- Service Learning
CSU Monterey Bay is a recognized national leader in the field of service learning. CSUMB is unique in higher education, having made service learning a required element of the academic program. Students learn about community involvement and social change through required service learning courses in both their lower division general education program and in their major. Each academic year, 50 percent of CSUMB students enroll in service learning courses, contributing thousands of hours of work to over 200 schools, non-profit organizations and government agencies in the region.
CSUMB's outcomes-based academic program, and its campus-wide commitment to issues of diversity and social justice, further distinguish CSUMB's service learning program. Through service learning, all CSUMB students work to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to participate sensitively in multicultural communities, and to work effectively to address deep-seated social inequities. The goal is to help CSUMB students become multicultural community builders: students who are able to work sensitively and effectively in a diverse society to create more just and equitable workplaces, communities and social institutions.
My experience:
For the service learning requirement, I joined the Watsonville Science Workshop. There, I helped kids build projects and helped discover creativity. The director of the shop only spoke Spanish. She is an amazing woman, and a community mother. She is a patient and understanding person. During the sessions that I volunteered she taught me many spanish words, and happily answered questions that I had about Spanish. She understood and respected my mission to learn Spanish. Naturally, in turn, I tutored her in Algebra because she is studying to take the GED. All of the kids in the were shop were bilingual Spanish and English speakers. I found that the kids would rather speak in English. It is almost as if they are more proud to speak English, and thus, shy away from the use of Spanish. During my visits I promoted the speech of Spanish. I explained how important and valuable it is to speak well, both, Spanish and English. I tried to make them feel special and proud to be bilingual. There are high school volunteers at the workshop as well. The high school kids are from Watsonville also. I value very much the relationship I developed with the older kids. They asked me questions about college and life in panorama. I edited papers for some of them, and in turn, they corrected my Spanish when necessary. I love the Watsonville Science Workshop, and I still may visits there to this day.