Newswise — In partnership with California Volunteers, the California State University is providing college students with meaningful work experience that helps them pay for their education and prepares them for future careers. Through the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program, thousands of CSU students—along with University of California and California Community College students—are making a significant impact on their communities, as well.
College Corps is a paid service program and is part of the larger California Service Corps with 10,000 members. Students receive up to $10,000 for completing up to 450 hours of community service during the academic year in which they apply the knowledge learned in the classroom to benefit their communities, strengthen their leadership and public speaking skills and gain valuable career training.
California Volunteers launched the program in 2022 in partnership with AmeriCorps and dozens of colleges and universities statewide, including 16 CSU campuses: Bakersfield, Chico, Dominguez Hills, East Bay, Fresno, Humboldt, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Pomona, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San José, San Luis Obispo and Stanislaus.
These fellows are helping to address some of the most important concerns facing California by volunteering their time tutoring and mentoring low-income PK-12 students, distributing meals to those facing food insecurity and addressing climate issues. Fellows are provided with ongoing training as part of their service experience and gain the opportunity to become part of a statewide cohort of young leaders across California.
The program also aligns with the CSU’s ongoing community engagement and workforce development priorities and the university’s mission to graduate compassionate, civic-minded leaders.
For each of the past two academic years, approximately 1,200 CSU students have been selected to serve as College Corps fellows. Of the CSU students who participated in the first year of the program, about 50% were first-generation college students, more than 62% were Pell Grant recipients and 63% identified as Latinx.
And up to 1,461 CSU students will be able to participate in the College Corps program as part of the 2024-25 cohort, accounting for nearly half of the 3,000 fellows at partner campuses across the state.
“#CaliforniansForAll College Corps creates extraordinary opportunities for our diverse and talented students to engage in meaningful service to their communities while helping them pay for their education,” CSU Chancellor Mildred García said. “Through this vital and forward-focused partnership, our students also strengthen their job-ready skills and innate leadership abilities, preparing them to become change makers across the state, contributing to a vibrant and thriving California.”
The majority of the CSU’s College Corps programs are overseen by CSU Offices of Service Learning and Community Engagement and rely on strong cross-divisional partnerships with campus partners such as financial aid offices, Student Services and faculty members. Because the College Corps program is classified as a student service scholarship program, campus financial aid offices are integral to the success of the fellow selection and completion process, with staff providing continuous communication to students about program requirements and responding to student needs.
The program is also the first of its kind available to AB 540-eligible students who do not qualify for many other financial aid and scholarship opportunities, like FAFSA. CSU Dream Center staff help connect undocumented students with scholarship opportunities like the College Corps program in addition to the many other forms of support they provide.
“As an AB 540 CA Dream Act student, joining the College Corps program was the best decision I made for my education and career preparation. I could cover my educational expenses, gain work experience and make a difference in my community,” said Wendi Lizola, a Sacramento State College Corps alumna who also serves as California Volunteers Commissioner. “Students will no longer feel limited due to their background.”
Meaningful Work Experience
While technically a scholarship program, College Corps also acts as an internship of sorts that allows students to explore career opportunities in the public service sector and gain valuable career training, regardless of students’ majors.
WestEd—a nonpartisan research, development and service agency—surveyed Year One College Corps participants on their opinions of the program. More than 90% of students surveyed said the program helped them gain experience, information and/or skills that will help them achieve their professional or career goals, and more than 75% of students said the program helped them develop leadership skills.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students Isabella Jamner, Michael Hu and Kennedy Martin were among the 185 Cal Poly College Corps fellows who participated in 2023-24. As part of their work at City Farm SLO, they not only helped with farming but worked with the farm’s education coordinator to provide therapeutic horticulture to special needs students at a local high school.
“Our students serving at City Farm are learning about sustainable farming practices and food insecurity because they’re learning how to harvest food that’s getting donated to our local schools and food banks. They’re learning about K-12 education because they’re hosting field trips from our local schools and teaching them about farming practices,” said Cal Poly College Corps Program Manager Allison Priola. “They’re really taking our Learn by Doing model at Cal Poly and putting it into action.”
Shayna Briseno-Brooks, a political science major at Cal State Long Beach, applied to be a College Corps fellow to improve her chances of getting into law school and to learn about her community’s needs. She was placed with the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion (LBCEI) for the 2023-24 academic year.
Through her work to help tackle food insecurity in Long Beach, Briseno-Brooks gained public speaking and leaderships skills, as well as learned about the role food security plays in crime reduction and prevention and youth development. She also completed assignments to hone her professional skills in an internship class at CSULB and received mentorship from a CSULB faculty advisor associated with the program.
“My goal is to complete law school solely to help protect and boost my community,” Briseno-Brooks said. “The people behind this program have given me tools to move further along my journey.”
Meet more College Corps fellows from the CSU and discover the impact they are making on their communities.
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