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. Among the topics discussed include 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.
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),...
In Spring 2026, with generous funding from the Campus Advisory Committee on Student Services & Fees, the American Cultures Environmental Justice Initiative launched the American Cultures Engaged Scholarship Environmental Justice Program. By partnering American Cultures courses with Bay Area social justice community organizations, ACES promotes experiential...
ACES courses represent corners of campus that highlights the intent of the AC requirement, while also deepening the meaning of that intent through a combination of multi-disciplinary research and praxis, the development of students and community partners as co-educators, mentoring opportunities, and increased and sustained accessibility of information.
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.
