Berkeleyan
Campus public-service programs live (virtually) under one roof
| 08 February 2007
A wealth of information about the campus's public-service programs is now collected in one place, a development that staff involved in such efforts likely will find of interest.
"Campus public-service providers told us they'd like to see which other programs are working with similar populations or in the same area," says Glenda Rubin of the campus Community Relations Office, which oversees the Cal in the Community website (calinthecommunity.berkeley.edu).
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 A collaboration between the UC Botanical Garden and the Lawrence Hall of Science is one of 200 partnerships listed on the Cal in the Community website. (Lauri Twitchell photo) |
Rubin qualifies that the website is not exhaustive; but with listings for 200 of Berkeley's service programs and resources, visitors can access many different public-service resources without a lot of virtual trawling. Recently, Community Relations upgraded the website with improved navigation and search functions and new and updated program descriptions.
Improved functionality will also be a boon for off-campus visitors. Teachers seeking professional-development opportunities, parents in search of advanced math classes for their children, community organizations looking for student interns, and local residents asking about running tracks on campus will all find the website helpful, says Rubin.
Robust new search mechanisms enable users to search for programs in several ways. They can select one or more activities, such as K-12 outreach, employment and job training, and tutoring and mentoring. Looking by category - for example, architecture and design, libraries and museums, or public health and social welfare - is another option, as is parsing the site's information by program location or population served. Or, by choosing the combination search, users can find programs that fit multiple criteria. "The new search features let visitors cast as broad or as narrow a net as they desire," notes Rubin.