A total of 38 Cal Poly Pomona College Corps Fellows engaged in 3,982 hours of community service from October through December 2022. Their efforts were concentrated in three priority areas: food insecurity, K-12 education, and climate action.
- Food Insecurity: Cal Poly Pomona Fellows served over 1.9 million meals and mobilized 3,578 volunteers.
- K-12 Education: 175 students were mentored/tutored by CPP Fellows, and they provided 393 mentoring/tutoring hours.
- Climate Action: Fellows provided environmental education to 601 individuals and created 10 community collaborations to expand climate action awareness.
The fellows at Cal Poly Pomona are eager to make a difference in their surrounding community—from volunteering at an urban farm to mentoring and tutoring students online. Students in the program were able to select from 10 community organizations to serve with, dedicating their time to nonprofits and causes that they are passionate about.
Third year biological sciences student, Ashley Zapata praised the program.
“College Corps has prepared me for my future career because as a dentist, I want to help address the lack of access to healthcare,” Zapata said. “As a volunteer at the Lopez Urban Farm, we meet all kinds of people from different backgrounds, so I feel that this program has allowed me to get closer to the community I want to continue to serve.”
Not only does the College Corps program benefit students. It also provides much-needed support to nonprofits as well.
“Thanks to College Corps, we are able to accomplish our mission of feeding those who are food insecure in Los Angeles County,” said Ana Martinez, senior director of volunteer services and partnerships at the LA Regional Food Bank.
Cal Poly Pomona is one of only 45 campus communities partnering with the statewide College Corps initiative aimed at bolstering service and civic engagement. Students from all backgrounds will be engaged in a common purpose through College Corps, which specifically creates opportunities for Assembly Bill 540-eligible Dreamers to participate. College Corps will provide up to 6,500 college students with opportunities to support and learn from organizations working in the three priority areas.
Under the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), the College Corps program is aimed to complete its three goals: to engage college students in meaningful service opportunities that build leadership skills and civic responsibility, help students from diverse backgrounds graduate college on time and with less debt and support the work of community-based organizations focused on key local priorities.
For more information on College Corps, visit the College Corps website or contact College Corps Coordinator Christina Gonzalez-Salgado at clgonzalez@cpp.edu.