California Prize for Service and the Common Good

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is USF's California Prize for Service and the Common Good?

A: USF's California Prize is awarded for significant service of the poor or marginalized and/or groundbreaking achievements in pursuit of the common good of all members of society. The prize celebrates the exceptional work being done in our state, and reinforces the University's mission to educate minds and hearts to change the world. Each recipient of the annual prize will receive a $10,000 award and medal.

Q: Why did USF create the California Prize for Service and the Common Good?

A: The California Prize was created and endowed through the leadership and generosity of USF supporters Susan and Philip Marineau. Underscoring USF's commitment to community, the prize is awarded to an individual who models selfless service in pursuit of the common good--efforts that primarily benefit Californians, especially the poor and marginalized. The dual purpose of the prize is to honor a member of the California civic community, while highlighting the extraordinary work of USF's students and faculty in the area of service learning. The University's Service Learning program integrates academics and social justice seamlessly, working both locally and globally in pursuit of equality for all citizens.

Q: What does USF hope to achieve by bestowing this annual California Prize for Service and the Common Good?

A: With the continuation of this award, USF has the opportunity to spotlight people who are defying the status quo and working to enrich the lives of all members of society. By honoring people who are using their talents to help educate and serve others, we are providing real examples to the USF community and beyond of individuals using their values and sensitivity to be men and women for others.

Q: How does this award benefit USF students, the Bay Area, and the global community?

A: USF is dedicated to the goal of inspiring and preparing students to pursue lives and careers of ethical service, no matter what career path they may choose. Proceeds from the California Prize Dinner (Thursday, November 5, 2009) will directly benefit USF student programs–including internships and service learning projects at home and abroad. This will enable the expansion of programming opportunities for all undergraduate students.

The funds raised will enable USF to place more students in educational opportunities with Bay Area non-profits such as the Bay Area Red Cross and the St. Anthony Foundation. They will also enable us to get more students involved with internships in local, state, and federal government. Finally, we will be able to continue expanding international service initiatives such as the Architecture and Community Design program in which students have designed and helped build a library for street children in Lusaka, Zambia, housing for impoverished families living on the outskirts of Leon, Mexico, and a community center in Nicaragua.

Q: Who has been honored with USF's California Prize?

A: Last year, the inaugural prize was awarded to Mr. Lynn Fritz, a social entrepreneur and founder of the Fritz Institute. The Fritz Institute finds innovative systems and structures that improve the delivery of life saving services to victims of natural disasters. We are delighted to announce the 2009 recipient is Ms. Alice Waters.

Q: Who is Alice Waters?

A: Alice Waters is a renowned chef and champion of food grown locally. She is credited with helping found the "slow food" movement that has revolutionized how we think about sustainable and organic agriculture. As owner of the legendary Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, her influence is felt across the country as she raises consciousness about how the food we choose affects our health and our planet.

Q: Who were the decision makers that chose Alice Waters for the California Prize?

A: The Prize was decided by a jury comprised of several distinguished Californians including:
Rose Guilbault Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Publishing for AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah.
Rabbi Steven Leder Head Rabbi, Wilshire Temple, Los Angeles, CA
David Lyon Founding CEO/President of Public Policy Inst. of CA
Dr. Patrick Murphy Director, The Leo T. McCarthy Center for Service and the Common Good, University of San Francisco
Rev. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. President, University of San Francisco
Kevin Starr Former State of California Librarian, California Historian
Suzanne Troxel Trustee, University of San Francisco

Q: Why was Alice Waters chosen?

A: Ms. Waters has championed an understanding that raising and preparing what we eat is both an ethical exercise and an acknowledgement that we share the earth's resources and hold it in trust for future generations. She has worked tirelessly to introduce school children to responsible food production and healthy eating, especially those in under served communities. Ms. Waters also created the Chez Panisse Foundation in 1996 to support educational programs that use food to nurture, educate, and empower youth. Through The Edible Schoolyard and the School Lunch Initiative, the Foundation envisions a public school curriculum that includes hands-on experiences in school kitchens, gardens, and lunchrooms, and provides healthy, freshly prepared meals as part of each school day.

Q: How does Ms. Waters embody the mission of USF?

A: Ms. Waters' work with the Chez Panisse Foundation clearly embodies one of the core values of the University of San Francisco-- to "apply knowledge to a world shared by all people and held in trust for future generations." Her commitment to bringing nutrition education to those who would normally not receive such information corresponds with the way USF encourages our students to channel their intellect and abilities towards changing underserved communities from the inside out.

Q: Does Ms. Waters have any noteworthy projects in the Bay Area?

A: The Edible Schoolyard (ESY), a program of the Chez Panisse Foundation, is a one- acre organic garden and kitchen classroom for urban public school students at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. At ESY, students participate in all aspects of growing, harvesting, and preparing nutritious, seasonal produce.

Classroom teachers and Edible Schoolyard educators integrate food systems concepts into the core curriculum. Students' hands-on experience in the kitchen and garden fosters a deeper appreciation of how the natural world sustains us and promotes the environmental and social well being of our school community.

Q: Can you tell me about the November 5 event?

A: Ms. Waters will be honored Thursday, November 5, 2009 at a dinner hosted on the University of San Francisco campus. During the dinner, Ms. Waters will be presented with the $10,000 monetary award and California Prize medal. The prize medal is hand-designed by well-known California medal artist, Heidi Nahser Fink. Ms. Fink's work has been shown internationally and has been commissioned to design one-of-a-kind pieces for major motion pictures.

Q: How can I learn more about USF's California Prize?

A: For more information about the University of San Francisco's California Prize for Service and the Common Good, or for details about the November 5 dinner event, please contact:

Jenna Bent
Special Events Manager
(415) 422-6441
jmbent@usfca.edu