Crafton Hills College, San Bernardino Valley College Awarded $1.7 million State Grant to Promote Community Service
#CaliforniansForAll College Corps will help create debt-free college pathways for students who commit to serve.
Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College will create paid community service opportunities for students starting in the fall with a $1.7 million grant from California Volunteers, Office of the Governor.
Just 45 colleges and universities from around the state were selected to create a #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program in this first year.
College Corps will provide 100 Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College students over two academic years with service opportunities in critical issue areas such as climate action, K-12 education, and COVID-19 recovery. Students who complete a year of service will receive $10,000 while gaining valuable experience serving in their communities.
In his announcement Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom congratulated the first colleges selected and predicted that the program could be a national model. He said community service is how young people build their sense of citizenship and their sense of their own strengths.
“This is about forming stronger connections,” Newsom said. “All of a sudden something clicks. Something beyond yourself. You find your sense of self by finding your connection to others.”
Other colleges selected include Cal State San Bernardino, UC Riverside, College of the Desert, and Riverside City College, which are already collaborating with Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College in a consortium called Growing Inland Achievement. All told there will be approximately 6,500 College Corps Fellows in California.
“We’re thrilled to team up with California Volunteers to open new opportunities for our students to give back, be part of something bigger, and grow personally and professionally,” said Diana Z. Rodriguez, who is Chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District, home of Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College.
Rodriguez said Crafton Hills College and San Bernardino Valley College are already organized for community service. But the state grant will help make sure the campuses can offer generous stipends to students for educational expenses. The program is open to all students, including AB 540 eligible Dreamers.
The money comes from California’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, as well as some money from the state’s general fund.
“Today we are talking about service,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley, who was included in the announcement with the Governor. He said this program will help students align their service in the community with their chosen career pathway. “Earning while learning their career is a great opportunity,” he said.
See more about the program, and the colleges selected for the first year:
https://www.californiavolunteers.ca.gov/californiansforall-college-corps/#colleges
