The Office of the Governor of California announced its new college service program, #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, which gives students the opportunity to get paid for volunteer service.
A Jan. 18 press release said the goal of the program is to help low-income students graduate, as well as to provide for the community by addressing social problems and promoting an equitable community.
“#CaliforniansForAll College Corps advances these priorities by connecting Californians of different backgrounds with enriching service opportunities throughout the state, while making college more affordable for our state’s future leaders,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in the press release.
Fresno State is one of 45 colleges participating in this program.
Students in the program sign up through the university and commit to 450 hours of community service in the span of one academic year, according to the program’s chief service officer, Josh Fryday, who helped launch Newsom with the launch.
“That service could look like tutoring for a local school, building a community garden, working at the local food bank — it takes a variety of forms. And you will also be engaged in Fresno State in a service learning course,” Fryday said.
He said the course integrates Fresno State students’ volunteer experience with a curriculum for academic credit. Seventy students can sign up this semester, and the first students selected in the program will start in the 2022 Fall semester.
Fryday also noted that students who complete the total hours of service receive $10,000; $7,000 as a stipend, regular income throughout the year and the rest will be after the program as a scholarship.
Fryday emphasized the program is the first of its kind and said he hopes it gets implemented in other states as well. He said it’s the first service program that includes students in the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program, and encourages those who are AB540 eligible to apply.
Fryday said the program aims to have students focus on their education and volunteering, rather than on work. He noted that it’s set up so students don’t need to exceed 15 hours a week of volunteer service.
Fryday said in a meeting with Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval that he felt “thrilled” by the president’s passion for the program’s integration with the university and to give students the opportunity to serve while getting paid.
“Fresno State always has been a longtime leader on service learning [and] trying to encourage young people and students to give back to their community,” Fryday said.
“To be able to have the president of Fresno State be as passionate about it as he is and dedicated and committed is really important.”
Students interested can contact the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning or visit the College Corps’ website.