Miss out on the Giving Day fun? You can still be part of our big day by making a gift here!
Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI)
Match Opportunity: Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000 throughout the day.


Support OMI and UCSC undergraduates!

 DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT! 

 Matching funds were generously provided by loyal OMI supporter Linda Peterson (Stevenson ’70, History).



The Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) is a dynamic international public history project with a big impact. For over a decade, OMI has been a campus leader in connecting undergraduate students to career-building experiential learning opportunities. From innovative exhibits and oral history interviews to community partnerships, undergraduate members develop vital professional and academic skills through hands-on public humanities research.



In the summer of 2022, OMI launched its inaugural OMI Scholars Program, to support paid summer internship opportunities for undergraduates.  In partnership with the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) in Gardena, California, thirteen OMI Scholars worked to digitize an extensive collection of photographs, conduct oral history interviews, and produce digital media content of our process. 


90% of OMI Scholars had never had an internship
in the humanities before this program.
You can change that!


OMI Scholars  gain experience in their fields of interest, connect with mentors, and contribute to community-facing public history work that expands our understanding of the Okinawan-American experience. Our work isn’t done. This fall, we plan to launch a series of digital exhibits, continue digitizing the OAA’s archives, and conduct more oral history interviews with OAA members. 


Give today so more students passionate about this work can become OMI Scholars. 

9 out of 10 OMI Scholars say getting paid for OMI work allowed them to focus on building skills in their academic area of interest this summer.



Your gift on Giving Day will directly support vital student research that enriches our understanding of Okinawa’s past, current, and future. Your donation expands opportunities for undergraduate members to develop the essential skills necessary for their success as students, as well as after they leave the university.  



OMI’s ongoing projects are made possible by the generous support of donors like you. Thank you! 


2
Match
Okinawa Memories Initiative-MATCH
UC Santa Cruz Foundation Trustee Linda Peterson is generously matching all Okinawa Memories Initiative donations, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000. The more you are able to donate, the further your donation goes!
$5,000 MATCHED
Completed
Success!
Best in Show
Congratulations to the Younger Lagoon Reserve Rain Gear Replacement project for winning Best in Show! They will take home an extra $1,000.
Completed
Leaderboard
Early Riser
The project with the most individual donors between 7 and 8 am will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 NCAA Women's Basketball Team 36
2 $500 Tech4Good Student Programs 28
3 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 24
4 Center for Agroecology: Chadwick Garden 7
5 KZSC Radio 2022 6
Ended
Leaderboard
Mid-day Motivator
The project with the most individual donors between 12 noon and 2 pm will receive $2,500, 2nd place will receive $1,000 and 3rd will receive $500. Generously sponsored by UC Santa Cruz Foundation Trustee Richard Moss, and a consortium of anonymous donors.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $2,500 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 99
2 $1,000 City on a Hill Press 95
3 $500 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 80
4 Slugbotics 48
5 Adventure Rec 44
Ended
Leaderboard
Final Frenzy
The project with the most individual donors on Giving Day (12am-12am) will receive $10,000, 2nd place will receive $5,000 and 3rd place will receive $2,000.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $10,000 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 281
2 $5,000 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 261
3 $2,000 City on a Hill Press 192
4 Adventure Rec 177
5 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 167
Ended
Leaderboard
Indie 500
The project with the most individual donors giving $500 or more will receive $2,500. 2nd place will receive $1,000.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $2,500 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 21
2 $1,000 Cal Teach Fund for Future Math or Science Teachers 16
3 Smith Internships and Research Fellowships 14
4 Academic Excellence (ACE) Program 13
5 Treehouse Childhood Cancer Initiative 12
Ended
Leaderboard
Slug Surprise
The project with the most individual donors between 10 and 11 p.m. will receive $1,500, 2nd place will receive $750 and 3rd will receive $500.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,500 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 34
2 $750 UCSC SACNAS Chapter 26
3 $500 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 25
4 UCSC Fencing Club 10
5 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers 9
Ended
Success!
Social Butterfly
Congratulations to Society of Physics Students for wining the Social Butterfly competition! They will receive an extra $1,000.
Completed
Leaderboard
Night Owl
The project with the most individual donors between 12 midnight and 1 am will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by an anonymous donor.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Formula Slug 30
2 $500 Society of Physics Students (SPS) 30
3 Pilipino Cultural Celebration 22
4 Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC 22
5 UCSC Triathlon 19
Ended
Leaderboard
Morning Mania
The project with the most individual donors between 10 and 11 am will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Formula Slug 42
2 $500 Make Seymour Center free to low-income families 20
3 Adventure Rec 11
4 WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering) 9
5 Grupo Folklorico Los Mejicas de UCSC 8
Ended
Leaderboard
Mad Dash
The project with the most individual donors between 6 and 8 pm will receive $2,500, 2nd place will receive $1,000 and third place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by Assistant Vice Chancellor Meg Corman, Director of Annual Giving Marissa Fullum-Campbell, and a consortium of anonymous donors.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $2,500 Rocket Team at UCSC 89
2 $1,000 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 78
3 $500 "Finding Ma": Uplifting Incarcerated Voices 62
4 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 61
5 City on a Hill Press 45
Ended
Leaderboard
Indie 100
The project with the most individual donors giving $100 or more will receive $1,000. 2nd place will receive $500. Generously sponsored by Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Lori Kletzer and an anonymous donor.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Alumni Association Scholarship Fund 67
2 $500 Smith Internships and Research Fellowships 50
3 UCSC Rugby Club 49
4 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 46
5 Cal Teach Fund for Future Math or Science Teachers 40
Ended
Leaderboard
Happy Hour
The project teams with the most donors between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. will take home extra challenge funds! $1,000 for first place and $500 for second place. Generously sponsored by Mary E. Doyle (Porter ’74) and David E. Greenwood.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $1,000 Okinawa Memories Initiative (OMI) 30
2 $500 SlugMUN (Model United Nations) 24
3 PBSci Peer Mentoring Coalition 12
4 Surfing Club 11
5 Adventure Rec 11
Ended
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