2019 Continuums of Service Conference

The Civic Leadership Workshop Series was born out of a partnership between Community Action Volunteers in Education, the Wildcat Leadership Institute - both programs of the within Student Affairs, and the Office of Civic Engagement which is housed in Undergraduate Education at Chico State. Motivating this partnership was an interest in connecting the work of volunteering with academic programs and also to pilot the promotion of the civic-minded graduate framework as a model for the campus. The Series consisted of five, faculty-led and facilitated workshops focusing on the concept of the civic-minded graduate, an emerging concept linking student’s identity, educational and civic experiences. Following each session, students were required to complete a brief assessment consisting of 4-5 learning outcomes as well as a reflection essay based on specific prompts by the faculty facilitator. An average of 35 students attended each session. Program evaluations indicate that overall the pilot program was effective in supporting students to consider how their academic work connects with both their community work and their developing identities – thus, the civic-minded graduate. Students shared deep insights and demonstrated excellent critical reflection on the concepts and ideas presented. An enhanced program will launch in the fall of 2018.