CSUDH Magazine
The Official Magazine of California State University, Dominguez Hills
CSUDH reached new heights in philanthropic giving in 2022-23. From alumni giving to our largest individual donation ever, it was a year for the record books.
$30M
Total Raised
$120K
To Toro Fund
$18.7M
Toward Scholarships
$22.3M
Total Endowment
2.3K
Total Donors
Over the past several years, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) has been instrumental in obtaining funding for projects on the CSUDH campus. Whether it’s earmarking $60 million for infrastructure projects like the new Health and Wellness Building, funding the Mervyn M. Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute, or hosting the African American Leaders for Tomorrow program on campus, the CLBC has proven to be one of the university’s biggest and most important support systems.
Supporting CSUDH is near and dear to my heart because it brings me back to my beginnings. It’s a privilege to help support the university’s growth and success. It has been an absolute honor for me and my colleagues in the CLBC to work with Dr. Parham to obtain funding for CSUDH. Our goal is to put CSUDH on a strong footing when compared with other CSU campuses, and ensure a first-in-class educational experience for its ethnically diverse students.
I am extraordinarily proud to have CSUDH providing the opportunities of a world-class university in my hometown and within my district. I consider myself part of the CSUDH community and am honored to have that be the case. Everything that I have seen in my career as a local and state elected official tells me clearly: Toros are going on to change the world.
The relationship between the CLBC and CSUDH is a vital and vibrant one. Specifically, the African American Leaders for Tomorrow program launched at Dominguez Hills has been a successful collaboration benefiting students through resources, investment, training, and mentoring.
Students are preparing to take on the challenges of tomorrow as business, community, and civic leaders. This training is essential for our community to thrive and support all Californians through global and local changes affecting our state now and in the near future.
I am proud to be a graduate of CSUDH! Having an outstanding college right here in our neighborhood is crucial for community growth. I’m committed to supporting CSUDH alongside my California Legislative Black Caucus colleagues. Education transforms lives, and together, we strengthen our community.
CSUDH is an amazing asset to the CSU system and is truly on the front lines of providing college access to so many hailing from underserved communities. Our hope and goal as a caucus is for it to receive state and philanthropic funding so it can continue to offer a premier education to so many! Everything about its mission is consistent with that of the CLBC, when you look at our pillars for educational equity and social justice.
It will support communities of color by creating a pipeline of teachers working and staying in the area and improve their ability to create positive outcomes for their students through the use of culturally competent pedagogies.”
– Thomas A. Parham
More than 1,000 new teachers of preschool and early elementary school grades will start work in the Golden State over the next six years, thanks to two new programs being launched at CSUDH, following a transformative gift announced in August 2023.
Ballmer Group is committing a historic $22 million to CSUDH over six years, marking the largest donation ever given to the university. The majority of the gift will fund scholarships for students through the university’s Toros Teach LA program, which will help address California’s severe shortage of early childhood educators by preparing, graduating, and placing culturally competent, racially diverse teachers and leaders in schools across the Los Angeles region.
“This program will have an outstanding impact on communities with a high need for credentialed preschool and early childhood educators,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham in announcing the gift.
CSUDH’s Toros Teach LA program includes two initiatives to address the need for more qualified teachers in California: Early Childhood Excellence and Black Educator Excellence. Through these, the university will build equity-embedded credentials, help districts recruit and support their Black educators and all educators of Black children, and enable educators to forge successful teaching careers with less debt and improved career retention.
It will support communities of color by creating a pipeline of teachers working and staying in the area and improve their ability to create positive outcomes for their students through the use of culturally competent pedagogies.”
– Thomas A. Parham
“We are excited to work with Ballmer Group toward educating and mentoring culturally responsive teachers for the preschool-3rd grade classrooms of the Los Angeles region,” said Jessica Pandya, dean of the CSUDH College of Education. “With this generous gift, we can offer this training to more future teachers, who can then serve the communities they come from while helping to alleviate this critical need for the state.”
The grant supports scholarships for up to 1,200 students, allowing them to earn bachelor’s degrees and PK-3 or K-8 teaching credentials. The program also includes training and upskilling for current teachers, including new units needed for the PK-3 credential once it becomes available and certificate coursework for current teachers who want to improve their ability to teach ethnically diverse learners.
Kim Pattillo Brownson, director of strategy and policy for Ballmer Group, said the gift will help the children of Los Angeles by supporting scholarships, degree programs, and other partnerships for their future educators. “Early education is a game-changer for giving kids a fair shot in school and life,” she said.
