In 2022, nine third-grade girls at Laurel Dell Elementary School in San Rafael embarked on a three-year journey in architecture and planning with mentors from UC Berkeley’s Y-PLAN and Youth...| Center for Cities + Schools
On June 12, 2025, Dr. Deborah McKoy and Ruby Kosewicz-Strickland hosted a panel at the 2025 21CSLA (21st Century School Leadership Academy) Leading for Justice Summit. This Summit focused on... The post 21CSLA Leading for Justice Summit 2025: Y-PLAN Students as Co-Leaders appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
PLUS Research Fellows: Tianyue Lang, Ruth Rodriguez, Lara Pesce Ares, and Astha Agarwal PLUS (Planning & Learning United for Systems-Change) is a participatory action research initiative that partners graduate students...| Center for Cities + Schools
Youth-Led Recovery and Innovation from Tohoku to Berkeley – and back We are pleased to share the publication of A Decade of Resilience: TOMODACHI SoftBank Summer Leadership Program at UC Berkeley...| Center for Cities + Schools
This spotlight from UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design highlights ten years of the Tomodachi Leadership program, which bridges Tohoku, Japan, with Berkeley to develop strategies for recovery using the... The post Transforming loss into leadership: Empowering Japanese youth to rebuild after historic disaster appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
“Without urgent action, state leaders are on track to dismantle three years of progress, leaving vulnerable students out in the cold. If we commit long-term funding and more aligned strategies... The post Newsom’s budget proposal must include needed support for homeless California students | Opinion appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
“This study employs a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) methodology, summarizing five years of research conducted by high school student cohorts and UC Berkeley graduate students to examine effective strategies... The post Empowerment as Prevention: How Youth-Driven Initiatives Transform Frameworks for Change appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
On September 27, 2024, CC+S hosted a Catalyzing Action Exchange in partnership with 21CSLA and the California Department of Education. Keynote speakers included Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, Dr. Pedro Noguera, and... The post Catalyzing Action Exchange Conference: Building an Equitable Educational System Centering Students Experiencing Homelessness appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
On September 28, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed 38 housing bills into law – including Assembly Bill 2295 (Bloom). AB2295 streamlines the development of affordable and mixed income housing for teachers and support staff of California’s K-12 public schools on public land, opening development opportunities statewide. CC+S’s 2021 report, Education Workforce Housing in California: Developing...| Center for Cities + Schools
In Tamura City, within the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan, a city planning program called the T2 Project (Tamura Tankyu Project, with “Tankyu” meaning “to explore”) was held on August 8-9,... The post CC+S Global Corner: Expanding the Y-PLAN Method in Japan appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
This November, Californians will vote on Proposition 2—“Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools and Local Community College Public Education Facilities Modernization, Repair, and Safety Bond Act of 2024”—a $10 billion school... The post Proposition 2: 2024 School Facilities Bond appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CC+S recent research on the unequal allocation of state facility funding was cited by EdSource in its June 18, 2024 article “Behind the scenes, a battle looms over fair funding... The post CC+S Research on State Funding Inequity Cited in EdSource Coverage of Possible State Facility Bond appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CC+S’s Jeff Vincent spoke at the first-ever White House Summit on Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds. Hosted by the White House, the event included local and state... The post CC+S speaks at White House Summit on Sustainable and Healthy K-12 School Buildings and Grounds appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
As fall comes to a close, change is in the air for students experiencing homelessness! CC+S’ Y-HEAR (Youth Led – Homeless Education Action Research) Initiative is working to shift the... The post Y-HEAR Oct 27 Convening brings state leaders, practitioners, and researchers together appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Investing in Youth as Community Leaders By Akayla Matthews, Laiza Eve Reconoco, and Victor Diaz Published in Community Schooling (Issue 4, Summer 2023), Y-PLAN student researchers from the Law &... The post Y-PLAN student report published by UCLA’s Center for Community Schooling appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
The theme for Fair Housing Month is Choices for All Voices. What does this mean to us? We are third grade students at Laurel Dell Elementary School in San Rafael.... The post April is Fair Housing Month! appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
