We learned about different nonprofits - how they started, how volunteering works, and how they support their community.
Student learning beyond the classroom broadens awareness, empowers contribution, and strengthens connections to the larger community. By supporting, recognizing, and promoting the educational benefits of learning through service, The Office of Community Service Learning Internship (CSLI), encourages University of Redlands students to build a healthier, stronger community.
El aprendizaje de los estudiantes más allá del aula amplía la conciencia, potencia la contribución y fortalece las conexiones con la comunidad en general. Al apoyar, reconocer y promover los beneficios educativos del aprendizaje a través del servicio, la Oficina de Aprendizaje de Servicio Comunitario (CSLI) alienta a los estudiantes de la Universidad de Redlands a construir una comunidad más sana y fuerte.
Community Service Learning Internship
In fulfilling Community Engagement and Reflection (CER), many students independently build their own narrative curriculum to serve a nonprofit agency or school. These service internships give students a glimpse into issues facing our society and also build their life experiences. Students decide whom to serve, where to serve, and why to serve at the agency of their choosing.
Every year, between 500 and 700 students complete their service internships. Animal shelters, hospitals and schools are popular choices, and many stay on campus to work with university-run initiatives like the Big Buddies mentoring program and Jasper's Corner Homework Club. The internship can be during the academic year or in summer.
Read about Bulldogs' 35 years of impact here.
At the Great Y Circus, I had the opportunity to train many individuals on how to build their strength and technique and how to cooperate well with their peers.
Food Pantry
The Food Support Pantry (SFSP) is available to all established full and part-time University of Redlands students facing food insecurities. This space is an open, no-questions-asked space with shelves filled with canned goods, non-perishable items, and fresh seasonal produce from our sustainable farm.
The hope is this resource will serve students in their academic success—research suggests it's hard to study when you're hungry. The Pantry is located on the north side of North Hall. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It's an open, no-questions-asked space with shelves filled with dried goods, canned goods, and non-perishable items, as well as seasonal fresh produce from our sustainable farm and some limited refrigerated goods. If you have a need, please do not hesitate to visit the space.
Food for this distribution is provided in partnership with Feeding America (serving Riverside and San Bernardino) and the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County Food Bank. It is also funded through private donations, ASUR, and the Office of Community Service Learning.
For more information about how to utilize or make donations to this resource, please contact volunteer_center@redlands.edu.
Volunteer Center
Located on the first floor of the Hunsaker University center, we are a resource for all students, clubs, and organizations to visit. Come learn about current service projects and opportunities on campus and in the community.
We are open Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Please feel free to call 909.748.8463 or email volunteer_center@redlands.edu if you have any questions. We look forward to meeting you!
Garden and Sustainability
The Sustainable University of Redlands Farm (S.U.R.F) upholds the principles of sustainable and organic agriculture. The farm uses organic practices such as crop rotation, companion planting, composting, as well as sustainable irrigation.
We aim to be a model of campus and community sustainability. The University of Redlands is recognized nationally for students' sustainable efforts in programs such as the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Campus USA program. We're also a California Climate Actions Corps Partner, a state-managed program leveraging the power of AmeriCorps to advance climate actions that engage communities, cultivate change, and leave a lasting impact. Through AmeriCorps, we also deploy student volunteers to support climate action projects in communities across California.
Students may also pursue an array of opportunities in sustainability such as volunteer projects, work-study jobs and educational workshops. For example, students are responsible for the construction and development of the Sustainable University of Redlands Farm (S.U.R.F) and the LaFourcade Community Garden. Students work in S.U.R.F on a daily basis to maintain crop growth, and its crops are sold to our campus food service or given to local food distribution programs.
Children's Programs
CSL offers mentoring programs for university students to make a difference in
local children's lives (ages 5-18) throughout the academic year. We pair students with youth for mentorship, homework help, and special events.
Programs include:
- Big Buddies Youth Mentoring Program
- CHAMPS High School Mentoring Program
- Jasper's Corner Homework Help Club
- Roots & Shoots
- Rochford Leadership Initiative
Additional programs
The Office of Community Service Learning supports, recognizes and promotes the educational benefits of learning through service, encouraging University of Redlands students to build healthier, stronger communities. From the beginning of the Office of Community Service Learning in 1991, the University of Redlands has embedded service into the student experience.
Additional programs offered:
- Community Partnerships
- Service Coursework
CSL Office
Community Service Learning is housed on the Second Floor of Hunsaker University Center at the Redlands campus.