On September 5th, past and present participants in the UC Irvine Public Scholarship Summer Institute gathered to share experiences and approaches to public scholarship, to advance their research and preservation of the history of El Sol Science and Arts Academy of Santa Ana (El Sol) - a K-8th grade dual immersion public charter school.

Now in its fourth year of operation, the summer institute, led by Ana Elizabeth Rosas, Chicano/Latino studies and history associate professor, provides UCI undergraduates with a 10-week long curriculum program focused on the collection, preservation, and dissemination of experiences, sources, and histories. The program is built around advancing historical understanding of the importance of letter writing to the history of El Sol. Serving as both director and instructor of the institute, Rosas mentored participants with a focus on growing research and writing skills together as a formative step toward forging a public scholarship community.

“The collaborative research team reflected upon and discussed a selection of readings and their relationship to public scholarship,” says Rosas. “Together they contributed to the ongoing research and organization of the El Sol Letters Archive and a collage project that renders the memories of UCI alumni while also sharing pathways being paved in their own research interests and projects.” The group also visited exhibitions featured in museums, like the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, before culminating in the September 5th event at UCI.

“This event brought undergraduate student research team members and UCI alumni who either majored or minored in Chicano/Latino studies and/or completed courses and/or participated in UCI Public Scholarship programming when undergraduate students at UCI together to learn more about approaches to public scholarship and related fields of interest to students,” says Rosas. Presenters included Mario Obando, Jr., Amy Sanchez Arteaga, and UCI alumni Karina Camacho, Maricruz Hernandez, and Josue Velasquez.

Upon reflecting on the institute and event, Rosas admires the 2025 undergraduate student research team members’ dedication to collaborating enthusiastically together in support of researching, understanding, and discussing the vital importance of learning from intergenerational experiences, perspectives, and sources. The team included Ruby L. Fernandez, Susana Galindo, Miah Haro, Stefany Itzep-Palma, and Valeria Solis Hernandez.

“It was extremely inspirational and productive for our institute to conclude with undergraduate student research team members and UCI alumni connecting through presentations and discussions that centered on expanding our in-depth consideration of the intergenerational realities framing approaches to artistry, research, and the preservation of history,” says Rosas.

Funding for the UCI Public Scholarship Summer Institute was provided by UCI’s School of Social Sciences and the UCI-OC Alliance.

-pictured: UCI Public Scholarship Summer Institute participants gathered during the Sept. 5 lunch session. Courtesy of Luis Fonseca, UCI Social Sciences.