CSUF Reaches Out to Kids
University Programs Impact Local Youth
Whether it’s introducing disadvantaged kids to the outdoors or helping high school students develop a higher education plan, Cal State Fullerton is committed to positively impacting youth in local communities. These are some additional university-sponsored programs that advance that goal:
Advancement Via Individual Determination is a national program for high school students to promote eligibility for higher education. AVID holds an annual leadership conference at CSUF. Faculty members provide workshops to more than 700 ninth-graders, equipping them with tools that will enable them to be successful in high school and beyond.
For information, contact Leo Cota in University Outreach at 657-278-5880, e-mail lcota@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.avid.org.
After School Education and Safety program is a collaborative effort between CSUF’s Center for Internships and Community Engagement and the Buena Park School District. A.S.E.S. provides after-school programming for more than 500 elementary and middle-school children.
For information, contact Chris Perez at 657-278-2203, e-mail chrisperez@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.fullerton.edu/cice/ASES.html.
America Reads and Counts is a federal program run by the Center for Internships and Community Engagement. Designed to improve the reading and math skills of sixth- to 12th-grade students in after-school programs, the program serves nearly 600 children each year. Now in its third year at CSUF, ARC uses student tutors who work in low-income communities throughout Orange County.
For information, contact Lilian Pahn at the Center for Internships & Community Engagement, 657-278-4250, e-mail lpahn@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.fullerton.edu/cice/ARC.html.
Camp Titan brings 140 underprivileged Orange County children to the San Bernardino Mountains each June for a week of hiking, swimming, horseback riding and other outdoor activities. Now in its 22nd year, the nonprofit organization is funded by fees collected by the Associated Students Inc., Greek Week activities, and donation jars in the Titan Shops.
For information, call 657-278-3036, e-mail ctitan@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at asi.fullerton.edu/asiprogramming/camptitan.asp.
Children’s Environmental Education Program is a plant-based science education program held at the Fullerton Arboretum for third-grade teachers and students. CEEP was developed in 2004 to provide teachers in the Fullerton School District with resources for their science program and is now open to all schools in the surrounding area.
For information, call Ami Becker, program coordinator, at 657-278-4681, e-mail abecker@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.fullertonarboretum.org.
Community Connection provides mentoring for children from infants to 18 years old at Orangewood Children’s Home, a transitional living facility for foster children. Volunteers plan fun and engaging activities including arts and crafts, sports, board games, field trips and a year-end carnival.
For more information, contact Amy Mattern at the Volunteer & Service Center, 657-278-3504, e-mail volunteer@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.fullerton.edu/deanofstudents/volunteer/index.html.
Community Math Education Center, now in its third year, provides after-school math instruction to more than 50 fifth- and sixth-grade students at Richman Elementary School, an identified at-risk school in a low socioeconomic area of Fullerton. CSUF elementary education students design and implement the lesson plans, modeling what teachers do every day in the classrooms. “It’s real-world-situated learning for them in a very concrete way,” says Michelle VanderVeldt, assistant professor of elementary and bilingual education.
For information, contact Michelle VanderVeldt at 657-278-4305, or e-mail mvanderveldt@fullerton.edu.
Early Titan Outreach Program was launched in 2007 to provide information to middle-school students, parents, administrators and teachers to encourage a college-bound culture. The program is housed at three junior high schools in Anaheim and two in La Habra and has touched more than 1,000 children, teaching goal-setting, time management and test-taking skills, and providing information about college admissions requirements.
For information, contact Brenda Estrada in University Outreach at 657-278-2334, or e-mail bestrada@fullerton.edu.
Future Scientists and Engineers of America is a partnership between the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, designed to expose middle and high school students to engineering. FSEA events include tours of the CSUF engineering lab (including the Baja Bug airplane and the earthquake simulator), and the annual Pumpkin Launch at Goodwin Stadium. “The idea is to bring engineering to the attention of our young students,” said Victor Delgado, assistant dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “We want to show them that it’s fun and you can enjoy yourself.”
For information, contact Victor Delgado at 657-278-2887 or e-mail vdelgado@fullerton.edu.
Jumpstart is a joint service-learning program between the Center for Internships and Community Engagement and the Department of Child and Adolescent Studies. The program uses paid CSUF interns to mentor low-income preschool children by reading stories, singing and playing games that support school readiness. Now in its eighth year at CSUF, Jumpstart has touched more than 175 children in one-to-one mentoring relationships and 650 children inside preschool classrooms.
For information, contact Jo’ie Taylor at 657-278-4406, e-mail jodtaylor@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.jstart.org.
Project Read provides mentoring for homeless children at Anaheim Interfaith Center and Fullerton Interfaith Service. With the focus on literacy and reading, student leaders plan enrichment activities that include homework assistance, reading stories, puzzles and arts and crafts to help the children become academically confident and successful.
For more information, contact Amy Mattern at the Volunteer & Service Center, 657-278-3504, e-mail volunteer@fullerton.edu, or visit the website at www.fullerton.edu/deanofstudents/volunteer/index.html.
Speech and Hearing Clinic provides testing and therapy for a variety of speech difficulties for children as young as 3 years old. The Child Clinic meets twice weekly, with graduate students in communicative disorders providing assessment and therapy under supervision of licensed speech pathologists.
For information, contact Sherri Wolff at 657-278-3997, or email swolff@fullerton.edu.
Talent Search Program, now in its sixth year, is a federally funded program that provides participants with the confidence and assistance necessary to pursue a college education. The program serves 600 students at four schools in the Anaheim Unified High School District.
For information, contact Mark Kamimura-Jimenez, director for Educational Partnerships, at 657-278-5579, or e-mail mkamimura-jimenez@fullerton.edu.
Titan Choices Program works one-on-one with high school students to develop a higher education plan, providing information on the pre-admissions process, transcript evaluation and eligibility options. The program was launched in 2001 and currently partners with six Orange County high schools.
For information, contact Brandi Lincoln in University Outreach at 657-278-8386, or e-mail blincoln@fullerton.edu.
Upward Bound is a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, designed to prepare eligible high school students for postsecondary education. The program serves about 70 students at four high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District, with nearly 100 percent of the participants going on to college. “We’ve had six or seven students with full-ride scholarships, so it’s been very successful,” said Mark Kamimura-Jimenez, Director for Educational Partnerships.
For information, contact Mark Kamimura-Jimenez at 657-278-5579, or e-mail mkamimura-jimenez@fullerton.edu.
