The Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement recognizes innovative and inspiring projects organized by UCLA student organizations. As a public institution, UCLA is dedicated to service and values the hard work and passion of students who are upholding the True Bruin Value of Service. The goal of the Mongelli Award is to shine a light on these efforts. The award is created and maintained by the UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows. Winners of the award receive recognition and a monetary award from the Volunteer Center.

Mobile Eye Clinic Undergraduate Connection @ UCLA

Fall ’18

With vision care often overlooked, the Mobile Eye Clinic Undergraduate Connection (UMEC) at UCLA has worked tirelessly to provide free vision care to underprivileged communities in Los Angeles.

Underground Scholars Initiative @ UCLA

Fall ’18

With the aim to shift the school-to-prison pipeline to a prison-to-school pipeline, the Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) at UCLA is using higher education as an alternative to incarceration.

The Hunger Project

Spring ’18

The Hunger Project at UCLA is a student-run organization comprised of over sixty volunteers that aims to relieve homelessness in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Mobile Clinic Project

Spring ’18

Founded in 2000, the Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA has evolved into a large, active student-run organization consisting of 65 active undergraduate volunteers and 125 medical and public health graduate students.

UMMA Volunteer Project

Spring ’17

Established by UCLA students in 1996, UMMA Volunteer Project (UVP) is a UCLA student organization that provides free health clinic services to underserved populations in South Los Angeles.

Happy Feet Clinic

Spring ’17

According to the 2016 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count administered by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, there were 43,854 homeless individuals in Los Angeles.

CampMed

Winter ‘17

Throughout high school, students have many visions of what they would like to be when they grow up.

Leadership and Educational Advancement Program (LEAP)

Winter ‘17

Since 2009, LEAP (Leadership and Educational Advancement Program) has promoted leadership and college readiness through mentoring and tutoring to youth at Bethune Middle School and 75th Street Elementary School.

Bruin Shelter

Winter ‘17

Bruin Shelter, in just its first year, has transformed the lives of many housing-insecure students.

Amigos de UCLA

Fall ‘16

Since 1962, Amigos de UCLA has worked with low-income families to help better the lives of those who may be less fortunate.

Bruins in Focus

Fall ‘16

“Save my life. Save my vision.” These two phrases are the most common uttered by ailing patients within the healthcare system, said Bruins in Focus President Nina Fukuma, and her organization is doing everything it can to help the latter request.

Swipe Out Hunger at UCLA

Fall ‘16

The power of a meal swipe travels much further than the confines of a campus residential restaurant through the efforts of Swipe Out Hunger at UCLA.

Vietnamese Community Health

Spring ’16

Nobody puts on a health fair quite like Vietnamese Community Health (VCH) at UCLA.

Kids Korner

Spring ’16

Community empowerment. Mentorship. Friendship. Educational equity. Laughter. These are the core tenants that the UCLA community service group, Kids Korner, prides itself on.

Project Literacy

Winter ’16

Los Angeles County has a total population of 9,948,081 - larger than the population of 42 of the nation’s states.

Project BRITE

Winter ’16

Project BRITE (Bruins Reforming Incarceration Through Education) is dedicated to tutoring and mentoring underserved and at-risk youth within Greater Los Angeles.

Hunger Project

Fall ‘15

The UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows are proud to award Hunger Project with the Fall 2015 Mongelli Award for Excellence and Civic Engagement.

Interaxon at UCLA

Fall ‘15

Three sites a week. Eighteen schools a quarter. One hundred active members a year.

CityLab at UCLA

Spring ‘15

Before Star Wars Episode III was released, how could we be certain that Darth Vadar was Luke’s father? No one ever conducted a paternity test.

Special Olympics at UCLA

Spring ‘15

Every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9:45 AM to 11:45 AM, one can find Special Olympics at UCLA volunteers at their service sites, working with their service recipients and practicing a variety of sports from basketball to soccer to tennis.

Project WILD

Winter ’15

The UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows are proud to award Project Working for Immigrant Literacy Development (Project WILD) with the Winter 2015 Mongelli Award for Excellence and Civic Engagement.

Yoga for Flexible Futures

Winter ’15

The UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows are proud to award Yoga for Flexible Futures with the Winter 2015 Mongelli Award for Excellence and Civic Engagement.

Latinas Guiding Latinas

Fall ’14

The UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows are proud to award Latinas Guiding Latinas with the Fall 2014 Mongelli Award for Excellence and Civic Engagement.

Happy Feet Clinic

Fall ’14

Feet. We use them everyday, but they are often one of the most taken for granted and overlooked parts of the body.

Coaching Corps

Spring ’14

The Volunteer Center Fellows are proud to award Coaching Corps at UCLA with the Spring 2014 Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement.

Engineers Without Borders

Spring ’14

The UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows have selected Engineers Without Borders as one of the winners of the Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement for Spring 2014.

DoT Org

Winter ’14

Being an organ and tissue donor could save 58 lives. Imagine having a family member or even yourself needing an organ transplant.