The Center for Cities and Schools at the University of Berkeley just released Gauging Good Stewardship, a paper that investigates the adequacy and equity of investments in California’s public schools... The post Is California Adequately & Equitably Investing in its Public School Facilities? appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
In February 2023, Stanford Medicine’s Center for Innovation in Global Health, UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities and Schools, UndauntedK12, and Ten Strands released Climate-Resilient California Schools: A Call to Action.... The post CC+S joins Stanford Medicine in a call to action: California needs climate resilient schools appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
The post Join CC+S, Stanford, UndauntedK12, and Ten Strands for a virtual policy forum on climate resilient schools for California, April 21, 2023 appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
A Town Put a Senior Center in Its High School, Offering a Model for an Aging Nation. Education Week By Caitlynn Peetz — March 13, 2023 When crowded classrooms pushed... The post CC+S’s Jeff Vincent quoted in EdWeek article on community connected schools appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Why we can’t solve the climate crisis without schools — and teachers By Sammy Roth, Staff Writer, LA Times MARCH 2, 2023 …I talked with Jeff Vincent, co-founder of UC Berkeley’s... The post LA Times Coverage of CC+S’s Climate Resilient Schools Report appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
“Mobilizing Young People for Justice and Joy in Our Cities” -the latest edition of Y-PLAN News and Views – January 2023 – is available now. This edition includes: New Y-PLAN... The post Y-PLAN News and Views – January 2023 appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CC+S Director Deborah McKoy published an op-ed with Lucetricia Anderson, the McKinney-Vento Homeless Student Coordinator at OUSD, on the need for stronger policy to support unhoused students in California. View... The post Op-ed published in Mercury News: How California can give unhoused students a helping hand appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Y-PLAN Student Scholars in Oakland, Sacramento, and San Rafael shared their recommendations for radical change in our cities at public events and in the news last year: California CDC Homelessness Education... The post Y-PLAN Scholars Turn Story into Policy appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CC+S’s Creative Director Dr. Shirl Buss recently published an op-ed in the Marin Independent Journal (Marin IJ) on the robust body of work generated over the last six years of... The post Op-ed on Y-PLAN San Rafael published in Marin Independent Journal appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
“What we’re seeing is schools responding in so many ways and playing so many important roles in emergency response and even recovery in so many of these communities,” says Jeff... The post CC+S’s Jeff Vincent quoted in NPR article on Hurricane Ian appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
I spent the last ten years supporting teachers to implement project-based learning (PBL) in the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California. During that time, we grappled with one of... The post Student and Teacher Transformation Through Y-PLAN appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Learn about how California bill AB 2295 will facilitate development of school employee housing on district property. The post CC+S housing research featured by San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Written by Athena S. and and delivered by Athena S., Stella W., and Jefferey P. in Oakland City Hall Chambers at the April 2022 Y-PLAN Youth Summit For the past... The post Bringing Our Dreams to Life appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CC+S's Jeff Vincent presented to the California State Assembly's Local Government Committee at their April 27, 2022 hearing on AB 2295 (Bloom) Local educational agencies: housing development projects. The post CC+S talks Education Workforce Housing with CA State Assembly appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
x The post Making it Happen: Policy Recommendations for Incentivizing Affordable Education Workforce Housing in California appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
x The post Where Might Teacher Housing Work?: Activating Public School Owned Land in California for Education Workforce Housing appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CA's new report, Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success, highlights policy goals to advance child well-being, economic growth, environmental resilience, and racial equity through farm to school systems that connect children to locally sourced, whole foods and produce in cafeterias, classrooms, and gardens. The post California releases new Farm to School roadmap, citing CC+S research appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Exciting opportunities are emerging for Y-PLAN’s Sacramento Hub, which is led by our higher-ed partner, the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. Currently, CRC is placing UC Davis undergraduate students as mentors in SCUSD classrooms, providing invaluable expertise and resources. The post Sacramento Y-PLAN Regional Hub Update appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Under the visionary leadership of Annette S. Koh, a professor at Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design, our LA Hub is gearing up for inspiring work this spring. Cal Poly students are launching a pilot workshop series with city leaders and teens in Long Beach to examine how the city's parks can be more accessible, equitable, and sustainable. The post Cal Poly Pomona builds upon Y-PLAN methods to bring planning and placemaking to Long Beach Teens appeared first on Center for Citie...| Center for Cities + Schools
