AGES Coalition

What is its purpose?

Ethnic Studies is an interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indigenous communities and culture that teaches history through lenses that are frequently ignored in traditional courses.
Ethnic studies classes were first pioneered by BIPOC students from San Francisco State and UC Berkeley (forming the Third World Liberation Front) who felt their ethnic groups were not properly reflected in the curriculum and faculty at their universities. They demanded that administrators offer classes that taught students cultural competence and how to be actively anti-racist, staging strikes for several months until administrators met their demands.
Though ethnic studies courses were introduced on many college campuses following the strikes in the late 1960s, they are still not widely available to most high school students, and university students usually have to enroll in the class as an elective. Without allowing all students the opportunity to take an ethnic studies class, our current education system is failing marginalized communities by letting their stories go untold in mainstream history curricula.

What is the AGES Coalition?

As GENup’s high school chapters fought to make Ethnic Studies a mandatory course for all high schools in California, our collegiate chapters have been working on a similar initiative.
AGES, or A-G Ethnic Studies, is a coalition of student activist groups that formed to petition the UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools to make Ethnic Studies a required course for entry into any college within the UC system, much like required English, science or math courses.
The UC BOARS will be discussing whether to include Ethnic Studies as an A-G requirement, beginning in 2030, at a meeting on Oct. 2nd.

Why should Ethnic Studies be an A-G requirement?

Learning about our diverse histories and experiences is too important to be left up to choice, especially in our rapidly diversifying nation and state.
Taking an ethnic studies class has a measurably positive impact on students. A study out of Stanford University shows that high school students at risk of dropping out experienced boosted attendance and academic performance after taking ethnic studies.

Updates

2021 - California Passes AB 101, requiring California high schools to have and require a form of ethnic studies education
2020 - UC BOARS Passes Ethnic Studies Requirement