Welcome to the Service Learning and Volunteer Center!
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Office Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00-4:30 p.m. & Friday 8:00-3:00 p.m, evening appointments available by request. All calls and emails will be returned within 24-48 hours.
Staff Contact Information
- Bea Palmer (she/her/hers/ella)
Program Manager: 760.795.6618
bpalmer@miracosta.edu - Analia Zamora-DeHart (she/her/hers/ella)
Administrative Support II: 760.795.6616
azamora@miracosta.edu - Campus Aides
Anthony Heredia and Makhi Williams-Kent - Student Advocates
Jennifer Duffy, Jade Flores, Jeannette Godinez, Cat King, Yuridia Lagunas, Miranda Marshall, Cruz Rosales, and Noraa Zenger-Snaer - General Service Learning email: servicelearning@miracosta.edu
What is Service Learning?
Service learning is a form of experiential education that partners academic instruction with community service. Students learn through participation in thoughtfully organized service activities that are course relevant and meet actual community needs. Each semester approximately 60 courses at MiraCosta College offer a service component either as an option or a requirement. Students are placed in non-profit organizations and public schools where they provide a variety of support services. These placements allow students to apply course theory in real world settings while making valuable community contributions. Start by registering as a Service Learning participant for the current semester, this is service assignment for a specific class. View a list of courses and instructors that have offered service learning. View a list of approved community partners.
How does Service Learning support DEI and anti-racist work?
Service Learning is a teaching and learning methodology and a great strategy for anti-racist and culturally responsive teaching. Through community based placements, both in person and virtually, students’ experiences allow them to think critically about the structures of inequality within our society. Critical Service-Learning requires that students examine the diverse and cultural perspectives as a means to examine their own agency and increase their social and cultural capital. A critical component of service-learning is self-reflection, this provides them with an opportunity to make meaningful connection between course content and their experiential learning. Through these experiences students are encouraged to think and develop their own counter stories to historical ideologies that contribute to systemic oppression and the status quo. Service-Learning is not a volunteer opportunity and rejects ideologies of “saviorism” and “charity” as a means for academic learning and civic engagement.
What is the Volunteer Program?
The volunteer program is any service not connected to a particular class. Students can participate in co-curricular service opportunities for many reasons: explore career paths, learn about your community, build your resume, civic engagement, scholarships, transfer applications and to build your culture and social capital. We offer two different certificates of participation when students complete 50-99 hours or 100+ hours. Learn more about about this program, or you can register for our volunteer program now. Students must volunteer at any non-profit organization, check out our current community partners.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Service Learning and Volunteer Center is to support and promote student success and student engagement through curricular and co-curricular community service. The center facilitates applied learning opportunities that enhance student learning while increasing personal civic responsibility, community awareness, personal growth, and cultural competency.
Our foundation is CASE: Community, Advocacy, Service, and Education.
Student Advocates
The center hires a student leadership team of service oriented students who are passionate about education, community, advocacy, social justice, and equity. Student Advocates are assigned to a local Title I school, local non-profit that supports a local Title I schools, or non-profits whose mission aligns well with our institutional and program mission. Their role is to assist the school or organization with literacy, STEAM activities, and activities that promote higher learning. Advocates also work in the center and use their paid office hours as an opportunity to share service opportunities with other college students. Advocate tasks include: office hours, promoting program services, raising awareness about community partnerships and service opportunities. They also gain employability skills by helping coordinate service projects that raise awareness on issues connected with education, community, social justice, and equity.
