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Mission Statement

Silicon Valley FACES builds an inclusive and caring community, free of bias and bigotry, by bringing people together through educational programs and serving victims of crime.

 

 

New Board Members

Mikael Berner Pam Evans Dotty Hayes
SVFACES
Mikael recently retired from Nuance Communications where he served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Enterprise Division. Mikael serves as a Board Member for Performio Incorporated, a company focused on developing technologies to educate children. Pam is Director of Executive Programs at NetApp where she oversees strategic direction and delivery of executive briefing programs. Pam currently is the Vice President of the National Kidney Foundation Board of Directors for Northern California & Nevada. Dotty recently retired as Vice President, Internal Audit for Intuit where she served as Chief Audit Executive for the provider of financial software products and services. Dotty is the Finance Committee Chair for the Computer History Museum Board of Directors.

 

Tam HixsonWelcome Tam Hixson,
Education Director!

Tam comes to us from Santa Clara University where she’s served as Assistant Director of the Center for Student Leadership since 2004.
We look forward to welcoming her to our staff on June 14.

 

2010
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Writing, Art & Multimedia Contest

MLK Winner 2010

Melody Cao
2010 Grand Prize Art
Evergreen Valley High School

The SV FACES Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Contest is designed to keep the memory of Dr. King’s lessons in diversity leadership alive for new generations of youth. Utilizing an annual theme from Dr. King’s own words, the contest focuses the students’ creativity on social justice issues which align with the mission of Silicon Valley FACES of building an inclusive and caring community free of bias and bigotry. This year, the students interpreted his words, “…The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice” for their generation. Read more . . .

To host the 2010 Writing and Art Exhibit
or the Prior Years’ Grand Prize Writing and Art Exhibit
Contact Kate Torkaman (408)286-9663 extension 327 or ktorkaman@svfaces.org.

Morgan Family Foundation Challenge GrantMorgan Family Foundation

The Morgan Family Foundation has presented Silicon Valley FACES with a challenge grant for capacity building. The Foundation will match 1:1 new and increased gifts up to $100,000 between now and August 31st. This money will fund the expansion of our educational outreach and our fund development efforts.

Donate OnlineIf you would like to help us reach (or surpass!) the $100,000 match required to secure the Morgan Family Foundation funds, you can donate by clicking the button to the right, or you can mail your donation to:

Silicon Valley FACES Morgan Family Foundation Challenge
777 N. First Street, Suite 220 San Jose, CA 95112

Our thanks to the Morgan Family Foundation for their confidence in us again this year!

An Interfaith Declaration for Peace

SV FACES was one of many local interfaith organizations to endorse "An Interfaith Declaration for Peace":

We, members and leaders of the Silicon Valley interfaith community, are anguished by the events that have unfolded in Israel and Gaza. While some of us—guided by faith and conscience—may in other venues express stronger statements of sympathy either for Israel or Gaza, we share a commitment to engage with one another, even, and especially, during times of great stress. We also affirm our common humanity and our common belief that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must cease, that there is no violent solution to that conflict, that all human life is valued, and that all parties must cooperate to achieve a just and lasting peace on behalf of God’s children who reside in the land we call holy.

Read the full statement

Peggy Raun-Linde"Suspensions are lower; expulsions are lower; grades are up; kids are becoming leaders not just on campus, but in the community- all of these things happen because of Everytown."
Dr. Peggy Raun-Linde, Fremont High Principal on NBC News

 

Camp Everytown & Common Ground Get Results!

With almost 1/3 or her students and many of her faculty having "graduated" Camp Everytown and Common Ground at any given time, Principal Peggy Raun-Linde credits our programs with having dramatically changed her school for the better.

Read more . . .

Interfaith CalendarSV FACES
Religious Holidays Calendar Available

SV FACES has gathered in one document:

  1. 2010 dates of holidays for most religious traditions
    in the Bay Area;
  2. descriptions of the holidays;
  3. notes on applicable work, schedule or dietary restrictions; and
  4. notes on how to navigate religious observances
    between religions.

This calendar will enable employers, schools and governments to better manage requests for consideration for religious observances across our very diverse society.

Companion guidelines for school administrators and a handy guide for teachers are also available.

Click to download:
calendar | administrator guidelines | teacher guide

 

See our Annual Report
for 08-09

Ongoing Programs

Victim Witness Assistance
Provides emergency aid, counseling, and compensation to victims of crime and to court witnesses
Learn more...

Common Ground Enrichment Institute
A weeklong school site program that opens a social-educational world of opportunity for entering high school students and trains older students as their mentors.
Learn more...

Camp Everytown
4-day/3-night residential retreat for high school youth that reduces stereotypes, bias, and prejudice, and which increases understanding and respect
Learn more...

Leadership Today
Extends the successful diversity leadership training of Camp Everytown to college students and adults.
Learn more...

Building Connections
SV FACES' age-appropriate curriculum helps children to develop a positive sense of self-worth and to value differences among people so as to diminish damaging, prejudiced behavior
Learn more...

Flash Judgments & Experiencing Diversity
A video based program designed to generate discussion, targeted to middle school and high school students.
Learn more...

Interfaith Dialogues
Fosters education, communication and friendship among influential religious leaders in the community whose work and words profoundly affect thousands of people
Learn more...

Extremes of Hate:
Holocaust Studies and Critical Thinking

The Holocaust Studies & Critical Thinking program is dedicated to teaching each new generation about the devastating consequences of power and prejudice combined, what happens when citizens remain indifferent to injustice, and the devastating impact of institutional hatred and racism.
Learn more...