Día de los Muertos — Honoring Ancestors, Activating Community

Project Description: Día de los Muertos Communal Gathering at Sacramento State is an annual, intergenerational event led by Ethnic Studies—Chicanx and Latinx Studies and the Barrio Arts Program. It brings together campus and community through art, storytelling, and civic engagement to honor cultural memory and resistance. Participation has grown from 100 students and 25 ofrendas to over 600 participants and nearly 100 altars. In collaboration with Sol Collective and the Washington Neighborhood Center, the gathering continues to serve as a space for healing, collective resistance, and empowerment rooted in cultura, memory, and radical kinship.

Project Lead: Nancy Huante-Tzintzun
Sac State Department/College: Department of Ethnic Studies/College of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Studies
Community Partner: Sol Collective
Awarded Amount: $5,000
Category Criteria: Civic Education Programs, Community Organizing and Advocacy, Civic Innovation and Technology

Community Service Internship Program

Project Description: Community Service Internship expands the Community Engagement Center’s Semester of Service into a credit-bearing program that promotes civic literacy and engagement among Sac State students. Managed by the CEC and piloted through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program (ID 195), the internship pairs students with community partners for 45 hours of service per semester. Students earn one unit of credit while gaining mentorship, developing civic skills, and completing reflection assignments. The CEC will assess student outcomes on how the experience helped them grow their civic engagement mindsets.

Project Lead: Brooke Major
Sac State Department/College: Community Engagement Center/Division of Academic Affairs
Community Partner: Sacramento Loaves & Fishes
Awarded Amount: $5,000
Category Criteria: Civic Education Programs

Empowering Futures: Promoting Inclusion, Engagement & Career Readiness..

Title: Empowering Futures: Promoting Inclusion, Engagement, and Career Readiness in Mathematics

Project Description: Empowering Futures: Promoting Inclusion, Engagement, and Career Readiness in Mathematics engages middle and high school students—and K-12 teachers—by integrating math literacy with community organizing, advocacy, and civic innovation. Building on past Anchor University-funded efforts, the program fosters students’ mathematical identities and supports teachers in using creative, non-curricular problem-solving strategies. In 2025–2026, activities include partnerships with five Title 1 schools, an online Math-Art competition, a culminating math event at Sac State, and a new collaboration with Sacramento Area Mathematics Educators (SAME) to co-lead inquiry-based math sessions for K-12 teachers.

Project Lead: Sayonita Ghosh Hajra
Sac State Department/College: Department of Mathematics and Statistics/College of Natural Science and Mathematics
Community Partner(s): Sacramento Area Mathematics Educators (SAME); Arcade Middle School; Florin High School; Hiram Johnson High School; Luther Burbank High School; and Miwok Middle School
Awarded Amount: $5,000
Category Criteria: Community Organizing and Advocacy, Civic Innovation and Technology

Dreaming Tomorrow: High School & College Voices in Afrofuturism

Project Description: Dreaming Tomorrow: High School & College Voices in Afrofuturism is a mentorship initiative connecting Sacramento State students in Ethnic Studies and Pan African Studies with high school students from Museum of Children's Art's (MOCHA) Community Futures School. The program fosters college-bound identities, supports college and career goals, and promotes cultural exchange to expand participants’ visions of their futures. It builds on a 2024 pilot pen pal program between MOCHA and the Black Honors College.

Project Lead: Jasmine Wade
Sac State Department/College: Department of Ethnic Studies/College of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Studies
Community Partner: Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA)
Awarded Amount: $5,000
Category Criteria: Civic Education Programs, Community Organizing and Advocacy

Through Children's Eyes: Storytelling & Civic Engagement at Morrison..

Title: Through Children's Eyes: Storytelling and Civic Engagement at Morrison Creek

Project Description: Amplifying Youth Civic Engagement through Art and Research builds on an existing program that empowers 4th–6th grade students to shape the future of Morrison Creek. Through photography, mapping, and neighborhood research, students explore their community and connect with local change efforts, including work with the Sacramento Community Land Trust (SacCLT). This expansion engages Professor Gregory and two undergraduate Photography and Design students to create a booklet and outdoor exhibition to share the project’s findings, raise awareness, and inspire broader civic engagement and community research work.

Project Lead: Erin Rose Ellison
Sac State Department/College: Department of Psychology/College of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Studies
Community Partner: Sacramento Community Land Trust
Awarded Amount: $5,000
Category Criteria: Civic Education Program, Community Organizing and Advocacy

Interprofessional Education: Audiology & Physical Therapy Balance...

Title: Interprofessional Education: Audiology and Physical Therapy Balance Services for Asian Community Center

Project Description: Interprofessional Education: Audiology and Physical Therapy Balance Services enhances student learning while addressing healthcare needs at the Asian Community Center. Through workshops and community events, Audiology and Physical Therapy students collaborate on balance assessments and fall prevention education for older adults. Audiology students also provide hearing screenings and cerumen management, while PT students engage through observation. The project promotes interdisciplinary teamwork, civic engagement, and culturally responsive care. It strengthens university-community partnerships, supports an underserved population, and uses assessments to measure learning and impact—establishing a sustainable model for future collaboration.

Project Lead: Darla Hagge, Soumya Venkitakrishnan, & Rolando Lazaro
Sac State Department/College: Departments of Communication Sciences & Disorders and Physical Therapy/College of Health and Human Services
Community Partner: Asian Community Center
Awarded Amount: $4,417
Category Criteria: Civic Innovation and Technology

Nutrition Education for Guests of the Rancho Cordova Food Locker...

Title: Nutrition Education for Guests of the Rancho Cordova Food Locker – Partnership with the Sacramento State Dietetic Internship Program

Project Description: Nutrition Education for Rancho Cordova Food Locker Guests is a partnership between the Sacramento State Dietetic Internship Program and the Rancho Cordova Food Locker, with activities also taking place at Veterans Village and the Rancho Cordova Youth Center. Graduate dietetic interns will deliver at least six culturally sensitive nutrition education lessons and food demonstrations to a minimum of 100 neighbors, while fulfilling supervised practice hours toward becoming Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Deliverables include a needs assessment, post-lesson evaluations, a summary report to the Food Locker Board of Directors, a professional poster, and a Policy and Procedure manual.

Project Lead: Nadine Braunstein
Sac State Department/College: Department of Nutrition, Food and Dietetics/ College of Social Science and Interdisciplinary Studies
Community Partner: Rancho Cordova Food Locker
Awarded Amount: $2,730
Category Criteria: Community Organizing and Advocacy

Reclaiming Filipino American Narrative: A Collaborative Digitization...

Title: Reclaiming Filipino American Narrative: A Collaborative Digitization Initiative between Sacramento State and the Filipino American National Historical Society Museum in Stockton

Project Description: Reclaiming Filipino American Narrative establishes a collaborative partnership between Sacramento State and the Filipino American National Historical Society Museum in Stockton to organize, catalog, and prepare for digitization of historically significant primary sources documenting Filipino American experiences in California. By making these resources accessible to students, educators, and community members, this initiative addresses the underrepresentation of Filipino American narratives in California and US historical education while providing valuable civic engagement opportunities for Sacramento State students.

Project Lead: Eric Claravall
Sac State Department/College: Teaching Credentials/College of Education
Community Partner: Filipino American National Historical Society Museum
Awarded Amount: $5,000
Category Criteria: Civic Education Programs, Civic Innovation and Technology