Announcements and News

 

What's Going on In the CCE Spring 2024(cont.)

Original Email Here

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graphic of fall service learning goals

Fall 2023 Service Learning Recap

As we reflect on the past semester, we are delighted to share the remarkable achievements and highlights of our Fall 2023 Service Learning Program. This semester has been a testament to the dedication and commitment of our students, partners, and the entire community.

We offered a diverse range of 21 service learning sections, providing students with the opportunity to engage in meaningful projects across various disciplines.

A total of 355 students enthusiastically enrolled in service learning courses, showcasing their eagerness to make a positive impact on the world.

Many of our students went above and beyond by working with more than one partner, resulting in an impressive 359 service learning placements. This demonstrates their willingness to immerse themselves in service. We are incredibly grateful for our 147 service learning partners who collaborated with us to provide valuable opportunities for our students to learn and serve. The cumulative effort of our students and partners led to a staggering 6956 service learning hours reported by the end of the semester. This number speaks volumes about the collective dedication to service within our community.

We are immensely proud of what we've achieved together in the Fall 2023 Service Learning Program. It's a testament to the power of education, collaboration, and the commitment to creating a better future.

Thank you to all the students, partners, and supporters who made this semester a resounding success. Let's continue to work together to make a positive impact in the upcoming semester and beyond.

 

Video What is Service Learning: https://youtu.be/5pJAj5qiTjU

Stay tuned for more updates and stories of service in our future newsletters.

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Person in front of computer screen and plant

LBCIP Spring 2024 Cohort

This spring, the Long Beach Community Internship Program will host a STEM-focused cohort of students. 31 students will be interning at various STEM related organizations, including, The City of Long Beach Department of Health & Human Services, Aquarium of the Pacific, The MOORE Institute for Plastic Pollution and Research, DemoChicks, Shared Science, and more! For more information about LBCIP, visit https://www.csulb.edu/academic-affairs/long-beach-community-internship-program-lbcip 

 

Piloting Micro-Internships

The AIO will be collaborating with two service learning courses, Community Nutrition (NUTR 461) and Conservation Biology (BIO 459), to pilot a micro-internships program. Micro-Internships are short-term, paid, project-based professional assignments that are similar to those given to new hires or interns. Students enrolled in these courses will be able to demonstrate skills, explore career paths, and build their networks as they develop competencies to be career ready.

 

Upcoming College Corps Applications

College Corps will begin recruiting for Cohort 3 (fall 2024 - spring 2025) this semester. Visit the College Corps website to check when applications will open and more information about the program, https://www.csulb.edu/college-corps

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Event flyer for spring fling: open house. Place: Lower quad in between CLA and AS buildings. March 20-21 from 11-2

Spring Open House

Don't Miss Out on Our Spring Fling Open House Event! 

Mark your calendars for March 20th – 21st, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, as the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) hosts an exciting Spring Fling Open House Event! Find us in the grass area in front of the Academic Services (AS) Building (Near CLA Admin Building) for a relaxing experience. 

Take advantage of complimentary snacks and midterm kits, participate in stress-relief activities, and witness live planting demonstrations to help you decompress. Plus, don't forget about our big giveaways featuring Apple, JBL, and Tile products! 

 

 

Original Email Here

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Two staff members are standing behind two staff members in a garden area

