Community Partners

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Learn Where Community Engagement Happens听

CSUDH students听participate听in community engagement with a growing network of nonprofit organizations, schools, public agencies, community groups, and other partners.听

These partnerships give students opportunities to connect academic learning with community priorities while learning from the people and organizations doing this work every day.听

WHAT TO EXPECT

Once interest is expressed, CETR staff (and/or faculty) will meet with potential partners to explore shared goals and begin shaping the collaboration. These conversations typically cover:

Course learning outcomes and how a project could support them.
Community partner鈥檚 mission, goals, and preferred ways of working with students.
Steps and forms needed for CSUDH site approval.
Resources needed for a successful partnership.
Transportation or logistical considerations.

After this initial assessment, CETR will provide a Site Agreement form for the community partner to complete. Once submitted, CETR will coordinate with the CSUDH Procurement Office to finalize approval.

Remember

Community partners are not simply sites听where听students听complete hours. They are collaborators whose knowledge, goals, and time are essential to the learning experience.听

Learn More About CETR's Approach

An Example of a faculty-community partnership

One example of a reciprocal, collaboratively co-created partnership is the one created through the community engaged learning course by Assistant Professor Anat Schwartz鈥檚 class, where students collaborated with a local partner to co-create projects that served community needs while advancing classroom learning goals.

Partnering in Practice: Professor Schwartz & the Compton G.IRLS Club

In Spring 2025, Assistant Professor Anat Schwartz (Women鈥檚 Studies) partnered with the Compton G.IRLS Club to design a community-engaged learning course that connected students with grassroots gender justice organizing. The collaboration was reciprocal from the start: Professor Schwartz met with Chrystani Heinrich, the Compton G.IRLS Club Founder and Executive Director, in the Fall semester to align course goals with the organization鈥檚 mission and their community needs, as well as addressing logistical concerns such as risk management and transportation for campus visits.

Throughout the semester, students co-created and led workshops for middle-and-high school girls at the site, integrating hands-on learning with academic reflection. The community partner played an active role in shaping the experience and providing feedback. Regular check-ins and open communication helped maintain a responsive, mutually beneficial partnership.

This partnership later evolved into a community-based research (CBR) project involving collaborative article writing and public presentations鈥攁 powerful example of how CEL can deepen into sustained community engagement.

Want to start a partnership with us? Please contact cetr@csudh.edu听

A diverse group of young girls with the Compton G.IRLS Club sit in a circle on a colorful rug and cushions. They are looking up at two CSUDH student facilitators.

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