Cultivating Student Engagement at De Anza College January 26,2012 AACU Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. Rowena Tomaneng

Transcription

1 Cultivating Student Engagement at De Anza College January 26,2012 AACU Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. Rowena Tomaneng

2 Mission: Institute of Community and Civic Engagement (ICCE) The Institute of Community and Civic Engagement works to empower students to become agents of change in their communities and beyond; to foster education that meets the needs of the communities we serve; and to help develop pathways to meaningful participation in local, state, and federal government decision making processes. History and Background: De Anza is a large, regional, multicultural community college serving almost 24,000 students per year, of whom 73% self-identify as non-white. The college regularly ranks as one of the top three institutions in California in terms of how many students it transfers to the UC and CSU systems each year. The Institute of Community and Civic Engagement is a direct result of the collaborative efforts of De Anza administrators, faculty, staff and students. Community and Civic Engagement increases student equity, student retention and success, and develops student leadership in local communities.

3 ICCE Programs Youth and Student Leadership Community Service Learning Community and Civic Engagement Certificate Internship Professional Development (service learning, multicultural and critical pedagogy)

4 The institute s passion for community involvement and raising awareness of important issues has inspired me to be more active in the community. The ICCE makes an enormous effort to provide opportunities for students to connect with current issues and to community organizations working on those issues. We should all participate in creating better communities and a better world. Isabella Imprenta, De Anza Student

5 Public Allies Silicon Valley seeks partnerships with the community at large to promote the value of civic participation. The Institute of Community and Civic Engagement offers us the opportunity to deepen our impact and outreach to our core audience, young leaders ages 18 to 30. Ato Walker, Director of Recruitment

6 Youth and Student Leadership Youth Voices United for Change is De Anza 's Annual Leadership conference, which connects high school and college students to community-based youth and student organizations. The conference offers workshops on a variety of youth-identified topics such as financing your college education, community building, exploring identity, selfempowerment, media training, and cultural and social activism. Community Partners and De Anza Student Organizations design and give the workshops. 300 high school students (mostly low-income students of color) participate annually.

7 Youth and Student Leadership Campus Camp Wellstone is an intensive and energizing training program that is open to De Anza students interested in gaining practical skills in progressive political action. Over 16,000 people have graduated from the camps since it began in 2003, and camps have been held in 39 states to date. During the camp, participants divide into three tracks: Electoral Campaigns: Tools and Tactics for Success Citizen Activism: Grassroots Advocacy and Organizing Being a Candidate: How to Run and Win a Progressive Campaign Each track has a distinctive curriculum taught by some of the nation's leading experts in grassroots politics and organizing. Three elements inform each track: progressive public policy, which lays out an agenda for action; grassroots community organizing, which builds a constituency to fight for change; and grassroots electoral politics, which provides tools for influencing and holding decision-makers accountable.

8 Community and Civic Engagement Certificate A Certificate in leadership prepares students to be leaders in their communities and gain in-depth knowledge of the social structures that define our world. Acquiring a certificate will develop the personal skills and practical knowledge required to transform those structures. The certificate in Leadership and Social Change will prepare students to be agents of change. It opens the door to several job opportunities. At the certificate level: You can get a job as a union organizer or an entry level job at a non-profit organization.

9 Community and Civic Engagement Certificate In addition to completing Social Science 17 Grassroots Democracy: Leadership and Power, students must complete a minimum of 14 units of academic credit in three categories: Leadership Skills, Understanding Social Change, and Other Requirements. Curriculum includes: "Critical Consciousness and Social Change" Phil/ICS 17 (4 units), "Civic Leadership for Community Empowerment ICS 55 (4 units), "Special Projects In Community Engagement ICS 80 (2 units), and others

10 Professional Development Annual Partners in Learning Conference in which student leaders are trained to facilitate the concurrent sessions centered around a specific theme. The conference is a collaborative effort, coordinated by the ICCE, Office of Staff and Professional Development, Office of Diversity, Academic and Classified Professional Senates, and the Learning Resources Division. Themes: Engaging Students Where They are: Cultivating a Learning Environment Conducive to Success for All Students (2009) Flourishing in the 21 st Century (2011 Imagining & Cultivating Communities at De Anza (2012)

11 ICCE Student Initiatives/Projects Higher Education for AB540 Students (HEFAS) HEFAS is an institutional and educational program that provides resources, reduce financial stress, and create a safe learning environment for all students with an emphasis on undocumented/ab540. HEFAS is dedicated to empower students, build leadership skills, promote social justice, educate others on current issues that impact undocumented students, and advocate for higher education.

12 ICCE Student Initiatives/Projects LEAD (Latina/o Empowerment at De Anza) The goal of LEAD is to reinforce understanding of Latina/o history, culture and politics through collaborative learning experiences. LEAD strives to create a sense of familia among participants that generates loyalty, respect, a sense of equality, and a desire to create positive change in our communities. To fulfill our mission, LEAD fosters leadership development through hands-on training and yearround community engagement projects.

13 LEAD Curriculum EWRT211 ANDALE! A Reading and Writing class that pair new students at De Anza with experienced student mentors EWRT1A No One is Illegal -- a composition class where we look at issues of immigration and assimilation EWRT1B Latina/o Voices focusing on Latina/o literature and culture EWRT 2 (Winter) Latina/o Education: Challenges and Successes A critical thinking class that looks at the history of Latina/o education ELIT21/WMST21 La Chicana/Latina a Literature class that looks at women writers from Chicana and Latina cultures CHIC35/ICS35 A Legacy of Resistance an online Chicana/o Literature course

14 Sustaining this work: Lessons Learned Building infrastructure and leveraging existing resources on and off campus Hiring engaged faculty and staff Professional Development Collaborations with other college-wide initiatives such as Basic Skills and other grant funded projects Developing Peer Support and Mentoring Opportunities