Overview
Beyond the American Cultures requirement, the AC Center has always endevoured to create programming that meets the moment and strengthens Berkeley's purpose as a public institution. Supporting all facets of the campus community, there are constantly new opportunities for engagement and participation.
Whether it's providing one-on-one peer mentoring to develop justice-oriented storytelling; hosting timely dialogues that forefront pressing issues in the classroom; or providing undergraduate and graduate fellowships rooted in community engagement and environmental justice; the AC Center is always building our offerings, seeking to meet needs, on-and-off campus.
We invite you to learn more about each of our unique programs! Specific contact information is provided on each program page.
Creative Discovery Fellows (CDF)
The Creative Discovery Fellows (CDF) Program helps instructors incorporate creative assignments into UC Berkeley’s undergraduate social justice graduation curriculum - the American Cultures (AC) requirement. The CDF program has been built to respond to a core question of anti-racism and social justice education: "How do we design supports for faculty and students in ways that are adaptive, equity-oriented, and foster anti-racism?"
Teaching & Working in Troubled Times (TWTT)
The Teaching and Working in Troubled Times series (formerly 'Teaching in Troubled Times') began in 2017 as a series of timely dialogues elevating some of the most pressing social and political questions that enter our lives and our classrooms. Co-hosted by the American Cultures Center, Center for Teaching and Learning, and Division of Equity & Inclusion, builds an arc of learning for the campus, cultivating spaces of critical reflection and growth.
American Cultures Environmental Justice (ACEJ) Initiative
Inspired by principles of a Third World College, the American Cultures Environmental Justice (ACEJ) Initiative envisions a future where perspectives around the intersection of racial, social, and environmental justice are taught and prioritized at UC Berkeley. This initiative is a collaborative partnership with the American Cultures Center and the Student Environmental Resource Center’s Decolonial Environmental Network (DEN), building on legacies of student-driven and community-accountable organizing.
High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI)
The UC Berkeley High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI) is an ongoing collaboration between The American Cultures Center, Department of Ethnic Studies, Ethnic Studies Library, Berkeley Teacher Education Program, and History-Social Science Project developing curriculum materials to support Bay Area teachers and school districts offering California's Ethnic Studies high school graduation requirement.
The Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) Site
The Third World Liberation Front Research Initiative was formed to develop this overarching site, as well as carry out the TWLF 50th Anniversary Oral History Project. The website includes written histories, oral testimonies from organizers, educational resources, and an interactive portal.
Berkeley Pedagogy Podcast
The Berkeley Pedagogy Podcast is a collaboration between the AC Center Center, the Center for Teaching and Learning, and The Ethnic Studies Changemaker Team. Episodes feature interviews with UC Berkeley faculty as they share innovative strategies aimed at promoting a more equitable, just and inclusive learning environment.
Staff as Students of Social Justice (SSSJ)
The 'Staff as Students of Social Justice' (SSSJ) Program is the first of its kind in the UC system, a cross-disciplinary curriculum centered in social and racial justice available for all staff and the many career paths they follow. Brought to life through the American Cultures Center, SSSJ is an important expression of the campus’s commitment to staff’s intellectual and professional development in issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice.