The Sierra Program was founded by a diverse group of students, staff and faculty at the University of California, Irvine in 1974. The inspiration for the Sierra Program emerged from summer conferences in 1973 and 1974, which brought to UC Irvine theorists and researchers who had very original ideas on what institutions of society could do to promote an enhanced sense of equity and justice and make education more meaningful and transformative for learners. In 2025, the Sierra Program at UC Irvine celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The strength of the Sierra Program lies in the strength of our community.
If you are a UC Irvine Sierra alum, you know how powerful it is to have a safe space to explore issues of diversity, identity and ethics during formative college years. Through the Sierra program, we’ve made lifelong friends, learned to value our differences, promoted understanding and some of us even met our spouses! No matter what year you were in Sierra, our community is united across the years by the values and experiences we share.
We believe in the life changing impact of the Sierra Program. In 2016, dedicated alums donated funds to establish an endowed fund that supports and elevates Sierra at UC Irvine. Income from this fund provides resources to augment the Sierra experience by supporting the expansion of current Sierra programs such as SIMSOC, off-campus study breaks, mentorship activities, class/audio visual materials and class speakers. In this way, current and future UC Irvine students will not only continue to be exposed to the same unique opportunities that Sierra offers, but programs will be further enriched allowing for greater impact.
Stay Connected
We hope you will join us in supporting the Sierra Program legacy through a donation this Giving Day to the Sierra Program Support Endowed Fund. Your support will provide resources designed to augment the Sierra experience through the continued growth and enhancement of Sierra programs.
We also invite you to continue to stay in touch with current Sierra Program happenings on our website.
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CA | 13 |
| 2 | MD | 1 |
| 3 | AA | 0 |
