The Dream Office’s mission is to foster a public health workforce with the skills of arc-bending, change-making, and social impact. Many of our graduate students possess a wealth of lived experiences and may identify as first-generation and/or a non-traditional graduate student; thus, guiding Dream to provide comprehensive support and services that will adequately prepare them for longevity in the field of public health. Dream offers support and services such as academic tutoring, limited basic needs services, coaching and mentorship, networking and other forms of personal and professional development. The collective of these resources helps our students flourish in this transformative academic environment committed to social change.
Diversity and Inclusion: Dream Office
Services for Prospective Students
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Outreach and Recruitment Support
Our outreach and recruitment work helps to cultivate a sense of community at Berkeley Public Health by connecting prospective applicants with various members of our public health community.. This support also includes virtual information sessions and presentations focused on student life, student financial aid and fellowships, faculty research, application preparedness, 1:1 coaching and more.
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Berkeley Public Health Ambassadors
Our Berkeley Public Health (BPH) Ambassador program features up to 30 current graduate public health student volunteers who work to elevate our public health academic experience, research, social impact, and more. The ambassadors are able to do this in a myriad of engagements such as school wide events and activities, social media postings, and 1:1 prospective applicant mentoring. Our BPH Ambassadors are typically available October – April of each academic year and can be reached by emailing sphadmit@berkeley.edu.
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Advising and Mentoring
The Dream Office provides advising and mentoring for prospective applicants who have already connected with other Berkeley Public Health or UC Berkeley services and are seeking additional support. You are welcome to contact sphdiversity@berkeley.edu.
Services for Current Students
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Summer Seminar
Summer Seminar is our annual pre-immersion program designed to prepare newly enrolled graduate students for their transformative public health experience. Over the course of the program participants will gain skills and preparation related to biostatistics and R coding software, build a sense of community, and familiarize themselves with campus resources.
Summer Seminar is held each August, one week prior to Berkeley Public Health’s new student orientation. The program is open to all newly enrolled 2-year and concurrent master’s students and those Blue Shield of California Fellowship recipients. Space is limited to 45 participants and registration is on a first come, first serve basis through an application process. Registration and participation are free. For any questions or to request ADA accommodations please contact sphdiversity@berkeley.edu.
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Basic Needs Services
The Dream Office is responsible for providing a limited level of basic needs support throughout the academic year. These services are limited and are not intended to supplement or resolve long-term basic needs difficulties. For higher level support, we encourage you to the UC Berkeley Basic Needs Center or contact sphdiversity@berkeley.edu. The services that the Dream Office provides include:
- Twice per semester pantry pop-up and community closet experience: graduate public health students may “shop” for groceries, perishable and nonperishable items, hygiene products, menstrual products, lightly used/new clothing, household items and more.
- Coffee, tea, snacks and shelf stable food are provided in Berkeley Way West, Floor 2, Suite 2220. This service is intended to provide quick and easy access to snacks in between classes.
- $50 Grocery gift cards are available to those students with immediate food needs.
- One-time emergency funds that range from $100 – $1500 are available for those with immediate needs such as replacing a laptop, to purchase groceries, pay a utility, or other demonstrated need.
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Academic Support
The Dream Office academic support for public health students enrolled in biostatistics (PH 142 & PH 241) and epidemiology (PH 250A & PH 250B). Academic support is primarily for residential students and exceptions will be made for undergraduate and online public health students that all would like this support. tutoring for current residential students. Services are offered weekly and are on Zoom.
For any questions regarding tutoring services please contact us:
- Epidemiology: epitutor_sphdiversity@berkeley.edu
- Biostatistics: biotutor_sphdiversity@berkeley.edu
- Dream Office: sphdiversity@berkeley.edu
Current residential graduate students will receive email communication regarding dates and times of services.
Online MPH have tutoring opportunities available through the following course resources:
- Epidemiologic Methods I: OOMPH PHW250 tutoring scheduling
- Introduction to Probability and Statistics: OOMPH PHW142 tutoring scheduling
- R programming support: OOMPH R tech support scheduling
- Intermediate Biostatistics for Public Health: Online MPH students in PHW241 have their own TA. Check the course site for office hours.
Want to connect about the services listed or have any questions? Contact us at sphdiversity@berkeley.edu.
Best of Berkeley Public Health
We have a longstanding commitment to our Principles of Community:
We lead by centering our Berkeley Public Health community. We prioritize a safe and inclusive environment by centering community members’ unique experiences and perspectives, during the decision-making process. This is critical to our work, education, and identity as a school.
We value everyone in our community. We are committed to creating a safe environment where each person can show up every day exactly as they are, and we value them as individuals and for their contributions to our community.
We put prevention first. As a community and a school of public health, we have a responsibility to ourselves to prevent harm, violence, and discrimination in our community while creating an environment where everyone can grow, thrive, and reach their goals.
We are grounded in social justice. We understand that harm, violence, and discrimination are rooted in systemic oppression. We are committed to the just treatment of everyone and dismantling oppressive structures both within BPH and within broader society, wherever and whenever possible.
We promote safety and respect as rights. Every person in our community deserves to feel safe and receive respect for their physical, mental, and emotional autonomy — always, in every situation.
We practice self-care and kindness. We foster an environment that allows everyone to identify the best ways that they can care for themselves, be kind to others, promote wellbeing and maintain health. We know work grounded in these practices is more sustainable, effective, and transformative.
We are optimistic, hopeful, and committed to change. We know that if we come together as a community every day, we can foster an environment that is free from harm and violence and promotes respect and inclusion.
The information following the image is our demonstration of how we embody these principles. We encourage you to read more about these accomplishments by reading The Best of Berkeley Public Health 2024.
An accessible plain text summary of the infographic above can be found in this article: The Best of Berkeley Public Health 2024.
Meet the Dream Office Team
The Dream Office has a close-knit team of staff and students that work together to support all public health and reflect the breadth of lived experiences within our school community.
Historical Timeline
- 2005: Berkeley Public Health became the first unit on campus to have a director of diversity and Office of Diversity Services.
- 2012: growth from the Office of Diversity Services to the Dream Office. This was a direct result of public health student agency, advocacy and activism. The Dream Office evolved from one full-time staff member to employing two full-time staff members, two student assistants, and 20–40 volunteer ambassadors.
- 2015: establishment of the DICE Committee and Summer Seminar program for newly enrolled public health graduate students.
- 2016: developed new curricular competencies that address structural inequities.
- 2018: added course evaluation questions on classroom climate and respectful student engagement.
- 2019: began training faculty and staff on having courageous conversations about race, understanding and addressing racial microaggressions, and bystanderism.
- 2020: established and implemented ARC4JSTC.
- 2021: hired a full-time Dean’s Cabinet–level chief of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
- 2022: developed the Bending the Arc Strategic Framework.
- 2023 – 2025: Introduction of restorative practices & transformative care.
- 2025 and beyond: Building a Healing Centered Environment that includes restorative practices and transformative care that are aligned with our Principles of Community and the Public Health Code of Ethics.