x The post Struggling to Live in the Communities They Serve: How Housing Affordability Impacts Educators and School Employees in California appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
We’re thrilled to share an update from our San José Hub led by our higher-ed partner, SJSU's Department of Child and Adolescent Development, under the leadership of Professor Ellen Middaugh. Since last fall, SJSU has worked with San José’s Department of Transportation and Escuela Popular on a pedestrian safety project related to Vision Zero. The post Y-PLAN San José Hub Partners with SJ Department of Transportation and Vision Zero for Safer Streets appeared first on Center for Cities +...| Center for Cities + Schools
Here at UC Berkeley, we are expanding partnerships with departments across campus. We're excited to be collaborating with UCB’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and OUSD this semester. The post Engineering For Change (E4C) Design Year – New CC+S + CEE Collaboration appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Remembering the work and life of Prescott Reavis, an inspiring Y-PLAN mentor, teacher, and spatial activist. The post In Memoriam: Prescott Reavis appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
In spring of 2021, a cohort of 11th grade students in Oakland High School’s Law and Social Justice Pathway tackled an issue that is devastating communities across California - the rising level of student homelessness. The post Tackling Unhoused Student Policy in Oakland and Beyond appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
CC+S, Terner Center for Housing Innovation, and cityLAB at UCLA's new study on education workforce housing highlights opportunities and constraints in California. The post EdSource reports on CC+S Education Workforce Housing Research appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
During Summer 2021, UC Berkeley’s Center for Cities + Schools worked closely with community partners Global Seed and San José State University (SJSU) to recruit twelve high school students to participate in a two-week internship program with the goal of developing recommendations for Google’s new ‘Downtown West’ plan. The post Summer internships on Google’s ‘Downtown West’ plan activated the Y-PLAN San José Hub appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
As the transition to online learning first rocked our world in Spring 2020, CC+S sprung into action and Y-PLAN Connects: Building Community in Place was born. The strategy had great success and of course a few surprises along the way. The post Y-PLAN Connects: A New Digital Platform to Build Community in Place During the Global Pandemic appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
During the most challenging times of the pandemic, San Rafael Y-PLAN Elementary students offered hope, light, and humanity through their proposals for Northgate mall. The post In Dark Times, Y-PLAN Elementary Students Expressed Hope for the City of San Rafael appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Routledge recently released our book - order your copy today! The post Celebrating Our Book on Planning Just and Joyful Cities with Young People and Schools in 2022! appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
Throughout the pandemic, we at CC+S have shifted and adapted our Y-PLAN partnerships online, off line, and using hybrid models - read on to see what we’ve been up to! The post Y-PLAN Strength and Resilience (2020-2022) appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
In November 2021, Routledge published our book on planning just and joyful cities - compiling best practices across 20 years of Y-PLAN projects. The post Routledge published CC+S book on planning cities with young people and schools – Order Your Copy Here! appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
In December 2021, CC+S staff Dr. Deborah McKoy, Amanda Eppley, and Shirl Buss discussed their book “Planning Cities with Young People and Schools” at an event hosted by University of... The post “Planning Cities with Young People and Schools” Book Discussion at University of Toronto appeared first on Center for Cities + Schools.| Center for Cities + Schools
AB247 was amended on June 29, 2024 and was heard by the Senate Education Committee on Monday, July 1. The amendment makes minor changes to the point structure proposed in...| Center for Cities + Schools
California has an opportunity in 2024 to address the longstanding inequity and inadequacy of school facility funding. Governor Newsom’s administration and the state legislature are currently in negotiations about a...| Center for Cities + Schools