The Department of Anthropology developed four, new Service Learning (SL) courses this Fall.  Drs. Kara Miller, Karen Quintiliani, and Scott Wilson developed new SL courses in…Medical Technologies & Human Bodies (ANTH 155), Urban Anthropology (ANTH 416/516), Historical Ethnography (ANTH 428/528), and New Media Ethnography (ANTH 431/531), respectively.  These courses are designed not only to impart knowledge but also to inspire action and community engagement. By weaving community involvement throughout the curriculum, the Department of Anthropology is not only educating the minds of its students but also nurturing compassionate citizens committed to positive societal change. These courses reflect a commitment to academic excellence and community betterment, and we can't wait to see the transformative experiences they offer to students and the impact and success stories that emerge from these pioneering courses.  In these courses students will have a wide-range of opportunities to:  gain hands-on experience; address real-world health disparities and local challenges while collaborating with organizations dedicated to making a difference; enrich their understanding and engage directly with local community organizations; collaborate with Long Beach community partners on research projects that construct inclusive community narratives; and receive hands-on training in applied visual anthropology, enabling them to create media products that contribute to community betterment.  If you are interested in teaching and/or developing a new SL course, reach out to us at CCE-SL@csulb.edu.

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Five people stand under a patio umbrella in a garden

The Academic Internships Office kicked off the semester with the 2nd Annual Internship Jamboree, which brought together 150+ students, faculty, administrators, staff, and community partners... at the Earl Burns Japanese Garden to celebrate the equity-anchored, high-impact internship programs across campus. This year, 63 College Corps interns from 6 colleges are completing 450 service hours with 45 community partners and 17 LBCIP student interns, across 8 majors are working with 15 Long Beach based community organizations. Through a generous donation from President Conoley and the E. James Brotman Community Service Endowment Funding, we will be expanding paid internship opportunities in Spring 2024, hosting a STEM focused LBCIP cohort of student interns, piloting micro-internships with two certified service-learning courses, offering scholarships to students completing unpaid STEM-related internships, and scholarships to students completing STEM-related internships and community service projects to offset the costs of purchasing equipment. Through this donation, we will expand academic internship opportunities to 100+ additional CSULB students.

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8 community members are seated at a table taking a selfie

Community Leaders from six, local community organizations participated in, “The State of Community Policy Advocacy & Organizing in Long Beach”... policy convening. The purpose of the panel discussion was to identify concrete ways for our campus community to be more involved in local policy work, and to strengthen our partnerships with local community-based organizations. Community leaders from Long Beach Forward, KGA, Sunrise Long Beach, ORALE, CFJ, and LIBRE shared critical aspects of the work their respective organizations are advancing and highlighted key examples of opportunities for CSULB students, faculty and staff to be directly involved in these efforts (e.g. community-based action and participatory research as well as community-based learning opportunities like Services Learning and Academic Internships). Those in attendance took away concrete examples on how our campus community can become more involved in positively impacting our surrounding communities. We greatly appreciated local community leaders representing their respective organizations and communities, and sharing their policy insights with our campus community at large.

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Mayor Richardson Visits the CCE

Mayor Rex Richardson paid a visit to the Center for Community Engagement, where he heard from students (via video) and Executive Director Dr. Juan Benitez about how the center prepares Beach students for jobs in the community through service learning. 

Service learning emphasizes learning through community service activities fundamental to course outcomes and benefits students as well as community partners by promoting sustainable campus-community relationships. 

To that end, Richardson said he hopes to have a program in place soon that would bring together neighbors to discuss the challenges that face the city.

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Introduction of the CSULB Policy for Service Learning

The Cal State Long Beach Policy on Service Learning, Policy Number 19-13, was passed by the Academic Senate and became effective on November 5, 2019.
"This policy establishes guidance on Service Learning (SL) for the entire campus. It addresses the approval process and the role of the Center for Community Engagement (CCE). This policy does not apply to teacher preparation placements or clinical placements in professional programs."
The policy sets forth the minimum requirements for a course to be certified as a service learning course.  All existing and future service learning courses will be reviewed by the Center for Community Engagement and should reflect the definition of service learning and incorporate the requirements as described within the policy in order to receive certification.
For the full text of the policy, please go to the CSULB Policy on Service Learning (19-13).


Community Partner Spotlight: Long Beach Grey Panthers

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In June 2023, the Long Beach Grey Panthers received Workforce innovation award for their Internship Leadership Program from LA County’s Los Angeles Alliance for Community Health & Aging (LAACHA).

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