Launch of the “Alliant Ed Foundation Fellows” Program
This year marks the first-ever cohort of the Alliant Ed Foundation (AEF) Fellows, a new program supporting up to 20 incoming students across the State of California in their pursuit of PhD and PsyD degrees in clinical psychology. Many of this year’s students share a commitment to social justice and community impact, high GPA’s, some level of financial need, and in some cases, are the first to attend college or graduate school in their families.
At scale, this program will support 80-100 such students with multi-year scholarships, peer connections, mentorship, and more!
Congratulations to Dr. Debra Kawahara, President-Elect of APA!
AEF would like to congratulate Debra Kawahara, PhD, Associate Dean and Distinguished Professor of the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University on being elected President-elect of the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Kawahara’s term as President of APA begins on January 1, 2025. Read more here…
Expansion of the Mental Health Consortium
The Foundation officially launched it’s highly collaborative “mental health consortium” in 2020, helping to place CSPP graduate students in clinical psychology at a variety of youth-serving non-profit organizations throughout San Diego County. At each site, CSPP students bolster the capacity of existing organizations to better address the mental health needs of under-resourced children, youth, and their families.
Support over the past year to help sustain this initiative has been generously provided by San Diego Foundation’s Healthy Children & Families Initiative, the David C. Copley Foundation, Nordson Corporation Foundation, and others. We truly value and appreciate their support.
And we’re expanding! AEF Board Member Janet Hurwich and CEO Valin Brown recently completed a listening tour to better understand the unmet mental health needs and under-served populations in the San Francisco/Bay Area. Input from 17 funders, direct-service providers, and CSPP faculty members helped shape the direction and focus of the Bay Area consortium—which…breaking news…will also focus on supporting the mental health of under-resourced children and youth, with an emphasis on BIPOC and non-English speaking families.
New Strategic Planning is Underway
True, this may be a bit more exciting to our Board and staff than the casual reader of our newsletter, but the newest round of planning for AEF’s future is officially underway. Starting with our Board retreat in late-June and culminating around Thanksgiving of this year, a dedicated group of Board members is working with us to chart a course for the Foundation’s programs, revenue, marketing, and infrastructure through 2026. Such plans provide a robust vision of where we intend to go over the next three years while building on the many good initiatives already in place.
Student Emergency Fund Reauthorized
Life happens and sometimes unforeseen problems get in the way. Recently reauthorized for the 2023 – 2024 school-year, the Student Emergency Fund is an emergency grant for Alliant International University students who are dealing with unanticipated and/or catastrophic life events that might otherwise cause the student to stop or pause their educational goals. The funding is provided by AEF and is managed by a university committee. Applications are reviewed and grants awarded based on available funds, up to $500 per student per year.
AEF Donates to the Maui Strong Wildfire Relief Fund
[an excerpt from AEF’s letter to the Maui Strong Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation in August…]
“In light of the current devastation being wrought by the wildfires on Maui, the Board of Directors of the Alliant Educational Foundation has approved a relief grant to the Maui Strong Fund effective last night.
While we realize there will be an enormous range of relief efforts needed to rebuild and support the impacted communities, we ask that these funds be used, as much as possible, to assist Hawaiian psychologists and their efforts to provide disaster mental health and relief support to the community.
Mental health support is a cornerstone of our work across California. As many of our donors, volunteers, and Board members are alumni of the California School of Professional Psychology, they understand the value of disaster mental health services and want to support their colleagues and the Maui community…”
Dr. Kazumi Nishio Research Grants
The purpose of Dr. Kazumi Nishio Research Grants is to deepen the understanding of Asian and Asian American mental health, to promote the mental health of Asians and Asian Americans, and to provide grant opportunities for international research studies.
Due to the generosity of the late Dr. Kazumi Nishio, a total of $21,000 in funding will be made available for 2023 – 2024. The funding is divided into two distinct categories: for current CSPP PhD or PsyD graduate students, and for CSPP core or adjunct faculty and CSPP-Japan legacy faculty.
In this second round of funding, proposals are due by October 30th and must focus on Asian or Asian American mental health. Priority will be given to research projects with an international focus. Please click here to learn more.