University of California – Los Angeles
Center for Community Learning
http://www.college.ucla.edu/up/ccl/

Unique:
Students take one lower-division course, an upper-division core course in Political Science, and then have the option of being civically engaged at the local, state or national level. If they choose to work in Los Angeles, they enroll in one elective upper-division course, 3 quarters of consecutive internship, with three quarters of reflection and analysis seminars, as well as a capstone project on a public policy issue related to the internship. The other options are to enroll for one quarter in either the UC Center Sacramento program to study and research state-level policymaking and complete a related internship, or the “UC in DC” program with coursework, research and an internship. Service learning courses are offered at both the lower and upper division; they engage students in direct service or “research as service”. Community based research courses include one on program evaluation with public health non-profits; another course trains students in research methods while studying the “digital divide” in Los Angeles immigrant communities. Students in the Los Angeles option of the minor work closely with community partners to develop long term relationships; their responsibilities increase in a developmental fashion as the internship evolves.

Website Features:
Offers information on the program for students, faculty, and community partners; offers a link to a searchable database with community partners for internships or service learning courses; lists course requirements, internship information, events, and funding opportunities; and resources.

Program Objectives:

1. Collaborate with academic departments
2. Offer undergraduates the opportunity to participate in a variety of structured and rigorous academic courses that link theory and practice
3. To foster civic skills and knowledge, a service ethic, and an informed perspective on issues of diversity and democracy
4. Through CBR, students are expected to learn research methods while conducting a study that is requested by a community partner. Students collect information that can be used by organizations to make program changes or advocate for services.

Structure/Governance:

The Center for Community Learning is the undergraduate curricular arm of the UCLA Chancellor’s “UCLA in LA” initiative, headed by Associate Vice Chancellor Franklin Gilliam, who directs the Center for Community Partnerships. Together the Centers are working to change the culture of the campus and the face of UCLA in the community by promoting engaged scholarship, service learning and civic engagement activities with faculty and students as part of the University’s teaching and research mission.Relationship of Program to Institution’s Mission:

The mission of the Center for Community Learning is to engage UCLA undergraduates, faculty and community partners in programs that integrate teaching and research. They promote citizenship, leadership and social justice through service learning, internships and other community-based learning experiences. By so doing, they fulfill their obligation as a public institution to educate persons who are good global citizens. Their work in Los Angeles, the state, the nation and in the global community connects the research interests of faculty and students with the needs and priorities of their community partners.

Foundational Pillars:

Service learning courses are integrated within academic departments across a variety of disciplines. The civic engagement minor is intense in that it requires students to devote an average of 10 hours per week per quarter for one academic year working with, and towards enhancing, a community agency (in conjunction with class discussions and assignments). The program requires 1 lower-division and 8 upper-division courses, which takes students one to two years, a multi-year model, to complete their core course, internship and reflection based seminar. The program focuses on service and hands-on contribution to a community agency/partner within a developmental and sequential model. The program highlights experience, reflection, and academic/personal connection and ties it amongst local, rather than global, arenas. Courses provide hands on, out of class experiences to link student passions and gifts to social issues and arenas needing social change. Thus, the program encourages students to understand public policy with local, state, and national options in internships and related coursework from Sacramento to Washington, D.C. Interdisciplinary; American Indian Studies, Chemistry, Chicana/o Studies, Economics, Education, Engineering, English, Film & Television, Frontiers in Human Aging (G.E. Cluster), History, Math, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Statistics, and World Arts & Culture.

Program/Course Architecture:

A Common Course – Core course required of all students in the minor: Political Science 115C: Citizenship and Public Service.
Poverty Course – Service learning, community based research coursework focusing on urban economic stature in the greater Los Angeles community; all courses have an element of understanding poverty & social justice
International Exposure – Coursework touches upon global connections
Internships –Open to juniors and seniors for academic credit; 4 units require 8-10 hours per week working at an off-campus location. In conjunction, interns must meet regularly with a graduate student coordinator, keep a weekly journal, and write a final research paper.
Capstone Project – In final quarter of the reflection and analysis seminar, students create a final project that integrates the service work completed at an agency with a specific, policy issue.

Specific Courses of Study:

1. Honors 105 –“Client-based program evaluation”
2. Honors 163 – “Civic engagement and public use of knowledge”
3. Internship – Required for all students in the minor. For those in Los Angeles, 8-10 hours per week for 3 academic quarters. For those in Sacramento or Washington, D.C., 24-40 hours per week for one academic quarter. Open to juniors and seniors.
4. Service Learning– At least 20 hours per week per quarter, working with a community based organization. To demonstrate the knowledge of:
A. Team work; bridging across difference
B. Service leadership
C. Communities, organizations, and social justice work in the LA area

Strategies for Bonner Connection

Role of Service: Students are very involved with service learning in a long-term symbiotic relationship with a community partner/organization. The program defines service-learning as a pedagogy whereby students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of communities; is coordinated with an elementary school, secondary school, or community-based organization; helps foster civic responsibility; is integrated into and enhances the academic curriculum of the students, and provides structured time for students or participants to reflect on the service experience.
Student Leadership: Both students and community partners share leadership roles; Americorps members and Bonner Leaders
Community Partnerships: Yes; ongoing relationships with organizations that partner with UCLA for teaching and research. Fifteen individuals from community based public health non-profits are also invited to enroll in one of the service-learning courses (Honors 105) “Client-Based Program Evaluation,” taught by UCLA faculty. Fifteen UCLA undergraduate students will also take the class and work with the agency representatives to design and implement a program evaluation study for a current program operating in Los Angeles.

Additional features:

The minor includes a number of service learning courses that offer students opportunities to work with a variety of organizations on a diverse group of projects. There is a range of settings that offer both direct service such as tutoring in K-12 settings, or “research as service” (i.e. community based research that investigates questions of interest to community groups or organizations).
Students have often commented on the powerful experience gained in the service learning research courses. Some say they have been inspired to go on to graduate school, others change career plans entirely, and overall they gain confidence as researchers. Students exhibit a high level of dedication and responsibility to a “real world” audience, when working to collect and analyze data that can be given back to the community partner at the end of the course. They consistently struggle with the ambiguity that is the hallmark of community work, and learn to make decisions that are ethical and respectful of the community partner.
Community partners are transformed not only through the creation of new knowledge, but also through gaining skills that can help build the capacity of their organizations. Community partners see the joint research projects as working toward social justice, and organizing community residents oftentimes to advocate for meaningful change around issues of access and equity.
This minor was first proposed in 2003. It has now been approved, and the first students will be enrolled in the fall of 2006. We formed a Faculty Advisory Committee to work on the development of the proposal, and hired a graduate student to help with researching similar academic programs and appropriate course offering for required and elective courses. The plan formal launch event for the campus was held April of 2006.
This coincides with a high-profile effort to promote service learning courses for undergraduates (through the Center for Community Learning) and engaged scholarship among faculty and graduate students (through the Center for Community Partnerships or ‘CCP’). Over 50 different service learning courses have been offered over the last three years, and over 80 partnerships have been supported through CCP in the last three years. Together the two Centers have worked on Neighborhood Knowledge Forums, both place-based (e.g., East Los Angeles) or theme-based (e.g., research and service projects around the theme of “tolerance”). The Center for Community Learning has also created an Alternative Spring Break program around the theme of Tolerance, with the Museum of Tolerance and local Los Angeles public schools; a winter quarter seminar of the same name is required for students who want to participate.