CSUSB receives $120,000 grant to support Undocumented Student Success Center

Cal State San Bernardino has received a $120,000 grant from the California Campus Catalyst Fund to support the continued efforts of the university’s Undocumented Student Success Center (USSC).

The funds will be used exclusively to support the implementation and enhancement of programming and services for undocumented students and their families to increase retention and graduation rates.

“The California Catalyst Fund grant is assisting us with building capacity in our Undocumented Student Success Center to serve students with stronger, more comprehensive services,” said Paz Olivérez, vice president for Student Affairs. “It is also giving our campus the ability to have a much broader reach to students and families across the entire Inland Empire.”

This is the third and final year that CSUSB is receiving the California Campus Catalyst Fund grant. Through the previous two grants, the USSC has been able to implement a peer-mentoring program and tutoring services for both San Bernardino and Palm Desert Campus students. Additionally, the center implemented a parent engagement component called the Immigrant Parent Rising Institute to provide informational workshops for parents. The final grant will continue to support these programs.

This year’s grant has also allowed the USSC to add the UndocuYotie Fellowship Program component to provide professional development opportunities to undocumented students.

The California Catalyst Fund is made up of funders, educators and advocates who, according to its website, “want to seed hope and innovation at a time when undocumented communities are grappling with fear and uncertainty.”

Immigrants Rising (formerly known as Educators for Fair Consideration), a fiscally sponsored project of community initiatives, is administering the California Campus Catalyst Fund. The program’s mission is to empower undocumented young people to achieve educational and career goals through personal, institutional and policy transformation.

Since its inception, Immigrants Rising has partnered with higher education administrators and faculty, undocumented students, community-based organizations (including legal service providers), and immigration funders to expand support for immigrant youth and their families across California.

For more information, visit the California Campus Catalyst Fund website.

About CSUSB’s Undocumented Student Success Center

The Undocumented Student Success Center at CSUSB opened on Nov. 5, 2015, becoming the fourth in the CSU system to establish such a center. The USSC was established with the objective to serve the undocumented student population on the CSUSB campus. The center serves as a commons space for students and allies to connect with each other about issues regarding immigration, AB 540, employment opportunities and much more. The center was created to offer easily accessible resources and assistance to the undocumented community. The center has also hosted multiple informational workshops for the on- and off-campus community.

For more information, visit the CSUSB Undocumented Student Success Center website.