IMHOME

Winter ’14

Everyone needs help at one point of their life. This is especially true when you are a single mom raising children on your own.

M.E.N.T.E.

Fall ’13

The Volunteer Center Fellows are honored to have selected M.E.N.T.E., which stands for Mentors Empowering and Nurturing Through Education, as one of the Fall 2013 recipients of the Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement.

Incarcerated Youth Tutorial Project (IYTP)

Fall ’13

The Incarcerated Youth Tutorial Project (IYTP) has been selected as one of the winners of the Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement for Fall 2013.

Central Valley Project

Spring ‘13

Imagine waking up at 6am on a Saturday morning. Now travel three to four hours to get to your work site.

Building Engineers and Mentors (BEAM)

Spring ‘13

#bread_crumbs, h1.entry_title { display: none; } Building Engineers and Mentors (BEAM) at UCLA was selected by the Volunteer Center Fellows to receive the Spring 2013 Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement.

Project 1

Winter ’13

Project 1 is a UCLA student volunteer organization that has committed to mentoring and tutoring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and ally youth in the Los Angeles community since 2008.

Project B.R.I.T.E.

Winter ’13

The UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows have chosen Project B.R.I.T.E. to receive the Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement for Winter Quarter 2013.

IDEAS: AB540 Project

Fall ’12

The Volunteer Center Fellows chose Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success (IDEAS) AB-540 Project as one of this quarter’s Mongelli Award winners.

Asian Pacific Health Corps

Fall ’12

The Asian Pacific Health Corps (APHC) is the Fall 2012 recipient of the Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement.

Pilipino Recruitment and Enrichment Program (PREP)

Spring ’12

Pilipino Recruitment and Enrichment Program (PREP) is a Spring 2012 recipient of the Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement, formerly the Bruin Heroes Award.

BruinHope

Winter ’12

Congratulations to BruinHope, a student organization at UCLA and Winter 2012 winner of the Bruin Heroes Award.

School on Wheels

Winter ’12

School on Wheels at UCLA is the only University chapter of School on Wheels, Inc.

Mobile Clinic Project

Fall ’11

Mobile Clinic Project at UCLA works towards helping the homeless population in West Hollywood by providing for a number of needs: medical care, health promotion, disease prevention activities, legal advocacy and referrals to health and social services.

Interaxon

Fall ’11

For its innovative approach and commitment to service, the UCLA Volunteer Center Fellows award Interaxon the Bruin Heroes Award for Fall 2011.

Bruin Guardian Scholars

Spring ’11

With only 3% of emancipated foster youth attending higher education, the Bruin Guardians Scholars seeks to make a change through academic opportunities, career workshops, financial assistance, and outreach activities.

Astronomy Live!

Spring ’11

Get some dirt. Add some dry ice, corn syrup, and water. Then pour in some ammonia and mix all the parts together.

Bruin Music Tutors

April ’11

Sometimes all it takes is for someone to listen. This is what a Bruin Music Tutor does at site: listen for the correct notes, for the correct tempo.

Pilipinos for Community Health

Winter ’11

Founded in 1989, Pilipinos for Community Health has grown into a large, active student-run organization with 40 active volunteers and a board of 15 dedicated directors.

Colleges Against Cancer

Fall ’10

Congratulations, Colleges Against Cancer! This quarter the Volunteer Center Fellows honors Colleges Against Cancer as the winner of the Bruin Heroes Award.

Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference (IYEC)

Spring ’10

Congratulations, Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference (IYEC)! The UCLA Volunteer Center is presenting the Bruin Heroes Award for May to the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference (IYEC), an event initiated by the group Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success (IDEAS) at UCLA to promote the educational, political, social, and financial empowerment of undocumented students.

Southeast Asian (SEA) Admit Weekend

Spring ’10

Congratulations, Southeast Asian (SEA) Admit Weekend! The UCLA Volunteer Center is awarding the Bruin Heroes Award this month to Southeast Asian (SEA) Admit Weekend in recognition of the work of six UCLA student groups who have collaboratively dedicated their efforts to making UCLA a more diverse and inviting community.

The Mongelli Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement is named after Antoinette Mongelli, the founding Executive Director of the UCLA Volunteer Center, in honor of her leadership, vision, and service. Ms. Mongelli worked with community organizations and volunteer programs to increase the involvement of the UCLA family in civic life. She brought a unique understanding of the University’s work with public constituencies, as well as extensive experience creating new partnerships with community agencies that make a difference in Los Angeles. Previously, Ms. Mongelli served as the Assistant Chancellor/Chief of Staff for three Chancellors and served as the Executive Director of UCLA Special Events and Protocol. Prior to UCLA, Ms. Mongelli inaugurated and led Union Bank’s largest philanthropic event, benefiting the American Heart Association. Ms. Mongelli took a year off of college to serve as a VISTA volunteer in the Pacoima/San Fernando area, where she coordinated projects designed to resolve immigrant housing disputes and increase community involvement in redevelopment projects.