Course Development

American Cultures Engaged Scholarship (ACES)

Overview

Launched in January 2010, the American Cultures Engaged Scholarship (ACES) Program built on the foundation of the Berkeley Engaged Scholarship Initiative (BESI). Developed as a partnership between the American Cultures Center and the Public Service Center(link is external), this program aims to transform how faculty’s community-engaged scholarship is valued, to enhance learning for students through a combination of teaching and practice, and to create new knowledge that has an impact both in the community and the academy.

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Addressing Food Insecurity and Basic Needs Among UC Students: What Can Berkeley Do?

Presenters:

Ruben E. Canedo, UC Berkeley Basic Needs Committee chair

Suzanna Martinez, UC senior researcher with the UC Nutrition Policy Institute

Lorrene Ritchie, executive director, UC...

Ronald T. Takaki Teaching Award

About

Professor Ronald T. Takaki 'didn’t just teach about race and ethnicity. He helped redefine it.’ Instrumental to the field of Ethnic Studies, and central in the creation of the AC curriculum. In working with the family of the late Professor Takaki, the American Cultures Teaching Award committee assigns the 'Ronald T. Takaki Teaching Award' to an applicant of the American Cultures Teaching Award that merits special...

Workshop: Teaching with Wikipedia

About the Workshop

On December 9, the Wiki Education Foundation, the AC Center, and the University Library discussed the potential impacts of building Wikipedia assignments into course instruction to support and enhance teaching. As an educational tool, developing Wikipedia articles allows students to create collaborative work with a visible impact on a global audience. Whether adding new sources to existing Wikipedia pages or creating new pages on notable topics, students gain deeper insight into their course material and learn to evaluate critically the...

How do we make space for hope and healing in Ethnic Studies classrooms? Featuring Brian Villa and Dashia Wright

Event Description

On December 12th, 2023, the High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI) team at UC Berkeley hosted an online “fireside chat” event with Brian Villa, Dashia Wright, and Jason Muñiz. As part of the HSESI scholar series, Brian and Dashia discussed the question, “How do we make space for hope and healing in Ethnic Studies classrooms?”

Panel

Panelist: Brian Villa, Second-year Doctor of Public Health (DrPH )...

Teaching in Summer 2026

Summary On May 21, 2026, the American Cultures Center partnered with Berkeley Summer Sessions and the Center for Teaching and Learning to host our annual teaching in summer workshop.

Covered topics included:

Teaching in Summer 2025

Summary On May 12, 2025, the American Cultures Center partnered with Berkeley Summer Sessions and the Center for Teaching and Learning to host our annual teaching in summer workshop. Covered topics included:

Inclusive, supportive and effective summer teaching strategies from the Center for Teaching and Learning staff

An overview of student demographics, key academic policies, and the range of resources available to support all students, including visiting and...

2019 Teaching in the Summer Workshop

Every year we host workshops that focus on some of the best approaches to teaching an intensive six- or ten-week summer course at UC Berkeley.

In 2019, the American Cultures Center partnered with Summer Sessions, the Center for Teaching and Learning, Among the topics discussed included strategies for managing extended summer class time, what to expect from summer student enrollment, the specifics of the American Cultures curriculum requirement, and teaching to issues of racial and economic justice in diverse classrooms

Event Video Index

We have created links for you to easily...

ACES Program Grants

About the ACES Program

Launched in January 2010 as a partnership between the American Cultures Center and the Public Service Center, the American Cultures Engaged Scholarship (ACES) Program aims to transform how faculty’s community-engaged scholarship is valued, to enhance learning for students through a combination of teaching and practice, and to create new knowledge that has an impact both in the community and the academy.

ACES Course Grants are...

Course Development Grants

About

The 2026-27 application cycle for the American Cultures Course Development Grants is now open.

The American Cultures Course Development Grants awards up to $1,500 to enhance an existing American Cultures course or the design of a new course that has not been offered previously. Funding can be requested in three categories:

Supplies and expenses, which might include photocopying and printing, books and supplies Student hourly help to assist with, for example, digitizing materials (e.g., slides, maps, manuscripts, photographs),...