Think by the Bay!

Think by the Bay students and peer mentors standing around the East Bay letters on campus

Think by the Bay is a new inclusive two-year post-secondary education program at CSUEB!

Think by the Bay launched in August 2023 to welcome, include, and support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) at CSUEB. Think by the Bay is a project of East Bay Innovations, the Center for Disability Justice Research and University Extension. Our pilot year (AY 2023-2024) was funded through a grant from the California Department of Developmental Services. 

Check out this CSUEB News article on Think by the Bay!

Get Involved with Think by the Bay!

There are many ways to get involved with Think by the Bay! We warmly welcome participation by prospective students and families, CSUEB students in degree programs, faculty, staff, and community partners. Check out the links below to learn more.

  • Interest form for prospective students and their families
  • Recorded session on inclusive post-secondary education hosted by the North Region Special Education Planning Area Community Advisory Committee featuring presenters from the UC Davis Redwood Seed Scholar Program and CSUEB Think by the Bay (Think by the Bay starts at 43:15)
  • Peer mentor applications and information for faculty, staff, and community partners will be posted soon!

Please contact us at thinkbythebay@csueastbay.edu with any questions about the program.

Think by the Bay Background

CSUEB was one of six California State Universities to receive a pilot grant from the CA Department of Developmental Services to launch a program in Fall 2023! Our pilot grant is led by Dr. Tayla Kemper, Associate Professor of Teacher Education (PI) with Dr. Sara McDaniel, Assistant Professor of Special Education and Dr. Sarah Taylor, Professor of Social Work. It is a sub-award of a collaborative project involving six CSU campuses, by project lead institution CSU Long Beach (PI Dr. Kristin Powers), with SFSU, SJSU, CSUN, and CSUSM. Our CSUEB workgroup began working together in Spring 2022 to gather input from stakeholders to inform program development and explore options for program design and additional funding. Collaborators include Dr. Alex Sandoval, Assistant Professor of Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism; Dr. Christopher Palmore, Assistant Professor in Criminal Justice; Dr. Rajan Selvarajan, Associate Professor of Management; Dr. Susi Ferrarello, Assistant Professor, Philosophy and Religious Studies; Dr. Lisa Lacy, Community Partner Researcher; Dr. Brien Araki, Community Partner Researcher; Anahita Mehrabi, MSW Student Research Assistant; and Diona Tran, Community-Based Research Assistant.

In May 2024, Think by the Bay launched its partnership with East Bay Innovations (EBI). Founded in 1994, EBI's mission is to arrange and provide personalized support that enables individuals with disabilities to live in their own homes, work in jobs of their choosing, and feel a sense of membership in their community.