Education

The ‘Other,’ Kalyan Balaven

As the first person of color to serve as Head of Dunn School in Los Olivos, California, Kalyan (“Kal”) Balaven is, in many ways, a long way from his youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, where his family found itself houseless, surviving on what Balaven calls community wealth.  From an ethnic perspective, Balaven says that he’s always thought of himself as “other.” An outsider identification that informs his work today as the head of an esteemed private residential school with a rich history that didn’t always include leaders (or many students) that looked like him. “The idea of being [...more...]

Helping First-Generation Students to & Through College Across the Bay 10,000 Degrees

Believe. Partner. Connect. These three values animate the work of 10,000 Degrees, a uniquely successful Bay Area organization supporting students […more…]

Saying Yes to Students Who Need a Supportive School Community Dunn School

“Ne Tentes Aut Perfice.”  This is the Latin motto that students and faculty at Dunn School, a private co-ed college […more…]

More than Success, Students Rising Above is Giving Young People Lives of Fulfillment Students Rising Above

For 24 years, Students Rising Above (SRA) has helped thousands of students facing poverty and systemic barriers achieve success. “We […more…]