About Us

The Cesar E. Chavez Community Action Center, or CCCAC connects SJSU students with community service opportunities that deepen educational experience while promoting lifelong commitment to civic activism and social justice, which are at the heart of the César Chávez legacy.

Community Garden

In 2014, the SJSU Campus Community Garden was established as a result of a student-led initiative. The garden was created to provide students a space to gain access to health food, learn about sustainable organic garden practices and earn service learning hours.

Location:
372 E. San Salvador St.
San Jose, CA 95112
The garden is located near the intersection of 8th and East San Salvador, directly across the street from the Dining Commons.

Purpose
The garden is on a quarter acre of land and it includes multiple fruit trees, compost and gray water system, and many more. The garden exists to provide the SJSU students, staff and faculty with an opportunity to participate in food justice, accessibility to fresh and healthy food while engaging in cultural exchange and cooperation.

While at the garden, SJSU members learn the ins and outs of a maintaining a small garden. SJSU members will learn how to harvest, prune, water and seed vegetable starts in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. SJSU members would be able to bring home their produce after a workday!

Sustainability at the Garden
The community garden is chemical free (organic) which means that we do not use any pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Furthermore, our garden is designed around the principles of permaculture and regenerative agriculture, meaning that we try to imitate the natural process.
In the garden we have over sixty different plant species from perennial fruit trees and flowers to annual vegetable crops. Our garden ecosystem is diverse with multiple pollinators and creatures.
Practiced in our garden is composting and reuse of gray water. We have our own composting and gray water system that allows us to reuse and reduce our organic waste. Everything is incorporated into our garden again using sustainable methods.

Volunteering at the Garden
The Garden exists to provide the community with an opportunity to participate in food justice: providing a place for student initiative, cooperation and cultural exchange using the growing of food as an exploration of community involvement.

*Students who need service learning hours need to sign up ahead using the links below*
Volunteer hours are available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. These days are on a first-come, first-serve basis. We encourage students to bring a water bottle and a grocery bag or container to help transport their food.

Request a Garden Tour, Project or Use the Space
Interested in bringing your staff or classroom to the garden? Want to do a class project related to sustainability and food? Come to the campus community garden!

Groups bigger than 4 must fill out a Campus Community Garden Request Form to reserve space. Please note that this is a request, not a confirmation. All requests will be reviewed. A follow up email will be sent between 3-5 business days after the request has been submitted. Please submit your requests at least 5 weeks in advance.

For faster inquiries, please email sjsucommunitygarden@gmail.com with the subject line: "Project Request" or "Tours at the garden".

Spartan Legacy Training Academy 

Become a change agent. The Spartan Legacy Training Academy is a series of workshops engaging the intersection of social justice and holistic development. Benefits include a Certificate of Completion, networking, and personal and professional development.

*Student participants must attend at least (3) three workshops during their SJSU academic career to earn a certificate.

SPARTAN LEGACY TRAINING ACADEMY: THE ART OF THE PROTEST
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 11:00AM - 12:00PM
MEETING ROOM 1B 2ND FLOOR - STUDENT UNION
Rally together with your fellow spartans and learn what it is to protest during times of political change. This workshop will encourage students to get involved and make powerful personal and visual statements that promote social change locally, globally, and campus wide.

SPARTAN LEGACY TRAINING ACADEMY: SOCIAL JUSTICE SEWING ACADEMY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28 3:00 - 6:00PM
MEETING ROOM 1A - 2ND FLOOR - STUDENT UNION
Piecing together student voices, textile art, and community in a 21st century sewing circle. Join the CCCAC for a transformative experience that will help to promote togetherness and bring attention to social justice issues that are most important to us.

SPARTAN LEGACY TRAINING ACADEMY: SJSU SPEAKS
TUESDAY, MARCH 19 4:00 - 5:00PM
MEETING ROOM 4A 2ND FLOOR - STUDENT UNION
This YouthSpeaks workshop will build on our collective strength and knowledge to draw lyrical maps leading us home to our own power and identity. We will explore the people, places, and movements that brought us here today and that continue to form who we are as we grow.

SPARTAN LEGACY TRAINING ACADEMY: NAVIGATING MICROAGGRESSIONS W/ DR DAWN LEE TU
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17TH 12:00 - 1:00PM
MEETING ROOM 2A 2ND FLOOR - STUDENT UNION
Microaggressions are the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. This workshop will provide a basic understanding of what microaggressions are, their impact, and strategies for self-advocacy when you have experienced a microaggression. Come join us and learn from Dr. Dawn Lee Tu about how to navigate microaggressions in the classroom, work place, and everyday life.

SPARTAN LEGACY TRAINING ACADEMY: BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR LIFE AND LEADERSHIP SUCCESS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1ST 12:00 - 1:00PM
MEETING ROOM 4B 2ND FLOOR - STUDENT UNION
Resilience is the ability to cope with the challenges, problems and set-backs we face in life, and to become stronger as a result of them. The importance of resilience lies in the benefits it can bring to individuals, teams, and organizations. In this workshop, you will learn the value and traits of a resilient person, assess your own resilience and understand how to begin developing resilience in others as a leader.

SPARTAN LEGACY TRAINING ACADEMY: MAKE A STATEMENT - GRAD CAP DECORATING PARTY
TUESDAY, MAY 7TH 3:00 - 6:00PM
MEETING ROOM 1A 2ND FLOOR - STUDENT UNION
Make a statement with the CCCAC and decorate a graduation cap so you can stand out in the crowd.

Contact Us

Diaz Compean Student Union, 1st Floor, Suite 1550

San Jose State University, One Washington Sq.

San Jose, CA 95192-0266 

Telephone: (408) 924-4144
Fax: (408) 924-4126
as-communityaction@sjsu.edu
sjsucommunitygarden@gmail.com 

Regular Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm