Most current projects

SAN QUENTIN ALL ACCESS COMPUTER CENTER PHASE I: DEPLOYMENT It’s our current goal to raise $20,000 by August 31st to assist in purchasing computers and industry-standard CAD software. Learn more

The mission of the Berkeley Student Food Cooperative (BSFC) is to provide fresh, healthy, environmentally sustainable, and ethically produced food at an affordable price to Berkeley students. The BSFC will be a student-run cooperative natural and sustainable foods cafe and market. It will promote community building, social justice and environmental stewardship through the cooperative model. A cooperative is a business or organization run by democratic decision where all workers participate in equal and equitable environment. The BSFC will utilize the cooperative cost-saving model to offer our customers 20-40% savings on healthy, sustainable, delicious food. The Berkeley Student Food Cooperative will be an expansion of the already existing ASUC Sustainability Team "The Local", which provides affordable sustainable food items to the UC Berkeley campus. The BSFC is designed with the same structure as The Local produce stand and will source from local sustainable farmers, giving UC Berkeley a choice to eat healthy, fresh, and affordable food. We can provide quality fresh products at affordable prices because we source specifically from local family and small farmers. The BSFC is the business model for the 21st century; it is based on financial stability and growth in this turbulent economy while maintaining our core mission and values. We highlight the human element in the food system through true collaboration with local farmers, other cooperatives, and our community. Learn more

Our goal is to transform over 200 tons a year of coffee ground waste from our urban environment and transform it into a 'green-collar' job creator and nutritious food to be provided back to our local community. Learn more

As part of our pilot program, we are installing a solar charging system for night-time lighting at an orphanage near Iquitos, Peru in August 2009. We will supplement the project with lessons on solar energy, including solar ovens and teaching the older students to build their own solar-powered radios. In addition, we will teach students the basics of disease transmission and hygiene by showing them their environment under a microscope and using various interactive games to show how disease can spread. Our goal is to demonstrate the benefits of science to an undereducated at-risk population. More information can be found at the Future Scientist Projects page. Learn more

Promote Transparency and Lower Barriers to Eating Locally Our solution should promote transparency by clearly linking all of the participants involved in a specific food sale, including producers, retailers, and distributors. It should lower barriers that consumers’ face by helping them eat seasonally, connect to and communicate with producers whose practices reflect their values, and find retailers who source locally. Encourage New and Struggling Farmers Our solution should provide tools to help producers share resources and exchange advice and ideas, with an emphasis on encouraging new producers to participate and seek help. It should also create clear channels of communication between producers, consumers, and retailers. This would allow producers to let others know of the struggles they face and to exchange information more easily with retailers to whom they sell. It would also encourage consumers to express their appreciation for the work put into their food, feedback that farmers both want and deserve. Encourage Political Awareness Our solution should promote discussion among all of the participants in the food system, allowing people to be more informed and aware of political barriers and their respective solutions. It should leverage both strong and weak ties and personal connections to help people become properly informed, organize around issues, and mobilize to take action. Foster Delight Our solution should emphasize the pleasure of personal connection and foster interactions that delight. It should allow people to explore the story behind their food in a fun, engaging way. As design strategist Patrick W. Jordan emphasizes, people want “products that offer something extra; products that are not merely tools but 'living objects' that people can relate to; products that bring not only functional benefits but also emotional ones.” (2002, p. 6) Our solution should motivate people to participate and to support each other by bringing this emotional benefit to the surface. Learn more

1. Connect populations without access to emergency care to hospitals through mobile technology. 2. To build a successful pilot project for the summer of 2009 where we will donate cell phones to 50 villages in the state of Rajasthan in India and connect them to the doctors at the Narayan Sewa Santhan Hospital. Learn more

- To raise 10% of the costs of production ($17,500) by January 31, 2009 and 100% by July 31, 2009. - To yield an estimated $510,000 from ticket sales to create an endowment for annual veteran scholarships. - To promote awareness about the role that we play in the creation of Peace in our society and on our planet. Learn more

1. Increasing Awareness To bring members in the community together (i.e. Daraja staff, professors, activists, and community leaders) in order to discuss the educational issues affecting young girls in Kenya. 2. Promoting Change To provide information about resources that the audience can investigate if they wish to learn about the issues more deeply or wish to get involved in a cause. 3. Building Networks To create lasting contacts for Daraja in the Berkeley community by helping attendees reach out and establish connections with social action initiatives that are available both on and off campus. Learn more

To promote the advancement of green chemistry and sustainable design principles through the creation of a venue for the discussion and dissemination of information among students and faculty from diverse fields such as chemistry, engineering, toxicology, public health, public policy, business, and environmental science. Learn more

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