New program offers interactive service learning opportunities for sophomores

The Sophomore Public Service Immersion (PSI) Program wrapped up their first quarter of service-learning in the Bay Area this winter. Students built on their education in the classroom through interactive experiences with local nonprofit organizations in East Palo Alto, San Jose, and San Francisco. Each of the organizations works on a wide range of issues facing their communities, from environmental justice to food and clothing insecurity.

The PSI program was developed by the course’s instructor, Reza Rezvani, who is the program director for outreach and engagement at the Haas Center. The program curriculum was co-led by the PSI student coordinator, Canon Pham, ’27. Its main goal was to engage sophomore students, a group on campus that is often underserved by outreach efforts, which tend to focus on first-year students. The program was designed for sophomores who had never been involved in service before, although all sophomore students were welcome to participate. 

For Canon, the program was not only valuable for the off-campus opportunities it gave participants, but also for the personal growth it provided. 

"PSI has allowed me to grow leaps and bounds as a leader," she said, "and I hope to have created an enjoyable opportunity for my peers to engage with the Bay Area and explore their interests through unique service-learning treks and meaningful activities. This has been an unforgettable experience, expanding my worldview and teaching me the value of community-centered learning."

For their first trip, students helped with the installation of a rain garden in a private home. This was part of a broader project designed by local community partners Climate Resilient Communities, Fresh Approach Bay Area, and Grassroots Ecology. Through this project, rain gardens and cisterns are installed in private residences in order to mitigate climate change impacts such as flooding, drought, and extreme heat in East Palo Alto.

Their second trip took them further south to Santa Clara University, where they observed a tutoring session and heard a presentation from the San Jose chapter of Minds Matter Bay Area, a nonprofit that connects students from low-income families with a free weekly program that prepares them for success at selective colleges and universities. During the visit, the PSI students sat in on SAT prep tutoring and engaged in an interactive activity with the program students and their mentors.

For their final trip of the quarter, the students went to the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, utilizing public transportation to make their way to and around the city. The day began with a visit to the Tenderloin Museum, which documents the history of the neighborhood through its art and activism. Their walking tour was led by Tyree Leslie, who showed students the Tenderloin National Forest, Glide Memorial Church, and other sites in the neighborhood. Afterwards, they volunteered at the St. Anthony’s Foundation’s Free Clothing Program, which serves individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty.

For the students who participated in the program, these interactive trips especially resonated with them. They appreciated having the opportunity to get out of the campus bubble and learn more about the community around them and the service work happening on the ground.

"This outing perfectly captured the essence of this class: that service is not a means to an end or a social media post," one participant, Jadon Urogdy, '27, said in a reflection after the San Francisco trip. "It’s creating a connection with the world around you and understanding why you are stamping the soil or tossing out clothing with coffee stains. It’s understanding the environment that you have entered, conducting impromptu studies on air pollution, and going back to your dorm to look into what impact you had just made."