Welcome Community Partners!!
Community Outreach & Engagement
Want to know more about how to become a host site or experiencing issues? Interested in becoming a community partner? Contact Danielle Parga, at dparga@ucmerced.edu for more information.
Our Community Partners "Host Sites"
At UCM College Corps we are committed to community outreach and engagement. Our fellows work with organizations and agencies in partnerships that strengthen our students and their communities. By focusing on K-12 Education, Climate Action, and Food Insecurity, we are building a community of change agents one fellow at a time.
Our Host Sites Cohort 2 (2023-2024)
| Organization | Focus Area | Mission |
| UC Merced: Sustainable Foods | Food Security/Climate Action | To rescue surplus food to feed those in need and to ensure it doesn't go to the landfills where it will generate harmful greenhouse gases. |
| United Way of Merced County/ 211 Mountain Valley | K-12 Education | A comprehensive information and referral service for Merced and Mariposa Counties with a focus to place those in need in contact with needed resources. Fellows serve as Community Resource Specialists, connecting clients of great need with resources contained in the UWMC database. |
| Boys and Girls Club of Merced County | K-12 Education/ Food Security | Provide direct support with youth enrichment activities. Fellows tutor, mentor, lead after-school enrichment activities, assist with food distribution, participate in outreach and education events for families and community, planting and maintaining a community garden. |
| Lifeline CDC | K-12 Education/ Food Security | LifeLine CDC "empowers under-resourced neighborhoods to thrive". Fellows serve at Rivera Elementary school with the community school garden as well as tutor first graders and facilitate physical activities for those students. |
| El Nido Elementary | K-12 Education/ Food Security/ Climate Action | El Nido Elementary serves a student population of over 96% unduplicated English Learners and socio-economically disadvantaged in Transitional Kindergarten through grade 8, their families and the surrounding community. An incorporated community, El Nido Elementary serves as the community hub for services, support and education. |
| Merced County Community Action-Early Learning Preschool Programs | K-12 Education | Provide comprehensive childcare and preschool services to participating children and families: one child, one family at a time. Fellows serve as tutor mentors (TMs) to the students, assisting with homework and reading time. Fellows will also be involved in documenting areas of need and the emotional state of the students for which they are serving. |
| Merced City School District/Franklin | K-12 Education | Provide support to teachers in the classroom, assisting with student assessment and support for students who are struggling. |
| City of Atwater: Recreation and Community Events Department | K-12 Education | City of Atwater: The Recreation and Community Events Department creates Community and Quality of life through People, Parks, and Programs. Fellows serve to support and lead programs that enrich the lives of the community youth, including activities within all aspects of programming: Camps, Afterschool, Sports (Adult & Youth), Senior, Art & Crafts, Science, STEM, Enrichment, Mentoring, Movie Night and Mobile Recreation activities (various park locations throughout the City of Atwater). This also includes mentoring youth who are at risk as well as recruiting and training volunteers. |
| Play Adventures Inc. | K-12 Education | Play Adventures creates a safe environment for children to direct their play in an outdoor, loose-parts-filled space, with playwork pedagogy. Fellows serve on a team to create a rich and safe environment for children to play, supporting the child's play not leading it, and implementing community events based around education and playwork. |
| Community Initiatives for Collective Impact (Ci4Ci) | K-12 Education/ Climate Action/ Food Security | Ci4Ci; Compass Career Exploration is an initiative of Ci4Ci to help middle and high school students in Merced County explore careers that improve Merced’s quality of life. Fellows will work on one of three teams, the Hlub Hmong Center (Education Focus), the Lunch with A Resident program (Education Focused), and Food Para todos! (Food security.) Fellows will also work with Compass staff, schools, businesses, and students to create and implement career exploration activities including promoting the program. |
| CalTeach, UC Merced | K-12 Education | The UC Merced CalTeach program is designed to address the shortage of science and mathematics teachers in California's K - 12 schools. As part of this, a K - 12 STEM Learning Lab introduces young students to the curious and wonderful world of STEM! Fellows teach pre-made and self-developed lessons for K 12 classes in the CalTeach Learning Lab at UC Merced. The Learning Lab Fellowship will allow interested students to have first-hand experience developing course material and teaching STEM to K-12 Grades. |
| Community Foundation of Merced County | Community Engagement | Community Foundation of Merced County provides resources, general support, technical assistance, and fundraising help to non-profits and residents of Merced County. There goal is to make Merced County a better place. |
| Merced Scholars Charter School | K-12 Education | A hybrid learning public school with a focus on providing a safe and equitable learning environment to all children. Fellows work on 1:1 with students to provide academic support utilizing high-impact tutoring techniques. This includes one-on-one tutoring in collaboration with the academic counselor. |
| Merced County Library | K-12 Education | The Merced County Library provides access to materials and technology that build bridges to discovery. We build an innovative and informed community from the littlest community members up. |
| Harvest Park Educational Center (HPEC) | K-12 Education | HPEC aims to provide at-risk, disconnected, children and youth (TK-12th grade) from low-income families with supplemental education as well as behavioral/mental health training and support. Fellows serve as tutor mentors (TMs) to TK - 12th grade students who are at-risk. Assist with homework and oversee reading time. This includes documenting progress and results and observation of the emotional state of the youth for which they serve. |
| Merced City School District, STEAM Center | K-12 Education | The STEAM Center functions as a field trip destination for MCSD students to gain hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Fellows lead K - 12 students through hands-on field trip activities as well as the activities involved in the preparation and wrap-up of those activities, including assessment and evaluation. Provide support for special events for science and engineering fairs and the STEAM Festival. |
| Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County | K-12 Education/ Climate Action | The Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County aims to educate the public/ students on local natural and paleontological histories. Fellows act as docents for the public/tour information, lead after-school/ summer activities, and maintain pond plants/ limited. |
| City of Merced, Parks and Recreation | K-12 Education/ Climate Action | The mission of the Parks and Community Services Department is to plan, facilitate, promote, maintain, and develop activities and facilities that enhance the quality of life in Merced. Fellows will be involved in all aspects of Recreation programs, offering program instructions, officiating, communicating to program participants and parents as well as program development. Fellows will also support community events, including seasonal holiday activities, Movies in the Park, and Easter egg hunts. Fellows will also provide support to the Merced Youth Council, mentoring the youth (grades 9 – 12), and leading Community Service work, such as park cleanups. |
| Merced Irrigation District - Park Department | Climate Action | The mission is to provide outstanding opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Fellows will be involved in all aspects of Recreation programs, offering program instructions, officiating, communicating to program participants and parents as well as program development. Fellows will also support community events, including seasonal holiday activities, Movies in the Park, and Easter egg hunts. Fellows will also provide support to the Merced Youth Council, mentoring the youth (grades 9 – 12), and leading Community Service work, such as park cleanups. |
