Take a Look at What We've Been Up To!
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Cal State San Bernardino continues its longstanding tradition and dedicated commitment of helping in the community and promoting service learning in spite of having to deal with postponements and cancellations of volunteer events both on and off campus in the spring quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic.
During the 2019-2020 academic year, CSUSB students volunteered 61,210 service hours, a contribution of $1.8 million in total value of service to local communities, said Diane Podolske, director of the CSUSB Office of Community Engagement (OCE).
Service learning also did well. More than 2,000 CSUSB students enrolled in service learning courses offered in multiple departments for a total of 154 service learning course sections, said Podolske.
The Office of Community Engagement facilitates service learning, community-based research and volunteer service by engaging students, faculty and community partners in collaborative partnerships that serve the public good. We lead the university-wide culture of community engagement as a high impact practice that contributes to student success. Here's an overview video to learn more about different types of programs that the Office of Community Engagement offers.
Camp SERVE is a collaborative 3-day volunteer service trip sponsored by the Office of Community Engagement and the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Centered around service and social awareness, the December 2019 Camp SERVE gave students the opportunity to participate in local service projects with Inland Empire nonprofits.
The activities included fun and engaging team-building exercises at the CSUSB Leadership Challenge Center, volunteering at a local park’s holiday celebration (complete with a visit from Santa himself!), collecting native plant seeds at a national forest, and more!
In partnership with Student Recreation and Wellness Center, Office of Community Engagement took more than 20 CSUSB students and staff to volunteer with L.A. Works on Monday, January 20, 2020 for Dr. Martin Luther King Day of Service. The volunteer project was to help beautify the campus Orville Wright Middle School, a STEAM Magnet School. Our CSUSB students made Monday a “day on, not a day off” by serving alongside 1,350 volunteers to build and paint 30 benches, paint 27 murals and 606 feet of lockers, landscape, and paint hallways throughout the school.
We’d asked our CSUSB volunteers what made this day memorable and one said that “the best part was teaming up with others to create something special for the students.” We hope this encourages our CSUSB students to continue to leave their paw print on the community and also to continue the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Offices of Student Engagement and Community Engagement partnered together to provide resources and opportunities for the students at CSUSB. Thank you to all our community partners who came and provided volunteer/internship opportunities for our CSUSB students. We hope this inspired may to leave their paw print on and off-campus!
CSUSB partnered with the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino on November 22, 2019 for Make A Difference Day. We packaged boxes of food for 1,250 families that went out that Saturday in time for Thanksgiving. Thank you Yotes for your service!
On 911 National Day of Service and Remembrance OCE, Recreation & Wellness Center, Veterans Success Center partnered with Habitat for Humanity Brush of Kindness program and helped paint a mobile home for a family in need in Riverside County.
Our seventh annual Coyote Cares Day – we had another great day of service in our local communities! The 2019 event was extra special because our Palm Desert Campus students were able to join us for the service and fun for the first time! Our Coyotes painted, planted, cleaned, sorted and more to help local nonprofit agencies and schools in celebration of National Volunteer Week. Our goal is to engage our students in good works in many forms – an action, a voice, a vote, a wallet – and instill in them that we all have a responsibility to help!