leverage the collective work of the UC Links network to respond to these unprecedented times. The webpage includes some of the resources we’ve collected from across the network including:
September 12, 2020
On September 12th, I (Karla) observed part of the Whittier BCM 2020 Retreat between 1:30 - 2:30 pm. This event was held virtually for all participating undergraduate and graduate students from 9am - 4:00 pm and was hosted by Katherine Lazo, the Director for the B.C. McCabe Community Education Programs, which include the Fifth Dimension. The overall focus of the second half of the retreat was community building and preparation for the start of the Fifth Dimension programs for the 2020-21 school year.
February 22, 2020
The 2020 UC Links Annual International Conference will be held February 28-29 in the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley (2121 Berkeley Way, Colloquia Rooms 1102 & 1104). The conference brings together university faculty, staff, and students with community and school partners to share observations, research findings, program successes and concerns, and ongoing challenges and strategies.
January 21, 2020
Scholars and partners from throughout the UC Links international network will be coming to the San Francisco Bay Area, April 17-21 2020, to participate in the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association.
September 23, 2019
UCOP’s Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships (SAPEP) has released its 2017-18 program outcomes report, providing an overview of the SAPEP programs and services, including UC Links.
September 4, 2019
On April 16th, Mara visited the Y-PLAN (YOUTH-PLAN LEARN ACT NOW!) in action at McClymonds High School in West Oakland. Y-PLAN partners with multiple high schools and elementary schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and collaborates with a number of clients. My visit was to a computer-science class that is partnering with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), a regional planning agency for all nine Bay Area counties.
August 19, 2019
On May 15th, Charles and Mara visited the Corre la Voz after school program, a collaboration between the Oakes Community-based Action Research and Advocacy Program at UC Santa Cruz and Bayview Elementary School near UCSC. We were able to visit with PI Leslie Lopez on campus to learn about both programmatic and shared UCSC history (Mara and Leslie were slugs together as undergrads!) and generally catch-up before visiting the school together.
June 23, 2019
On May 8, I (Charles) visited La Clase Mágica at St. Leo’s Mission in Solana Beach (a few photos and a short video are here ). Finally, after a month of other site visits, etc., I'm able to share my experience at LCM. The site, founded and fostered for decades by Olga Vásquez, is now directed by community leaders under the auspices of a local nonprofit known as La Colonia de Eden Gardens, Inc.
June 21, 2019
On May 2nd-4th, we (Charles and Mara) drove down the beautiful coast of California and spent three glorious days enjoying all that the UC Santa Barbara UC Links programs had to offer! Professor Betsy Brenner was an amazing hostess and tour guide! It was no small task to provide an overview of and access to all of the programs that she and Professors Richard Durán and Diana Arya develop, coordinate, and sustain! We visited Club Proteo at the Goleta Boys & Girls Club (going strong for 25+ years!); the St.
June 3, 2019
On April 30th, Mara visited UC Davis’ Beta Lab (Build. Engineer. Tinker. Adapt.) programs at Met Sacramento High School (Sacramento) and Montgomery Elementary School (Davis). Professor Lee Martin (Education) initiated these and an additional program at a Boys & Girls Club in Sacramento. The Beta Lab is a mobile van filled with maker supplies, materials, and tools that can be driven to different locations to support a range of maker activities.
May 9, 2019
April 25, 2019
On April 9th, Charles and I visited the St. Cornelius ECUC Expanded Learning Program at St. Cornelius school in Richmond, CA. The after-school program, developed and carried out by Professor Glynda Hull (UC Berkeley) and her dedicated staff and students, is a 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) and part of the East Bay Collaborative for Underserved Children (ECUC).
March 25, 2019
The 2019 UC Links Annual International Conference brought together university faculty, staff, students, and community and school partners from throughout California as well as from Utah, Germany, Japan, and Uruguay. Conference participants learned about each other's programs, shared successes and concerns, and discussed strategies to deepen collaboration across programs.
March 13, 2019
In December 2017, an inquisitive group of middle school students from El Sol Academy of Arts and Sciences in Santa Ana, California visited the University of California, Irvine’s Contemporary Art Center Gallery to experience Aztlan to Magulandia: the Journey of Chicano Artist Gilbert “Magu” Lujan. On campus, the students were greeted by Chicano culture bearers and arts advocates Manuel Gomez and Naiche Lujan who teamed up to lead them through the gallery and beyond, on a journey toward a deep recognition, knowledge and reverence for Chicano history, culture and identity.
March 8, 2019
The UC Links Annual International Conference will be held March 15-16 on the Clark Kerr Campus at UC Berkeley. The conference brings together university faculty, staff, and students with community and school partners to share observations, research findings, program successes and concerns, and ongoing challenges and strategies.
March 1, 2019
The due date for UC Links proposals for 2019-21 is rapidly approaching. Please review the UC Links Request for Proposals (link is external) for more information. If you are interested in applying for UC Links funding, either to continue existing programs or to start up new programs, you need to submit a proposal for the upcoming two-year funding cycle (2019-2021).
February 28, 2019
On Feb. 27, Mara and I visited the UC Links course and Bruin Club after-school program at the UCLA Community School in Los Angeles, run by Marjorie Orellena, students, and school partners.
February 7, 2019
On Feb. 6, Mara and I visited two UC Links sites run by Sandi Simpkins and Jenel Lao -- together with their graduate student, Kayla Puente -- and their partners in Irvine and Santa Ana, CA: the Math CEO program, which takes place on the UCI campus, and the Girls Inc. site at Killybrooke Elementary School. The Math CEO program was in full swing, but the children in the Girls, Inc. program were away at a science camp for the day, so we saw a smaller sampling of their activities.
On Feb. 5, Mara and I visited Whittier. Katherine Lazo and her team warmly hosted us. We visited both the Whittier 5th Dimension site and the new site at Evergreen Elementary. Excuse the length of this note – but we want to provide a clear picture of these sites and their work with local young people.
January 25, 2019
The UC Links Statewide Office is looking forward to attending UC Links partner the Center for Cities + Schools' 2019 Symposium: The Power of Civic Learning for Resilient Cities on Friday, February 1, 2019 8:30am - 4:00pm at UC Berkeley. The event promises to provide valuable learning from leading academic, civic and educational leaders about the importance of youth voice in building an inclusive and resilient region.
January 16, 2019
Charles Underwood will be giving a talk about his book, Mythos and Voice: Displacement, Learning and Agency in Odysseus’ World, on Wednesday, January 30th at 3:30pm in the Doe Library (Room 303) at UC Berkeley.
January 3, 2019
The 2019-21 UC Links Request for Proposals is now available. If you are interested in applying for UC Links funding, either to continue existing programs or to start up new programs, you need to submit a proposal for the upcoming two-year funding cycle (2019-2021).