Every summer, Cal Performances hosts a free 6-week program welcoming local middle schoolers to Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp—the only one of its programs held on a college campus. Building on its nearly six-decade relationship with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (alvinailey), Cal Performances offers it free of charge to participants. The program provides a supportive community where young people can connect meaningfully with each other and with caring adults, express themselves creatively, and experience the transformative power of dance. This year, Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp was honored with the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Award for Public Service in the Campus–Community Partnership category, recognizing the program’s contributions to public service and commitment to strengthening both the local and global community. Next year will be the 25th anniversary of Berkeley/Oakland AileyCamp on the UC Berkeley campus. “My confidence and real-life resilience were developed here at AileyCamp...