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Community Partners - Overview
Community Partners are the hosts and co-educators for Humboldt students seeking community-based learning experiences for course credit. The Cal Poly Humboldt Center for Community Based Learning (CCBL) works with Community Partner agencies to approve and develop learning opportunities for students from over 50 Humboldt Service Learning and Academic Internship courses. Hundreds of regional and national nonprofit, private sector, school, and governmental agencies are approved to host Cal Poly Humboldt students in service placements from these courses, with new organizations approved each semester.
Why host students?
Humboldt students can bring energy, enthusiasm, diversity, and new perspectives to your agency, whether they are serving your clients, plugging into your existing volunteer programs, or working on a special project. Meanwhile, as Co-Educators, the Community Partners, also provide important professional learning experiences and mentoring for students, while also potentially cultivating future partners in the organization and the community.
Looking to bring Cal Poly Humboldt Students to your organization?
Humboldt students become involved in surrounding communities in myriad ways, from courses requiring service, Student Clubs, Youth Educational Services (YES), and research programs, to applying for volunteer and employment opportunities.
Considerations
Semester Dates
- Fall: end of August through mid-December
- Spring: end of January through mid-May
- Summer: end of May/beginning of June through July.
Duration
Determine the length of the project and what best suits an Internship or Service Learning position
- Internship experiences typically require 60+ hours per semester, sometimes over two semesters.
- Service Learning experiences typically require 20-30 hours per semester.
Transportation
If your organization is far from campus (outside of Arcata), consider transportation alternatives for students, for example, list bus routes on promotional materials, offer transportation reimbursement, etc.
Consider short-term, long-term, or virtual projects that can be finished in a semester or carried over from one semester to the next by different students and teams.
Sign Up for Community Partner Events
We invite agencies to contact our office to receive email invitations to the following:
- Career Expos and Volunteer Fairs - an opportunity for community agencies to share service opportunities with Humboldt students, and meet faculty and students involved with Service Learning and Academic Internships courses.
- Community Partner Mixers and Panels - held each semester to share and learn best practices and network with other community agency staff, faculty, and students.
- Pre-semester survey - share your organization’s service opportunities with the next semester’s community-based learning course faculty and students.
- Invitations to consider hosting students from newly developing Service Learning and Academic Internship courses.
We are here to help!
The Center for Community Based Learning is here to bring our students, faculty, and community partners together.
Getting Approved
The CCBL assists off-campus community partners in completing the contractual and risk management steps necessary to become an Approved Learning Site.
Cal Poly Humboldt programs and offices do not need to complete the contractual and risk management process; however, they are strongly encouraged to review the information on planning for internships and supporting students.
Steps to Becoming an Approved Learning Site →
Planning for Students
Tips on how to set up the partnership between your organization and Cal Poly Humboldt and its students for success.
Preparing to Host Students →
Creating a Position Description →
Recruiting and Promoting →
Screening and Beginning of Service →
Supporting Students
Tips on how to welcome and integrate Cal Poly Humboldt students into your organization, provide the optimal learning experience, while maximizing the benefits to your organization.