UC Merced partners with Stanislaus State to send more local men of color to college

UC Merced announced Friday it would take part in the 1300 Campaign, which aims to send 1,300 more boys and men of color to a CSU or UC by 2030.

In collaboration with Stanislaus State, the 1300 Campaign will focus on high school students from the Northern Central Valley who come from African American/Black, Latino, Southeast Asian, Native American, and Pacific Islander backgrounds.

The 1300 Campaign was created to fight institutionalized racism, racial inequities and limited opportunities, according to its strategic plan. Boys and men of color are underrepresented in higher education, the campaign reports, and overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

“This campaign was inspired by the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which banned slavery in 1865,” the group says in its strategic plan. “However, since that time, institutionalized racism, oppression and racial inequities have contributed to a historically perpetuated mass incarceration pipeline, poor health outcomes, miseducation and limited opportunities for young men of color.

“While tremendous efforts have worked to address these challenges, many with significant impact, much more remains to be done.”

The campaign will target regional high schools with underperforming graduation rates, A-G completion rates (the courses required to go to college), and college-going rates. The rates of expulsions, suspensions, and students who receive free or reduced lunch will also be considered.

Desiree Lopez, a UC Merced spokesperson, said high schools involved in the program would include schools in Merced, Stanislaus and and San Joaquin counties.

The campaign is focused on creating “deep-rooted change” and will give students mentors, increase the number of school counselors, prioritize dual enrollment, and mandate A-G requirements and ethnic studies for all.

The program would also put a moratorium on school suspensions and mandate implicit bias training for K-12 educators.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Read more from The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.

This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.