Bay Area K-16 Collaborative

UC Berkeley and a regional workgroup of partners will review and respond to the mini-grant proposals from the field. The workgroup has designed a simple application process for the mini-grants to encourage public high schools, community colleges, and 4-year universities across the Bay Area CERF region to utilize these resources. The College & Career Exploration Fund is designed for a range of work-based learning, college-going, and professional development experiences to include: 4-year university (CSU/UC) field trips with pathway-specific activities; project-based learning experiences on the college and university campuses; industry field trips for high school, college and university students; teacher externships in industry; company presentations to students and guest speaker events; job-shadowing experiences; and other informal learning activities.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group—a large employer intermediary organization serving Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties—as well as other employer-association partners of the Collaborative, will assist applicants in connecting with employers in the pathway sectors to help educators plan projects and to host students for worksite tours and networking opportunities at their companies. However, the Collaborative also encourages education partners to utilize this form and this funding to support exploration activities that the schools themselves generate. E.g. if you have a preexisting relationship with an employer, please leverage these funds and the Collaborative’s logistical support to pay for a worksite tour of that employer’s facility.