Student Opportunities & Resources

Faculty and students in the California State University (CSU) have been partnering with their local communities since the first CSU campus was founded in 1857. These partnerships not only improve the quality of life across California, they significantly contribute to student learning, advance faculty research and teaching, support CSU programs and positively contribute to California communities.

The CSU continues to take bold steps to promote Community-based Learning (Service Learning) as an educational pedagogy that prepares students for the complexities and rewards of community engagement, lifelong learning, and professional and personal success.

Community-based Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.

*The above information was provided by Learn and Serve America, National Clearing House

Students engaged in a Community-based Learning assignment are responsible for mitigating potential risks involved with their Community-based Learning assignment. The Student Service Learning Plan & Agreement contains "Participation Guidelines," which outline appropriate behavior expectations for Community-based Learning students while at the learning site. Students are required to sign the "participation guidelines," which serves as an informed consent, demonstrating their awareness of the potential risks and behavior expectations at the learning site.

The Student Time Sheet also serves as a risk management function by keeping a record of when students were providing service at the learning site. If an accident occurs at the learning site, and the University needs to know if a specific student was actually serving at the learning site, this can provide a quick cross-check to the learning site's sign-in sheet.

For Volunteer and Community-based Opportunities, please refer to the sites list on our S4 Database here.

For those interested in law, social justice, & community development!

The JusticeCorps internship opportunity is offered by AmeriCorps and is for students interested in law, social justice, and community empowerment. JusticeCorps is an innovative approach to solving one of the more pressing issues faced by courts around the country today: providing equal access to justice. JusticeCorps recruits and trains recent college graduates and university students annually to serve in California's overburdening legal self- help centers which specialize in family law, housing, landlord/tenant disputes, or small claims. 

Learn More about JusticeCorps

The Civic and Community Engagement Minor is designed for students who wish to apply what they learn at CSUN toward making positive changes in their communities and the world. The Minor provides skills for students to successfully integrate their academic and professional interests with their desire to create healthy, humane, successful, and sustainable communities. Students will combine their CSUN coursework and collaborations with community partners to become informed and active members and leaders in society. For more information on the Civic & Community Engagement minor, click HERE!

Scholars in the SL Student Scholar Program contribute to CSUN’s mission to cultivate civic responsibility amongst students by assisting community-based learning (service learning) professors and leading community-based learning students. While each student scholar experience is different, the goal of the program is to ensure that Student Scholars are able to enhance their professional development and leadership potential while gaining community-based research and project coordination skills. Learn more about the Student Scholar Program HERE!