Oakland, CA - The Public Policy Program at Mills College will sponsor an evening discussion and dinner on “Grassroots Organizations Making Social Change” on Tuesday, February 20, 2007. The free, public event will be held from 5:00–7:00 pm in the campus Faculty Lounge, Rothwell Center, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

“Grassroots social change organizations are critical resources for political education and engagement, promoting leadership among marginalized groups, and understanding problems of inequality and injustice,” according to Carol Chetkovich, associate professor and director of the Public Policy Program at Mills. “We are inviting activists from a wide range of social justice areas to explore ideas about how these vital organizations initiate change.”

Individuals working on issues from environmental justice to domestic violence to political action are expected to attend the discussion. For more information about this event, call 510.430.2147 or email ppol@mills.edu.

Chetkovich recently co-authored (with Frances Kunreuther) From the Ground Up: Grassroots Organizations Making Social Change (Cornell University Press, 2006).

Mills’ new Public Policy Program is designed to produce professionals prepared for positions of public influence that consider the complex social, economic, and cultural factors affecting societal problems.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently recognized as one of the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills currently ranks among the top 20 most diverse liberal arts colleges. The New York Times recently selected Mills as one of three leading California colleges for students to consider.

In 2006, the Washington Monthly College Rankings named Mills a leading liberal arts college based on community service, research spending, quality of preparation for graduate education, and social mobility. In addition, The Princeton Review’s annual guide, the Best 361 Colleges (2007) included Mills for the second year in a row among top U.S. institutions offering students an outstanding undergraduate education.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity..

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