Anchor University Grants Program 2022-2023

Thanks to the support of the Sacramento State's University Foundation, University Enterprises, Inc., and the Anchor University Advisory Council, which provided funding for the grant programs to support students, staff, and faculty conducting work in the community that supports our Anchor University mission.

The 2022-2023 Anchor University Grants program included:

• Continuation Grants (four grants awarded)
• Strategic Investment Grants (five grants awarded)
• Priority Grants (six grants awarded)

Total Allocated

The allocated amount for the 2022-2023 funding cycle was $103,877.

Dreamer Resource Center & FUEL Network

Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants - Continuation Grants

The Dreamer Resource Center has been awarded a grant to work in partnership with the Sacramento Family, Unity, Education and Legal (FUEL) Network to connect Sacramento State Dreamers with undocumented local high school students to encourage them to attend college. By showing how college is attainable, more local Dreamers will pursue a higher education.

Sacramento State lead: Erick Ramirez, Dreamer Resource Center

College of Education & Natomas Pacific Pathways

Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants - Continuation Grants

The College of Education has been awarded a grant to work in partnership with the Natomas Pacific Pathways Preparatory High School to undertake a 10-week intervention meant to improve the psychological health of the school’s youth. Because of COVID-19 and distance learning, more youth have experienced psychological impact, and this program will allow for early intervention.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Meagan O’Malley, School Psychology

Environmental Studies & United Latinos

Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants - Continuation Grants

The Department of Environmental Studies has been awarded a grant to further its work with United Latinos, begun in 2021, testing the suitability of air quality monitoring equipment in low-income and underrepresented communities. A larger community-based air monitoring program will be designed, and the students will work with and support air quality monitoring efforts across Sacramento City’s environmental justice zones.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Wayne Linklater, Department of Environmental Studies

The Male Empowerment Collaborative & MLK Jr. Tech Academy

Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants - Continuation Grants

The Male Empowerment Collaborative (MEC) program, which is part of Student Academic Success and Educational Equity Program (SASEEP), has been awarded a grant to further develop the mentoring program with male junior high students at the Twin Rivers Unified School District’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Technology Academy. MEC participants will develop leadership skills, engage and validate each other through honest guided dialogue, take part in structured activities, and utilize opportunities for advancement in education and future employment. The junior high participants will benefit from engagement in a buddy system with Sac State students who serve as positive male role models, and program activities will illustrate a direct path to college success.

Sacramento State lead: Martinique Baker, Student Academic Success & Educational Equity Program (SASEEP)

Environmental Studies & Sacramento County Regional Parks

New Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants

Since 2015, the Department of Environmental Studies and Sac State students enrolled in ENVS 151 have worked with the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks and the Save the American River Association to restore the habitat of the Bushy Lake area along the American River Parkway. The grant will allow the Department of Environmental Studies to showcase and expand the Demonstration Restoration Site and Ethnobotany / Pollinator Garden, and create educational signage for public access and educational opportunities. The long-term goal of the project is to create a location for school and youth groups to visit and learn more about the natural environment.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Michelle Stevens, Department of Environmental Studies

Communication Studies & FourthWave

New Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants

The grant awarded to the Department of Communication Studies will create a student employment program for Communication students with FourthWave, a local startup accelerator of women-led technology businesses. Students will be partnered with local startups to apply their classroom knowledge and skill to brand communication to help advance women-owned businesses in Sacramento’s diverse entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Cheng Hong, Department of Communication Studies

Communication Studies & Sacramento County Office of Education

New Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants

The Department of Communications Studies has been awarded a grant to provide a two-week journalism workshop at Sac State for Sacramento County high school students, who will learn how to report stories about the region’s school districts. Interested participants will be selected from high schools without journalism programs, typically in economically disadvantaged areas of the region. Stories will be published at SacSchoolBeat.com and offered for use by local news publications.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Mark Ludwig, Department of Communication Studies

ASI Challenge Center & Sacramento City College’s Puente Project

New Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants

Sacramento State’s Associated Students Inc. (ASI) has been awarded a grant to work with the Sacramento City College Puente Project, La Programma Fortificando El Puente. The funding will allow community college students who are part of the Puente Project to visit Sacramento State and experience the Challenge Center, which promotes physical and mental well-being through climbing, critical thinking challenges, communication, and peer-to-peer teamwork. While on campus, Puente students will gain exposure to Sacramento State programs and services, and begin to build connections with Sacramento State students before enrolling in a four-year university.

Sacramento State lead: Sasha Smirnova, Associated Students Inc.

