HISTORY

In October 1996, eight grassroots student organizations united in order to organize and implement collaborative projects which aim to maintain diversity among U.C. Berkeley’s student population. bridges was officially formed when student leaders, already involved in University recruitment and outreach for over a decade, chose to take responsibility for working together for a common goal, especially in a post 209 environment.

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to promote unity among the various Recruitment and Retention Centers and other organizations which provide educational services for the youth in our communities. Through multicultural projects, bridges seeks to: empower pre-college students with educational skills they may lack or not have access to in order to encourage underrepresented students to apply to college or university (specifically U.C. Berkeley), provide support networks for admitted and current underrepresented students to achieve at Cal, and increase communications across the color line for dialogue on common issues and to understand different cultures.

Non-Consolidation Statement

The purpose of the bridges Multicultural Resource Center is not to consolidate member organizations, but to provide an arena that fosters collaborative efforts and communication. All member organizations host the actual recruitment and retention programs throughout the year, so by working together we hope to make each organization and event more effective.