UC Riverside is an active member of the community, as demonstrated through the campus' various outreach programs, community partnerships, service learning opportunities, and the volunteerism of its staff, faculty and students.
UCR's Outreach Programs
UCR provides nearly 100 outreach programs, many of which are aimed at serving economically disadvantaged youth and community members. Some key examples of such programs include:
Early Academic Outreach Program
University Eastside Community Collaborative
MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) School Programs
ALPHA Center
The Academy of Learning through Partnerships for Higher Achievement (ALPHA) Center offers a host of core programs aimed at professional development and higher student performance in mathematics and sciences, some with a special emphasis on increasing the number of women in these fields. Among the many outreach programs hosted through the Center are:
Mathematics Academy of Teaching Excellence (MATE)
California Mathematics and Science Teaching Initiative (CMST)
NSF Mathematical ACTS (Achievement & Collaboration for Teachers and Students)
Project ISIS (I Strive, I Succeed)
UCR Graduate School of Education
UCR's Graduate School of Education and the University Extension Continuing Education program offer extensive programs aimed at improving the skills of local teachers and other educational workers. Some of these programs are UCR-sponsored initiatives, while others are partnerships with other local institutions.
Two-Way Immersion Biliteracy Specialist Institute
Variations in Fluency Procedures
Evidence-based Intervention for Poor Readers with Cognitive Challenges
California Community College Collaborative at the University of California, Riverside (C4 at UCR)
University Extension
University Extension offers numerous courses and certificate programs which provide opportunities for advanced learning to teachers in the region. These programs include the Certificate Program in the Study of Multiple Intelligences, the Early Childhood Studies Certificate Program, the Advanced Placement Certificate Program, the Education for the Gifted and Talented Certificate Program, and the Child Welfare and Attendance Credential.
Additional Outreach Programs and Services
UCR offers a wide variety of academic and athletic camps open to middle school and high school youth, both during the academic year and during the summer months. Such camps include:
Professional strength staff in the Athletics Department host Strength and Conditioning Camps for local youths 10 and older.
The Healthy Body-Healthy Mind program offered to middle school students through the ALPHA Center focuses on developing a well-rounded individual by balancing the role of health education, fitness, nutrition and a positive mental attitude, all tied together through mathematics and physical education instruction.
The Frontiers in Nanotechnology High School Program and Minds for Design Summer Program introduce middle and high school students to cutting-edge research in a fun way.
UCR’s Summer Academy was designed as a portal for college-bound high school students to sample college in a real setting. Students attend one or two classes along with undergraduate college students and earn course credit on an official UC transcript.
With a history of service to agriculture that dates back to 1907, UCR sustains its land grant mission, in part, through the University of California Cooperative Extension. Cooperative Extension provides leadership in the dissemination and application of research-based knowledge in agricultural and environmental sciences to the people of California. Cooperative Extension specialists headquartered at UC Riverside oversee research programs that provide technologies and scientific information to aid the region's residents and help coordinate the activities of farm, family and consumer services advisors based in more than 50 county offices.
The Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts is the premier arts outreach program at the UCR. Each year, the program provides fellowships to exceptional UCR undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and visiting guest artists to conduct arts-related presentations, performances, and workshops in Riverside County schools, residential facilities for elderly care and community centers.
UCR’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), offered through the University Extension, is an educational program for people ages 50 and above. The program offers noncredit classes, lectures, study tours and other activities for those who want to learn for the pure enjoyment of learning. There are no tests or grades and classes are open only to OLLI members, so learning takes place in a peer environment.
The UCR Library System is comprised of the main Rivera library and four branches: the Science Library, the Music Library, the Media Library and the newly-developed Palm Desert campus Library. Serving as the primary information commons and intellectual center within the University, the UCR libraries provide access to more than 2 million volumes, 14,000 electronic journals, 23,000 serial subscriptions and 1.7 million microformats.
Community Partnerships
UCR participates in several ongoing partnership initiatives with local, regional and state government agencies, as well as community service organizations and non-profits. These partnership initiatives have a variety of goals, including enhancing public safety, stimulating new business development, improving education and reducing traffic congestion.
Some examples of such community partnerships include the University Neighborhood Enhancement Team, the University Research Park, and the Riverside Technology CEO Forum.
Volunteerism
Students
UC Riverside’s student population has proven dedicated to community service and volunteer activities, as undergraduates and graduate students complete more than 100,000 hours of service each year. There are over 70 student volunteer service organizations, including every campus fraternity and sorority organization, each of which requires some form of community service as a condition of membership.
Staff and Faculty
Though hours of community service contributed by UCR staff and faculty members are not tracked by the University, it is well known that both staff and faculty are very dedicated to the campus and the local community and frequently donate their time and efforts to a variety of events and activities. Some examples of the various volunteer efforts performed by UCR staff and faculty members include the annual Corporate Games, judging entries in the Riverside Unified School District Science Fair, and serving on countless local boards.