Past Successes
Projects that inspired the initiative
These are just three of the projects that inspired this initiative. One led to a toolkit for credit unions to develop trust-based financial services. Another led to cost-effective telepresence robots for assisted learning. A third found that, in Orange County, 10% of the chronically unhoused incur annual costs higher than $439,787 per person, whereas the most costly 10% of those in permanent supportive housing incur annual costs in excess of only $55,332.
Picturing Financial Security
Problem Statement: Many low- and middle-income Orange County residents face economic insecurity and mistrust of financial institutions. Traditional data alone fails to capture the lived realities behind these challenges.
Originator: Abrazar, UCI Community Credit
Partners: UCI Community Credit, Abrazar, PhotovoiceWorldwide, and the UCI Institute for Money, Technology & Financial Inclusion in the School of Social Sciences.
Solution: A photographic project empowering community members to share their experiences and visions of financial security through photography and storytelling.
Methodology: Seventeen participants from Abrazar's SparkPoint OC program for financial coaching received bilingual training and collaboratively developed and analyzed photos that represented financial struggle and resilience.
Outcomes: The project culminated in a public exhibit at Santa Ana's Delhi Center, fostering understanding of financial life in Orange County and informing the design of more equitable financial services. It also produced a practical, shareable resource for credit unions - the Community Credit Process Toolkit, developed in partnership with Filene Research Institute - which guides credit unions and community organizations in building inclusive, trust-based financial services.
Assistive Robotics for Homebound Students and Adults (CARL SR Project)
Problem Statement: Homebound children and limited-mobility adults often face social isolation and barriers to education or daily living that current assistive technologies cannot adequately address.
Originator: Toyota Motor Corporation
Partners: UC Irvine Cognitive Anteater Robotics Laboratory in the School of Social Sciences, Toyota Motor Corporation, UCI School of Education, and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science.
Solution: Development of CARL SR, an autonomous assistive robot integrating cognitive science, AI, and user-centered design to help individuals navigate learning and daily life remotely.
Methodology: Researchers enhanced a Toyota-designed robot with neural-network-inspired software enabling contextual learning, motion prediction, and intuitive navigation.
Outcomes: CARL SR demonstrated autonomous navigation and contextual awareness, laying groundwork for affordable, inclusive telepresence robots.
Homelessness in Orange County - The Costs to Our Community
Problem Statement: Despite visible homelessness in Orange County, little was known about the actual costs of addressing it — or the effectiveness of different interventions.
Originator: OC United Way
Partners: UCI Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, Orange County United Way, and Jamboree Housing Corporation.
Solution: A comprehensive cost study quantifying government, healthcare, and nonprofit spending related to homelessness while identifying cost-effective strategies for housing stability.
Methodology: Researchers gathered and analyzed expenditure data from 34 municipalities and agencies to compare costs across housing and service models.
Outcomes: Findings showed permanent housing solutions are significantly more cost-effective, providing policymakers with a roadmap to reduce homelessness.