Palm Desert Graduate Center

Purpose of the UCR Desert Lyceum

The purpose of the Desert Lyceum is to explore issues of consequence to the future of the Coachella Valley and act as a catalyst to bring together diverse opinions and expertise to focus on Coachella Valley issues related to quality of life, economic growth, and balanced sustainability for the future of the Coachella Valley.

The Lyceum seeks to emphasize constructive private sector, public sector and individual responses to these issues with the larger purpose of smart planning for growth and enrichment of the Coachella Valley and to help bring a better understanding of these issues to key decision makers.

Lyceums promote sharing of ideas from around the country and the world, promote education of policy makers, business leaders and key community individuals, and work toward the planned growth of the Coachella Valley. The Desert Lyceum focuses on one macro issue per year and their activities culminate in an annual summit. This year's topic of study has been the economic future of the Coachella Valley.

Organization of the UCR Desert Lyceum

The Desert Lyceum is organized as a private forum with participants from throughout the Coachella Valley. These men and women have demonstrated thought leadership not only in their own community, but throughout the region. They typify active, involved and interested leaders, eager to contribute their talents and time to the betterment of the Coachella Valley. 

In inviting participants to the Lyceum, we strive to achieve broad diversity among them in satisfaction of the goal of bringing together diverse opinions and expertise focusing on Coachella Valley issues, and to emphasize constructive private sector, public sector and individual responses to such issues.