Summer 2006
One of MESA's greatest strengths is its ability to develop strong collaborative partnerships. These partnerships, built on a common commitment to improve academic achievement, bring together a variety of support strategies to help our students succeed academically.
MESA's unique intersegmental education partnerships help us reach students in all sectors. Currently we work with 84 school districts to serve students in 130 high schools, 110 junior and middle schools, and 50 elementary schools. MESA pre-college and undergraduate centers are located at 29 California community colleges, 10 California State universities, six University of California campuses, two independent universities and three community-based sites. This partnership is one of the most inclusive intersegmental efforts in the state.
This summer we are expanding our collaboration to include Johns Hopkins University, which is working with MESA to provide a college-level introduction to engineering course for high school students at four MESA centers. We plan to expand the program to include more California MESA students in coming years.
MESA's collaboration with industry is another crucial partnership, one whose roots can be traced back to the MESA Industry Advisory Board established in 1978. This involvement continues today with representatives from Chevron, AT&T, Texas Instruments, PG&E, Southern California Gas and other companies participating on MESA's statewide board of directors. (They literally sit shoulder-to-shoulder with systemwide representatives from UC, CSU, the California Community Colleges and California independent colleges and universities—a truly unique representation of education and industry.)
A notable industry collaboration is the HP-MESA Diversity in Engineering project, an HP initiative that uses MESA as the model in pilot programs it has established in community colleges across the country.
A new collaboration with the California Space Authority (CSA), a non-profit corporation that represents the state's public and private space enterprises, has resulted in MESA's involvement in a workforce development grant from the US Department of Labor. Under this grant, MESA will help provide professional development for K–12 math and science teachers to help train students to become technically proficient professionals needed by industry.
Other new partnerships have resulted in additional resources for our students. The California Utilities Diversity Council, an alliance that includes California's largest utilities, recently awarded over $1 million to MESA for K–12 academic preparation, paid student internships, and college matriculation activities. And a new collaboration with Symantec has resulted in funds to help support the new engineering course initiative with Johns Hopkins University.
These partnerships bring crucial resources that MESA could not provide on its own. They also bring fresh perspectives and different ways of thinking that help make MESA a better program.
Without these partnerships, we would not be as effective or successful as we are today. We are grateful for the support and cooperation of partners who have joined together to help us achieve.
Michael Aldaco
Executive Director
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