Riverside was selected to participate in the 2025-26 Sunstone Economic Development Challenge, a program hosted by the University of Southern California that pairs graduate students with local governments to address pressing economic development issues, the city announced last week.
Student teams from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy will work with Riverside officials to research, analyze and develop strategies to address opportunities in the workforce and economic development.
The project’s scope focuses broadly on enhancing Riverside’s capacity for economic growth and equitable opportunity, officials said. Student analysts will dive deep into existing workforce development programs to identify gaps in local industry needs. Students will develop policy recommendations to attract and retain high-growth businesses with the goal of producing actionable strategies that the city can implement immediately to strengthen long-term economic resilience.
“We are pleased to partner with the bright minds at the USC Price School of Public Policy through the Sunstone Challenge,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said in a statement. “This collaboration represents a unique opportunity to infuse fresh, research-driven perspectives into our workforce and economic development efforts and to pioneer new strategies that will benefit every member of our community.”
City officials called the Sunstone Challenge a “cornerstone of experiential learning at USC Price” that offers students real-world experience in public policy and urban planning.
The year-long challenge will conclude with a presentation set for April 23 at the university campus in which student teams explain their comprehensive strategies to a panel of judges and Riverside stakeholders, according to USC. Challenge winners receive stipends of $5,000, $3,000 and $1,500.
Other client agencies for this year’s program include Lake Elsinore, Mission Viejo, Ontario, Riverside, Sutter Creek, West Covina and San Bernardino County.
More information about the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge is online at sites.usc.edu/sunstone-price-challenge.
