“Foundations” is an occasional series of informal question-and-answer sessions with employees of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to give them an opportunity to explain their work. Susan Bell, vice president of the Hewlett Foundation, also directs its Philanthropy Program, which works to improve the Foundation’s grantmaking and makes grants to improve philanthropic practice …

There’s a row of chairs outside Principal Marsha Guerrero’s office, and if you’re a student at Morrison Elementary School on the outskirts of Los Angeles, it’s not where you want to be. But week after week, that’s exactly where ten-year-old Andres often found himself. The fourth-grader’s disciplinary problems were nothing special, says Guerrero, a twenty-year …

Ward Heneveld, an expert in education in the developing world, will join the Global Development Program of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as a program officer, the program’s director, Smita Singh, announced today. “I’m so pleased to have Ward join us,” Singh said. “I’m confident that his broad experience and hands-on know-how will further …

MENLO PARK, Calif. – The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation today announced the appointment of Koh Boon Hwee, a widely known business leader in Asia, to its board of directors. “Boon Hwee brings the expertise of business strategy and a deep understanding of international issues to our board,” said Foundation President Paul Brest. “His perspective …

MENLO PARK, Calif. – The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced today that it is adding a staff member to its Environment Program with the hiring of Tom Steinbach, an environmental leader and expert in natural resource policy. Steinbach will join the Foundation as a program officer. “Tom brings us experience, innovation and practical problem …

MENLO PARK, Calif. – The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has awarded a $113 million grant to the University of California, Berkeley-the largest private gift in the university’s history. The gift, which will create 100 endowed chairs for professors, will help ensure that California’s preeminent public university remains competitive with the best private universities. The …

When a work injury forced carpenter Dave Rynders to find a new career, he decided he’d like to be a nurse and registered at his local community college in San Diego to begin training. Jennica Dinnell turned to her local community college as a way station toward her dream of attending the University of California, …

Growing up in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jesse Marquez was no stranger to the environmental hazards of commerce. The Marquez family, whose neighborhood is ringed by oil refineries and the massive Port of Los Angeles, still recalls days of bad air the way a New England family might recall a bad snowstorm. But …

For a sense of how Spoken Word performances have changed since Allen Ginsberg read “Howl” in a North Beach café, turn up your computer’s speakers and visit Youth Speaks online. Founded in 1996, the San Francisco-based Youth Speaks counters illiteracy and alienation with opportunities for young people to participate in local and national youth poetry …

This summer, the following interns spent their days doing important work with the Hewlett Foundation in several of our program areas. Christina Caccioppo is entering her senior year at Stanford University, where she is studying economics. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she worked this summer with The Philanthropy Workshop West to evaluate the group’s previous programming. …