Students from four area colleges and universities will be learning and earning as they serve community organizations through the new #CaliforniansForAll College Corps.

The Sacramento Valley consortium, led by the University of California, Davis, will receive up to $16.1 million over two years to recruit and train about 1,000 students and match them with internships at community organizations. The other members are Sacramento State, Sacramento City College and Woodland Community College.

The consortium is part of a program announced Tuesday as the largest state-level investment in a college service program in California history. Its four members are among 45 colleges and universities selected as inaugural partners for the program, slated to involve 6,500 students over two years.

Through College Corps, students who serve 450 hours — or 15 hours a week — over an academic year will receive a $7,000 stipend and, on completion, a $3,000 education award. The consortium will also offer a two-credit experiential learning course, professional development support and financial literacy workshops.

Internships are scheduled to start in fall 2022, and a process for applying will be announced later.

Pablo Reguerín, vice chancellor for student affairs at UC Davis, is the consortium leader. “We’re working together for the career and civic development of our students, community improvement and more affordable post-secondary pathways for low-income and undocumented students,” he said.

The consortium’s award for the planning phase — including program development and the first year of implementation — is $6.15 million, and the consortium is eligible to receive up to $10 million more for the second phase of implementation.

One of the main goals of the consortium is to break down the barriers that can prevent low-income and undocumented students from participating in paid field placements and community-based internships. It aims to include about 230 AB 540-eligible undocumented students among the 1,000 interns and is planning specific efforts to reach low-income and undocumented students.

The Sacramento Valley interns will provide support to address the three focus areas of the College Corps program: K-12 education, including COVID-related learning loss; climate action; and food insecurity. Specific placements will be co-designed with the community partners and schools.

Beyond the experiential learning, benefits for the interns include team-building experiences, professional development sessions and financial literacy workshops.

The consortium will host a student conference to promote the College Corps opportunity and placements the consortium develops. The event will feature experts in education, climate action and food insecurity from the area, including alumni.

The consortium will hire a coordinator to recruit, onboard and steward community partners. Support for the community partners will include professional development training for staff.

The four colleges and universities have expertise in the focus areas of College Corps, have a wealth of experience in community service and have partnered together before.

What consortium members say

From Michael Gutierrez, president of Sacramento City College

“We are thrilled to be a part of this partnership, making college more affordable while simultaneously providing opportunities for our low-income and undocumented students to be hands-on in building up communities across our region. We have a bright future ahead as we make space for students to serve the community while reducing the financial burden of reaching their educational goals.”

From Robert S. Nelsen, president of Sacramento State

“Community engagement is at the heart of what we do at Sacramento State, which is why I am proud that we are a part of the Sacramento Valley #CaliforniansForAll Consortium. This partnership and grant will provide an incredible opportunity for our students to develop into leaders who truly understand the impact of service while making strong, lasting contributions to the region.”

From Art Pimentel, president of Woodland Community College

“This is wonderful news for our Yolo County region. Our educational consortium and community partners will create life-changing opportunities for our students. It’s a win-win situation for our students and the communities we serve.”

From Gary S. May, chancellor of UC Davis

“The living stipend and focus on serving low-income and undocumented students will broaden opportunities and make higher education more affordable. We commend California Volunteers for developing an innovative program that supports and strengthens student success and equity through positive contributions with community organizations.”