Civil Engineering & City of Sacramento

New Anchor University Strategic Investment Grants

The Department of Civil Engineering has been awarded a grant to collaborate with the city of Sacramento by providing expertise on permeable paver effectiveness, designed to minimize local flooding and augment recharge to the local aquifer in a disadvantaged neighborhood. Civil Engineering students will connect with industry partners and community-based organizations involved in the project, increasing their civic engagement skills and allowing for participation in a high-quality research project that will lead to improvements in an underinvested neighborhood.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Zoi Dokou, Department of Civil Engineering

Mathematics and Statistics & Hiram Johnson High School

Anchor University Priority Grants

The Math Project at Sac State, which is part of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education, has been awarded a grant to partner with Hiram Johnson High School teachers and students on the Pi Math (Promoting Inclusion in Mathematics) Project. The Pi Math Project will combine two existing programs (Mathematics Project at Sac State and Saturday Math Gymnasium) into one mentoring and professional learning program. Math majors and MATH 107 students will gain a rich mathematical experience improving their teacher content knowledge by collaboratively planning with teaching professionals. They also will receive teaching experience working with K-12 students on ways to approach and find creative solutions to math problems. K-12 teachers will receive professional development through this program.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Sayonita Ghosh Hajra, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Music & Robla School District

Anchor University Priority Grants

The Department of Music’s Strings Project has been awarded a grant to expand an interdisciplinary project with Sacramento State’s Institute of Social Research to strengthen and grow the existing collaboration with Robla School District. Music students will continue to teach elementary school students how to play a variety of instruments, and the music curriculum will be updated to include a diverse repertoire reflecting the children’s cultural backgrounds. Additionally, a new guidebook and lesson plans for Sac State teacher trainees, along with new evaluation tools will assess the revision’s success and the Strings Project’s impact on Robla students, their families, and Sac State teacher trainees.

Sacramento State lead: Andrew Luchansky, Music Department

School of Nursing & My Sister’s House

Anchor University Priority Grants

The School of Nursing has been awarded a grant to further work with My Sister’s House that began in 2021 by having faculty and staff provide additional metahabilitation workshops for women impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking. Using the Metahab System, survivors can be transformed and experience a higher level of functioning after a personal life crisis. Funds also will be used to provide certification training for counselors, students and faculty of HHS, and to collect data to support ongoing programming.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Joyce Mikal-Flynn, School of Nursing

Communication Sciences and Disorders & San Juan Unified School District

Anchor University Priority Grants

The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSAD) has been awarded a grant for Communications students to work with K-12 students in the San Juan Unified School District and young adults on the autism spectrum (OTAS). The project seeks to place CSAD undergraduate students in a service learning partnership with the local nonprofit Creative Living Options and SJUSD schools. The goal is to improve social communication and workforce development skills via a collaborative peer working relationship.

Sacramento State lead: Dr. Lisa D’Angelo, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders

College of Education Social Justice Lab & Sol Collective

Anchor University Priority Grants

The College of Education’s Participatory Action Research (PAR) Social Justice Research Lab has been awarded a grant to partner with Sol Collective to help address the need for representation in future K-12 teachers. The program’s goal is to help inspire students of color to consider teaching as a career. Sol Collective will incorporate artistic, multimedia, cultural, and educational programming, and promote social justice as part of the project. The lab will be offered annually to Sac State students as well as Sacramento High School students of color. The pilot will serve as a way to measure the need, impact and sustainability of the lab.

Sacramento State lead: Alejandro Carrion, Graduate and Professional Studies

Graphic Design & Folsom Boulevard Collaborative

Anchor University Priority Grants

The Department of Graphic Design has been awarded a grant to partner with the Folsom Boulevard Collaborative and design an artistic wrap to be printed and applied to utility boxes along Folsom Boulevard to beautify and create a sense of unity for the neighborhood. Graphic Design students will receive design elements/concepts from the Folsom Boulevard Collaborative, and use the creative and structured class to simulate working with a design customer. A team design will be selected, and the design will be printed by University Print and Mail. Using the thematic elements will showcase the neighborhood diversity and Sac State students’ talents.

Sacramento State lead: Tony Lucas, Business & Administrative Services

Past Anchor University Strategic Investment Grant Awardees

Title	Department, College or Organization
High School Dream Builders	Dreamer Resource Center
String Project	School of Music
Giving Voice to Youth Psychological Well-Being	College of Education
Workshops for Underserved Women Affected by Domestic Violence	School of Nursing
Nutrition Education for Public Housing Residents	Family and Consumer Sciences Department
Planning a School-Based Health Center with Folsom Cordova Unified School District	School of Nursing
Civil Engineering Writing Partners	Civil Engineering Department
Barrio Art in the Community	Art Department
Advancing air quality, public health and environmental justice in Sacramento County	Environmental Studies Department, SSIS
The Civic Engagement and Social Justice Scholars Program	Political Science Department
Oak Park History Initiative	History Department
The Male Empowerment Collaborative and Martin Luther King Jr. Technology Academy Partnership to Success!	Male Empowerment Collaborative