MILLS COLLEGE RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS $1 MILLION KRESGE FOUNDATION CHALLENGE GRANT FOR NATURAL SCIENCES BUILDING 

Oakland, CA - Mills College has been awarded a prestigious Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant of $1 million for the new 26,000 square-foot “green” Natural Sciences Building. This state-of-the-art facility will advance women’s opportunities in science education and careers through innovative research and learning within an interdisciplinary center.

To address the underrepresentation of women in the sciences, Mills expanded its science offerings in 2005 by introducing five new bachelor of science degrees in biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, biopsychology, chemistry, and environmental science, in addition to increasing opportunities available for science scholarships. The Kresge Foundation commended the College for its leading science programs, commitment to sustainable practices, and extensive diversity initiatives significantly enhancing opportunities for underrepresented populations. The College’s distinctive initiatives increasing the educational access and achievement of minority students, women, and youth include Upward Bound, the Hellman Summer Science and Math Fellows Program, the Toyota Math and Science Experience, the Summer Academic Workshop, and the Mills Community Tennis Program.

Mills has also reached out to the Oakland community with neighborhood revitalization projects and teacher training efforts that address the needs of English Language Learners. In 2006, U.S. News & World Report ranked Mills 16th in student diversity among top liberal arts colleges, and Black Enterprise magazine recently rated Mills among the country’s top 50 colleges for African American students.

According to The Kresge Foundation, Mills is exemplary for providing low-income and minority students access to higher education. It also honored Mills as a model for the breadth of its outreach and support programs, often a critical component for academic and social success. Low-income and minority students comprise 47 percent of Mills’ student body, and they enjoy outstanding graduation rates of 73 percent.

The Kresge Foundation has been instrumental in building facilities for U.S. nonprofit organizations for the past 83 years. Its Capital Challenge Grant Program, which awards organizations financial grants if they raise an agreed upon amount of funds from private sources, has helped communities across the country build libraries, schools, hospitals, museums, community centers, and food banks, among other projects.

Access, equity and environmental sustainability were common themes among the $13.7 million in education sector grant awards made by The Kresge Foundation during the third quarter in 2007. Of the 81 grants recently approved, including the Mills College grant, 22 involved sustainable design. The Mills Natural Sciences Building is anticipated to attain the highest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating.

The Kresge Foundation is a private, national foundation established in 1924 by Sebastian S. Kresge to promote human progress. In 2006, it awarded approximately $146.2 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, and Mexico, and had year-end assets of $3.3 billion.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs to approximately 900 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Ranked one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report and one of the Best 366 Colleges by the Princeton Review, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women's leadership, social responsibility, and creativity. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, on 135 lush acres, Mills was recently selected by the New York Times as one of three outstanding California colleges for students to consider.

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