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This timely book addresses assumptions and challenges inherent within community engagement as a catalyst for developing students’ sense of civic responsibility at a time of rampant social polarization. Promoting academic development and life skills through the high-impact practice of service-learning, the book explores a new ecological framework for reflecting on and improving practice. This book describes new models, offers advice on coalition building, and presents the narratives of community-engaged professionals and faculty, offering a sense both of tensions inherent in this work and examples of initiatives in local contexts. Chapters primarily reflect on what action is required for fulfilling our public purpose and what’s holding us back. This book provides guidance, examples, and benchmarks for best practices in community engagement that are particularly relevant to this time of crises and unrest and will be relevant to community-engaged professionals, higher education faculty, and college administrators.
They also give college students the opportunity to get a perspective on the real world. They’re always focused on academics, textbooks, exams — but they rarely put themselves out there and see life beyond the classroom. It opens their eyes to see what it’s like in another individual’s shoes, whether that includes struggling with food insecurity or a language barrier that prevents some families from helping their students succeed academically.
San Jose State students, faculty and staff gathered in front of the Olympic Black Power Statue in April to attend the SJSU Day of Action Against Gun Violence event.
California formally launched its first tutoring initiative for K-12 students Friday when Gov. Gavin Newsom administered a pledge of commitment to hundreds of college students who are participating in a new state-funded service program, #CaliforniansForAll College Corps.
California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that, “he strongly believes that this little-known program has made him prouder than anything else he has done as a Governor".
Center Director and Assistant Director lead research that explores the effects of service-learning and community engagement on college students, alumni, faculty, and community organizations.
Artist, veteran and educator John Contreras, ’22 MFA Spatial Art, sees art as a conduit for dialogue and change. He assembled his sculpture of Winnie-the-Pooh stumbling across a dead Christopher Robin, gun lying by his side, as part of SJSU’s inaugural Day of Action Against Gun Violence, hosted by the Center for Community Learning and Leadership (CCLL).
Read the full article in the Summer/Fall 2022 issue of Washington Square Magazine.
"San José State University has been selected as one of the 45 colleges and universities partners for an inaugural service-based college opportunity program launched by the state of California. Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom and Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday announced the launch of “the largest state-level investment in a college service program in California history,” according to the California Volunteers, Office of the Governor’s official press release."
Josh Fryday, chief service officer for the state of California and head of the California Volunteers program within the Office of the Governor, visited San José State to meet with a small group of SJSU’s Civic Action Fellows. The student-fellows are part of the university’s inaugural cohort of the Civic Action Fellowship, a national service partnership between the California Volunteers, AmeriCorps and a coalition of public and private universities
The hub of San Jose State’s service learning operation is located in a converted Clark Hall classroom. Running on a high-octane blend of caring and inspiration, the small staff collaborates in exuberant bursts of conversation over the top of cubicle walls. Awards, posters and craftivism projects line the walls and tabletops. Every inch of space is used for student leadership development, consulting with faculty members and building partnerships with community organizations—and all activities are linked to the academic mission of the university. After 20 years, there’s no slowing down at the Center for Community Learning and Leadership.
The Center for Community Learning and Leadership (CCLL) and the Jay Pison STEM Education Program partnered this spring to offer a unique after-school program to students at Sherman Oaks Elementary School in the Campbell Union School District. Through the Cyber Spartan program SJSU students engaged as mentors and teachers to underserved youth while teaching them about cybersecurity and coding.
We are honored that Third Street Community Center recognized our Center and each college at San Jose State as its 2019 Outstanding Community Partner for our significant contributions. More than 70 percent of Third Street’s 2,102 volunteers since fall 2010 have been from SJSU.
More information about this honor is available in the SJSU Newsroom Article..
During Spring 2018, our Center received a $52,000 endowment from an anonymous donor to establish the Excellence in Service Learning Endowed Scholarship Fund. The endowment provides scholarships to students who have demonstrated excellence in service learning activities that made a positive difference in San Jose. The first scholarships were awarded to students at the 2018 Service Learning and Community Engagement Awards on Thursday, May 3rd, 2018.
