University of the Pacific
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The Office of External Relations coordinates the Beyond Our Gates initiative to improve the social and economic health of the region by addressing educational needs in San Joaquin County and the surrounding area. The initiative began in 2010 and encompasses two major programs, Reading by Third and The Tomorrow Project.
- Reading by Third programming is a collaboration between The University, San Joaquin Reads, Every Day Counts and the San Joaquin County Office of Education, several school districts and many other community partners to increase literacy in San Joaquin County by addressing school readiness, attendance, and summer learning. In 2017, the National Civic League’s All-America Cities competition was based around Reading By Third criteria. The Office of External Relations wrote the city’s All-America City application, and Stockton was one of 15 cities to receive the honor in June.
- The Tomorrow Project aims to boost high school graduation and raise college attendance of Stockton students. Pacific in collaboration with the Stockton, Lodi and Manteca Unified School Districts, Reach for the Stars Foundation, San Joaquin Delta College and others, provide after-school, weekend and summer programs for some of the region’s most academically vulnerable children.

The Beyond Our Gates Community Council, which meets quarterly, guides Pacific's ongoing Beyond Our Gates priorities and programs. The Council is made up of local leaders from fields spanning business, education, nonprofit, media, government and faith. A smaller (12 members) Beyond Our Gates Executive Committee serves as the strategic and planning arm of the program.

Through the work of the council and executive committee, San Joaquin County has been designated a national Pacesetter in the area of early literacy for four consecutive years as well as a Grad Nation Community, in recognition of efforts to end the country's high school dropout crisis.

https://www.pacific.edu/community/beyond-our-gates.html

The Community Involvement Program (CIP) is a comprehensive need-based scholarship and retention program for first-generation college students from the Stockton community who have demonstrated the potential for sustainable leadership, community awareness, and involvement. The program serves the educational needs of low-income students by providing access to college along with a wide range of support to the CIP Scholars as they pursue higher education.

https://www.pacific.edu/academics/community-involvement-program

The Center for Business and Policy Research (CBPR) is a research and outreach unit known for independent, objective analyses of business, economic, and public policy issues in California with a focus on the Northern California Mega-Region which includes the North San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Metro Area, and the Bay Area. The Center has staffed offices on both the Stockton and Sacramento campuses. Reports cover water, transportation, housing, labor, and economic development issues that are of critical importance to this region. Widely recognized across California for the quality of its analyses, the Center’s reports and experts are frequently cited in the press. CBPR analyses are frequently used by governments, non-profits, and community-based organizations to inform policy, planning and initiatives.

CBPR staff are directly involved in the following:
• Serve on consulting team to update the Delta Protection Commission's economic sustainability plans
• Perform forecasting for San Joaquin Council of Governments, forecasts inform planning efforts such as the Sustainable Community Strategy and Regional Transportation Plan for San Joaquin County.
• San Joaquin County WorkNet community partnership – CBPR participates in local workforce planning efforts and apprenticeship program development.
• San Joaquin County Emergency Shelter Committee for Homeless People – CBPR supports the committee with information on economic and workforce system as well as assisting with independent HHAP funding review.
• Caltrans Integrated Travel Project Advisory Committee – CBPR staff review and contribute to inter-regional transportation policy development. Advice focused particularly on rural California community inter-regional transportation challenges and needs. As part of this, CBPR participates in annual statewide review interregional [5311(f)] transportation funding applications.
• Cost of Living Index – CBPR participates in local price index data collection three times a year to provide local business and development agencies with accurate nationally comparable price index data as part of the Council for Community and Economic Research’s national cost of living index.

CBPR analyses are used by:
• Business Team San Joaquin – Coalition led by the San Joaquin County Economic Development Association for business, workforce and economic development.
• Workforce Backbone Committee for Reinvent South Stockton Coalition – led by the City of Stockton Mayor’s Office to support and coordinate workforce initiatives.
• North San Joaquin Valley Regional Inclusive Economy Initiative – Coalition led by Stanislaus Community Foundation, Community Foundation of San Joaquin, City of Merced, and California Forward.
• Stockton Community Coalition – led by the City of Stockton’s Economic Development Department working to forge and inform community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://www.pacificcbpr.org/

Beyond Our Gates: https://www.pacific.edu/community/beyond-our-gates
Contact: Mike Klocke, Community Relations Director

Community Involvement Program: https://www.pacific.edu/academics/community-involvement-program

Center for Business Policy Research: https://www.pacificcbpr.org/
Contact: Jeffrey Michael, Executive Director, CBPR or Thomas Pogue, Associate Director, CBPR