A $97,000 award was granted to Cal State Long Beach’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) in support of the El Monte Community Building Initiative Project.
Executive Director for CSULB’s Center for Community Juan M. Benitez and professor of Chicano and Latino studies Rigoberto Rodriguez head the Community Scholars Program.
The California Community Foundation (CCF) awarded the grant.
The project is designed to conduct a series of trainings with a focus on leadership development, organizational capacity, community projects, policy and system changes, with a focus on health and education. Benitez and Rodriguez will collaborate to aid three neighborhoods in the El Monte community.
“It would be an understatement to say that it feels wonderful to be able to deliver these educational services without having to worry about where this money is coming from,” Benitez said.
Two years ago, Rodriguez and Benitez worked together for a series of trainings and workshops in 2010 also in El Monte that focused on leadership development and asset mapping. CCF invited Rodriguez and Benitez to apply for their own grant for the following year.
“The last three years, the CCE and I have put these programs on a shoestring budget that makes us worry about money,” Benitez said.
The Community Scholars Program is designed to help emerging community leaders develop their own personal leadership skills.
“At the end of the trainings, they enhance their leadership, and also develop skills while working together collaboratively,” Benitez said. “The idea is when they graduate, they’re more oriented toward taking on some action to better their community.”
There are three criteria to be eligible to take part in the Community Scholars Program.
“The three criteria that we have is that [the participants] have to be a minimum of 18 years of age or have parental consent, live in one of those neighborhoods in El Monte and have a commitment and passion for community issues so they are able to make a commitment to attend all four Saturdays,” he said.
The CCE will hold four workshops on Oct. 8 and Oct. 22, and Nov. 5 and Nov. 19.
“We test [these exercises] out first with community members and do simulations to see if it’s something interesting and exciting to them,” Benitez said. “We don’t do lecture-style or presentations. For instance, if someone is interested in working with schools, we may do a mock simulation of a school board meeting.”
Rodriguez’s students will also be involved in this project.
“Students connect big ideas to very concrete experiences and think more critically,” Rodriguez said. “They also leave with skills that they can put on their résumés for jobs.
The students create an open learning environment. It’s almost like students teaching students.”
Although Rodriguez’s classes are full, the CCE also welcomes volunteers to help with the seminars.
Rodriguez urged those interested in volunteering to contact the CCE.
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.