The San Diego Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to the San Diego Miramar College Foundation to support a groundbreaking initiative aimed at improving mental health outcomes for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students at San Diego Miramar College.

The grant, part of the inaugural AANHPI Fund Grant Cycle, will fund the “Mental Health Equity for AANHPI Students” project, a comprehensive, culturally responsive program designed to destigmatize mental health care and expand access to critical services for AANHPI students.

“This funding allows us to build on our existing student support infrastructure and provide wraparound mental health services that are both culturally relevant and trauma-informed,” said Dr. Cheryl Barnard, dean of Student Affairs at Miramar College and the project’s lead. “We are deeply grateful to the San Diego Foundation for recognizing the importance of mental health equity in our diverse student community.”

Key components of the initiative include:

• Deployment of the MindArch mental health screening tool to over 1,600 AANHPI students, with personalized assessments and action plans.

• Culturally responsive workshops and healing circles led by AANHPI mental health professionals and community leaders.

• Peer leadership development through the college’s PEARL (Promoting Educational Achievement, Retention, and Leadership) program.

• Family engagement through intergenerational mental health education events.

   

The program is expected to serve over 3,100 AANHPI students, with goals including a 50% increase in mental health service engagement and training of at least 10 student peer leaders by the end of the 2025–2026 academic year.

“Miramar College is committed to making the invisible, visible,” said Dr. Wes Lundburg, president of San Diego Miramar College. “This grant will help us ensure that our AANHPI students feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.”

This program was made possible thanks to grant support from Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Fund at San Diego Foundation.  San Diego Foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region. 

For more information about the Miramar College Foundation and how you can help support student journeys, please contact Lisa Cole-Jones at lcole@sdccd.edu or visit https://sdmiramar.edu/services/foundation.