Berkeley Discovery

Empower students. Remove barriers. Expand access to student Discovery by creating a centralized Hub

At a time when higher education demands innovation, UC Berkeley is uniquely positioned to not only prepare students to meet the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of our time, but also to serve as a beacon for other institutions committed to innovation in higher education. Berkeley Discovery aims to instill in students a life-long ethos of engaging with grand challenges, fostering creativity and journeying towards innovation. This bold initiative works to ensure that every undergraduate student has the opportunity to pursue creative, independent projects that build the foundation for brilliant careers that change the world.

When asked what obstacles they face to pursuing immersive, dynamic learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, the most common responses are: 1) Students did not find out about the opportunities until it was too late and 2) Students could not afford to do anything ‘extra.’ Berkeley Discovery seeks to knock down these barriers and build equitable access to discovery experiences.

One key mechanism for improving access to Discovery experiences is the creation of a centralized Discovery Hub.

The Discovery Hub will be an online and in-person resource to help students navigate the dizzying array of Discovery opportunities across campus. The Hub will directly support students in starting their journey, planning discovery projects, and building dynamic communities of mentors and collaborators by:

Providing grants to underrepresented minority and first-gen students to pursue independent projects
Developing virtual wayfinding tools for students to navigate campus opportunities
Creating forums for students to share their work with showcases, portfolios, & videos
Connecting students with personalized advising for their discovery journey
Offering cross-cutting mentoring trainings for faculty and staff

Your gift will help provide greater access for all Berkeley undergraduates to have engaged, inspired, and purpose-driven discovery experiences whether in research, public service, the arts or as entrepreneurs. Thank you for considering our fund. The Berkeley Discovery team, and most importantly, our students, are grateful for your support.

To learn more about Berkeley Discovery, visit discovery.berkeley.edu.

For questions, contact the Berkeley Discovery team at info.discovery@berkeley.edu.