Global Poverty & Practice Minor

Practice Experience: I’m conducting my PE with an on-campus organization through the BEST Lab called CARES, which stands for the Community Assessment for Renewable Energy and Sustainability. CARES is a multidisciplinary initiative that focuses on bridging the gap between the creators and implementers of renewable energy and sustainability technology and the end-users/recipients of these projects. I worked with Yael Perez to travel up to the Pinoleville Pomo Nation in Ukiah, CA this summer and plan and conduct various STEM activities at the summer camp for the Pomo youth. Planning and leading these experiments helped emphasize to me the importance of education as a climate change adaptation measure, especially among young people. Taking part in STEM afterschool programs is what allowed me to realize that I belong in STEM when I was young and pursuing higher education, and the various architectural, biological, and ecological experiments we planned and led helped pass on the same message.

GPP Elective Courses Taken: "Sectors and Methods: ENERES 160 (Climate Justice) Global Area Studies: SOCIOL 180I (Comparative Perspectives on U.S. and European Societies: Inequality)"

Activities: GPP; SURF 2023 (Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship); URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program); BSP (Biology Scholars Program); CARES; UCB FAM (Faces of African Muslims)

About Me: Hey! My name is Jumana (she/her) and I’m a lifelong Bay Arean. I was born and raised in the SF/Peninsula area and I’m Sudanese-American. I knew from a very young age that Berkeley was where I wanted to be, so I’m very lucky to call the East Bay home. I’m double-minoring in Anthropology and GPP, and I am especially interested in researching climate change and interdisciplinary approaches that focus on bridging the traditionally “scientific” analysis with social and critical analysis of its causes and its effects on different communities. The GPP curriculum has helped me understand how drastically poverty can increase vulnerability to climate change, and explore how addressing the structures that create and exacerbate poverty is one of the most powerful climate change mitigation and adaptation measures we can attempt to undergo, so I’m so excited to represent this program as a peer advisor this year. Slide through to my advising hours to chat with me about OURS/research opportunities as an undergraduate as well as the GPP 115 curriculum, or anything else you’d like!

Practice Experience: This past summer I interned with Mount Tamalpais College, a nonprofit organization and accredited college that provides free Associate of Arts degrees and college preparatory programs for people incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. I worked alongside the advancement team where I assisted in grant research, social media and communications, and other projects involving the development and program teams. I am continuing this work into the fall, so come ask me about it!

GPP Elective Courses Taken: PubPol C103 (Wealth and Poverty), SocWel 114 (Practice in Social Work), SocWel 112 (Social Welfare Policy)

Activities: Kesem Berkeley

About Me: "Hi! My name is Macy and I’m from Los Angeles. I am in my ninth (and final) semester here at Berkeley majoring in social welfare. The GPP Minor is the reason I came to Berkeley– from the moment I went to Cal Day as a prospective student and attended the GPP info session, I knew that I wanted to be a part of this community. Outside of academics, I am a member of Kesem Berkeley, which is an organization dedicated to supporting children impacted by a parent’s cancer through year-round activities and a week-long free summer camp. I also enjoy baking, going to the beach, exploring parks, and pet-sitting for local families.  If you want to learn more about the GPP minor, discuss classes, exchange recipes, or just talk about life, feel free to drop by my advising hours! I look forward to meeting you!"