Overview
CLACS is a member of a consortium of Berkeley National Resource Centers (NRCs) and World Area Centers that supports the Office of Resources for International and Area Studies (ORIAS) and the UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project (UCBHSSP).
Office of Resources for International and Area Studies
Funded by the NRCs and the Berkeley Vice Chancellor for Research (VCRO), ORIAS provides professional development and international subject-area content to K-12 teachers in the Bay Area.
ORIAS organizers a number of activities and resources for elementary and secondary school educators. These include:
- Teachers’ World History Reading Groups
- Speakers Bureau (UC Berkeley students present to K-14 classrooms)
- Afternoon and weekend professional learning during the academic year
- Summer Institutes for k-12 and community college educators (multi-day professional learning sessions focused on a global theme)
- Workshops for local school district professional development programs
ORIAS has had an important impact on area studies in the region. Participants of ORIAS workshops are very positive about their participation. On a survey administered after a K-12 institute, 30% of respondents were new to ORIAS events, and 100% of those new attendees said they would recommend an ORIAS event to a colleague.