Who We Are
Welcome to the Institute for Transformative Education (ITE).
The San Diego State University Institute for Transformative Education (ITE) was founded in 1983 by Principal Investigator and TRIO Programs Director Dr. Cynthia Park. ITE provides comprehensive academic support and career exploration opportunities to low-income and first-generation college students, ranging in age from middle school to undergraduate students.
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Programs
What We Believe
To champion low-income, first-generation-college students to discover their personal, educational, and career goals by providing comprehensive academic support, mentorship, and essential resources.
For students to have the foundation and resources to achieve their academic potential.
Realization (Own Your Growth):
Commit to actively chasing your academic and personal goals. Show up curious, push through challenges, and take charge of your own learning journey.
Respect (Build Others Up):
Treat yourself, your peers, different cultures, and your campus environment with genuine care. We celebrate what makes everyone unique and lift each other up.
Role-Modeling (Lead by Example):
Set a high standard for your actions, build trust with those around you, and choose to handle conflicts with peace and maturity. You are a leader here.
Responsibility (Take Ownership):
Be accountable for your own success, your actions, and the overall well-being of our UB family. We look out for one another.
Our Promise
We will never ask you to hold up a standard that we aren't willing to carry ourselves. The values we hold are mutual, meaning we promise to model the standard daily, building the ultimate support system for all students, parents, and educators we work with through these actions:
- Believing in Student Potential: We will always hold students to the highest standards of academic excellence and achievement because we know each individual is capable.
- Leading by Example: We will actively model our values (the 4 R's) in everything we do, keeping communication open, consistent, and respectful.
- Prioritizing the Team: We will teach the power of community, showing students how to balance individual goals with the well-being and success of everyone involved in our programs.
- Keeping it Real and Practical: We will push student boundaries through interactive activities, field trips, and new experiences designed to expand your worldview and expose you to fresh ideas and future career paths.
- Fairness and Clear Rules: We promise to keep our community safe and structured by ensuring all program rules are clear, fair, and consistently enforced.
- Shouting Out Your Success: We are each of our students's biggest cheerleaders. We will constantly use positive feedback, recognize your hard work, and offer fun incentives and awards for students who go above and beyond.
Everything we do at ITE centers on each student's unique needs and goals. Every activity, trip, and class is designed to reflect the exact culture we want to build together– one rooted in mutual respect, teamwork, and deep understanding of one another.
Where We've Been
Established in 1983, ITE has a rich history at SDSU. You can learn more about our background by clicking below.