Brooklyn College has received a five-year, $3 million federal grant that will support new and expanded efforts to help students succeed in college and prepare for life after graduation. Funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Title III, Part A Supporting Institutions Program, the award will provide an initial $1 million to support the college’s “Reaching Out for Opportunities, Transformation, and Support” (ROOTS) initiative.
The project will be led by principal investigators Sau-Fong Au, who is director of the Women’s Center, and Yung-Yi Diana Pan, director of the American Studies Program and associate professor of sociology; their work will focus on strengthening the connections between academic success, career exploration, and workforce readiness. ROOTS builds on Brooklyn College’s longstanding commitment to opportunity and access by creating more pathways for students to connect their education to meaningful careers.
Sau-Fong Au.
Over the next five years, the initiative will focus on expanding peer mentoring, enhancing career preparation, strengthening faculty support, improving student outcomes, and fostering a greater sense of belonging on campus. The project will offer students new opportunities to explore career paths, build professional networks, and develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed after graduation.
“ROOTS is about ensuring that every student can see a clear connection between their education and their future,” said Au. “This grant will expand opportunities for students to build confidence, explore careers, develop meaningful relationships with mentors, and gain the experiences that help turn their ambitions into achievable goals.”
Among the planned activities are expanded peer mentoring programs, career-readiness workshops, networking opportunities with alumni and industry professionals, and new career-connected learning experiences embedded in coursework. Faculty will also receive professional development support to help integrate career exploration and workforce preparation into the classroom. In addition, the program will support developing a capstone internship course that provides students with hands-on professional experience before they graduate.
Yung-Yi Diana Pan.
“Beyond the immediate impact on students, this initiative is designed to create lasting institutional change,” Pan added. “By embedding career-connected learning, mentorship, and professional development into the fabric of the college, ROOTS will strengthen our ability to support student success and workforce readiness for years to come.”
A key goal of ROOTS is to build programs that last well beyond the grant period. By embedding mentoring, career-connected curricula, faculty development, and cross-campus collaboration into existing structures, the initiative is designed to become a permanent part of the Brooklyn College experience.
The grant represents a significant investment in Brooklyn College’s students and future. By helping more students connect their academic interests with professional opportunities, ROOTS will support stronger persistence, clearer career pathways, and greater workforce readiness for years to come.
