The Institute of Salesian Spirituality (ISS) offers a variety of study programs and formative experiences that include a 15-week renewal course in Spirituality and Formation (August to December) a month-long project in Pastoral Animation (January) a 15-week residential course in Leadership and Community Animation (February to May), and a year-long study program (August to June) in Salesian studies and theological updating.

The specific purpose of the Institute is to make a comprehensive Salesian renewal experience available to members of the Salesian Family from English-speaking regions and to others for whom English is a second language. Critical study is integrated with experiences aimed at deepening spirituality and fostering personal growth in the context of Salesian community life and ministry. The process encourages the participants to deepen their appreciation for the charism of the founder, the spirit and story of the Salesian Family, and the distinctive qualities of Salesian spirituality and mission.

Participants are offered ample opportunity for theological updating and for pursuing specific pastoral interests. This is made possible by the wide array of courses available at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU). ISS participates in the GTU through its affiliation with the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT).

The ISS community is committed to pursue the following goals, which form the core of the Salesian renewal program:

1. To acquire a deeper and more critical knowledge of life and times of Don Bosco, Founder of the Salesian Family, by research, study and reflection;

2. To draw on the theological and cultural resources available in the area for an ever-broader vision of Salesian mission;

3. To live a spirituality that impacts our everyday life and calls us to face new challenges with courage and a spirit of initiative;

4. To live our vocation through a deep experience of community characterized by Salesian family spirit.

The Institute of Salesian Spirituality follows the academic calendar of the GTU. The Fall Program begins in late August and ends before Christmas. The month of January is devoted to short courses with ministry experiences and pastoral reflection. The Spring Program begins in February and ends in May. Seminars and workshops are offered at key times throughout the year.

In January 1983, the San Francisco and New Rochelle provincial councils of the Salesian Society decided to work together to respond to a long-felt need for the creation of a Salesian study center. This center was to provide a program in which the character of Salesian spirituality, research into the life and times of the Founder, and an appreciation of the Salesian educational heritage would be subjects of intensive study and inquiry. At the time the only centers that explored these topics were in Italy and Latin America; many Salesians were precluded from reaping the benefits of such study because of language barriers. It was therefore decided that the research center would be based in the United States where English would form the primary language for instruction and research.

A committee led by Fr Arthur Lenti studied the issues and developed a program for Salesian studies. Their program was approved at the November 1983 inter-provincial meeting at New Rochelle, NY. Because of the proximity of the Graduate Theological Union and the University of California, Don Bosco Hall in Berkeley was designated as the most suitable location for the newly named "Institute of Salesian Studies."

As planned, instruction began on September 7, 1984, with six participants from the North American provinces and Australia. Fr Thomas Prendiville guided the new project during its first year. The first year concluded with a "Salesian Heritage Tour" to the lands of St Francis de Sales, St John Bosco and Mother Mazzarello. This activity was such an enriching and stimulating experience that it was repeated in subsequent years.

In 1985, Fr John Itzaina succeeded Fr Prendiville as director of Don Bosco Hall when the latter was chosen as provincial superior for the Salesians of San Francisco. After its first year, the ISS program began to attract applicants from various parts of the world – India, Ethiopia, Australia, Hong Kong, Great Britain as well as the United States and Canada. This worldwide participation began to fulfill one of the Institute’s primary goals: a regional center of study and research in the context of a program of Salesian and theological renewal.

The 1986 provincial chapter of the Salesians of the San Francisco province affirmed its commitment to the ISS when it declared: "The chapter endorses and supports the Institute of Salesian Studies in Berkeley as foundational to the development of our Salesian charism in today’s world." Further encouragement was enunciated at the meeting of the English-speaking region in Ipswich in 1987 when its members unanimously called for the Institute to become a center of Salesian research as well as renewal for the entire region. The group averred further that the presence of the ISS in the region played an essential role for ongoing formation.

The Daughters of Mary Help of Christians became involved in the ISS at the invitation of Fr Prendiville, offering prayer experiences and background courses in Mother Mazzarello and Marian spirituality. These began as weekend-experiences in 1985. In 1992, a Salesian Sister became a part-time member of the ISS staff, and in 1997, two Salesian Sisters became members of the Core Team.

A significant step towards achieving an identity as a center of serious study and research was reached with the affiliation of the Institute with the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT), a founding member school of the GTU. From loose affiliation in 1986, ISS courses were gradually accredited, and Salesians came on to the DSPT faculty, first as invited lecturers, and eventually as adjunct and full-time faculty. The Salesian spirituality curriculum became an integral part of the DSPT in 1999.

To further research in Salesian historical, theological and educational reflection, the ISS began publication of Journal of Salesian Studies in 1990. The Journal appears twice each year and has a distribution of over 800.

At present there is an ongoing movement of closer collaboration with other Salesian study centers throughout the world, especially with the Università Pontificia Salesiana (UPS) in Rome, and the Centro de Formación Permanente in Quito.

The ISS is an unincorporated entity affiliated with the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. This school, known as "DSPT", has resources to serve the needs of a wide variety of students, and provides undergraduate and graduate degree programs in philosophy and theology, as well as opportunities for continuing education and sabbaticals.

DSPT is itself a member of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) – a multi-denominational consortium of nine interdependent theological schools and affiliated centers. By pooling resources, member schools are able to offer over 700 courses each year. All the schools are in close proximity. All but one are in Berkeley, and six are clustered in an area that has come to be called "Holy Hill", adjacent to the University of California Berkeley campus.

Don Bosco Hall, home of the ISS, is located in Berkeley, California. The Hall is ideally situated between the University of California at Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union. Both are within short walking distance.

The city of Berkeley overlooks the San Francisco Bay. This university town is approximately 12 miles (20 km) from downtown San Francisco, and is linked to San Francisco and adjoining cities by the Bay Area Rapid Transit, or BART. The Berkeley BART station is only a few blocks from Don Bosco Hall. Shopping, bus transportation, and the beautiful grounds of the university campus are all conveniently nearby.

The climate in the Berkeley area is generally cool all-year round, with only slight changes in the season. Summer days can be surprisingly cold. Winter temperatures can also fall, but rarely approach freezing. The rainy season is between December and March, and the average rainfall is about 19.5 inches (50.7 cm) per year. There is almost no rain in the dry season.

Location means much more than season: one can experience 36º F (20º C) difference between San Francisco and inland valleys only 20 miles (32 km) away. It is best to dress in "layers.", in order to adjust to temperature changes.