California State University, Monterey Bay (USA)

California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is a public university in the California State University system on the site of the former U.S. Army base Fort Ord, on the Central Coast of California. CSUMB was founded in 1994, and today has over 4,000 students enrolled. It places particular emphasis on serving "the working class and historically undereducated and low-income populations." CSUMB’s vision expresses its commitment to social responsibility and relevance: "Our graduates will have an understanding of interdependence and global competence, distinctive technical and educational skills, the experience and abilities to contribute to California’s high quality work force, the critical thinking abilities to be productive citizens, and the social responsibility and skills to be community builders." CSUMB is the only university in California, and one of only a few in the United States, to have integrated service learning as a graduation requirement for all undergraduate students. CSUMB’s website>>

Service Learning Institute

The mission of the Service Learning Institute is to foster and promote social justice by cultivating reciprocal service and learning partnerships among CSUMB students, faculty, staff and the surrounding tri-county community. The SLI serves as an instructional unit, an academic resource center, a center for developing community partnerships, and the home of an innovative student leadership program. CSUMB’s service learning program is distinctive because it is a graduation requirement for all students, and each year 50% of students are enrolled in service learning courses. CSUMB has integrated service learning in both its lower-division general education program, and as a learning outcome in each undergraduate major. As a result, CSUMB students take two service learning courses: (1) a lower division course that introduces them to concepts of service and multicultural community participation; and (2), a course in their major that addresses social issues more specific to their field and career aspirations. Learn more about the SLI>>

Student Leadership in Service Learning

Through initial funding from the Corporation for National Service and other local donors, the SLI has developed a model student leadership program that has enabled CSUMB student leaders to play key roles in the development and delivery of the service learning program at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). The Student Leadership Program employs students with prior CSUMB service learning experience and provides them with training and development opportunities to take leadership roles implementing and supporting CSUMB’s service learning program. To date, over 150 student leaders have worked  directly to support service learning courses, faculty and community partners, and service learners. The peer mentoring model that the program pioneered has been very effective in helping students examine the highly charged issues related to diversity and social justice that they encounter through service learning. Learn more>>

Chinatown Renewal Project

In fall 2006 the project office opened in Salinas, California under the banner Soledad Street Community Learning Center. This project seeks to revitalize the Chinatown area of Salinas. It is a collaboration with the following diverse parties: Salinas Downtown Community Board, City of Salinas, Service Learning Institute, Franciscan Workers of Junipero Sierra, Buddhist Temple of Salinas, Chinese Confucius Church, Neighborhood Council, local residents, property and business owners, and currently homeless individuals. Major funders include: Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Office of University Partnerships Grant (HSIAC-05-CA-30), Bank of America and around 50 local businesses. Learn more>>