CACC Programs » Building Partnerships for a Better California: Youth to College Initiative

Building Partnerships for a Better California: Youth to College Initiative

To view the Y2C program brochure, please click here.

Building Partnerships for a Better California: Youth to College Initiative (Y2C), is embarking on the second year of a three year initiative, designed to help to raise the percentage of lower-income and disadvantaged youth preparing for and succeeding in college.

The four campuses highlighted below were selected to participate as lead institutions in their region, based on the strength of their deep commitment to the youth and communities, their academic and community service leadership, their wide networks of community partners, their previous experience as successful CACC grantees, and their ability to train and deploy faculty, students, and community volunteers.

Key activities across all four campuses include:

		Work with at least three other colleges in their region to provide service-learning and community partnerships training/technical assistance — at least one workshop each year is required.
		Involve at least 3,000 students and youth per grant year in Y2C activities.
		Implement a minimum of 4-6 new service-learning courses at their institution or on a college partners’ campuses by June 2008.
		Demonstrate collaboration with on-campus and community programs that are targeting the same populations as the Y2C Initiative.
		Plan (or collaborate with regional partners on) activities for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service that involve college students and/or Y2C youth.
		Educate state and federal government representatives about Y2C activities. Each campus must send at least one letter per semester from the President, a student, community partner, faculty member, or themselves to their Congressman or State Representative describing the Y2C program and achievements.

Please read below for descriptions of activities at each of the four institutions.

1. University of San Diego, Lead Contact: Elaine Elliott, Email: elliott@sandiego.edu

The USD Y2C program is designed to address the important issue of students from under-represented groups who do not know that higher education is a viable option for them. The program helps build interest and prepare students from underserved populations for college through tutoring, mentoring, and joint service-learning projects.

2. California State University, Fresno, Lead Contact: Anne Murphy, Email: annem@csufresno.edu

Fresno State's Y2C initiative addresses the need for services that advance the personal, social and academic competencies of underserved youth in the Central Valley. In addition, the program fosters an increased desire to attend college and a commitment to community service. A combination of tutoring and mentoring, college literacy training, community service, and higher education service-learning generation is being used to promote the goals of the project and the success of the youth involved.

3. Humboldt State University, Lead Contact: Ann Bolick-Floss, Email: amb2@humboldt.edu

Humboldt State's Service-Learning Center houses the Y2C Initiative in the Northern California region. Through community and campus collaborations, they provide tutoring and mentoring for youth, as well as campus tours for students and parents. In addition, they hold workshops on service-learning and community partnerships, and involve college students and Y2C youth in MLK Day activities. Y2C at HSU also supports service-learning and civic engagement across the regional campus network.

4. University of California, Los Angeles, Lead Contact: Kathy O'Byrne, Email: KOByrne@college.ucla.edu

Through their Youth to College Initiative, the UCLA Center for Community Learning works with other campus partners to provide mentoring services, information on college applications, joint community service projects and Buddy Days for high school youth in Los Angeles and Pasadena. College and high school students collaborate on special service projects related to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.  Regional partnerships are strengthened through service learning leadership institutes for faculty from regional colleges and universities.

The Y2C Initiative is part of an award totaling $3 million from Learn and Serve America, a division of the federal Corporation for National and Community Service through California Campus Compact.

For More Information Contact Piper McGinley.