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Haas Center for Public Service

Pilot course explores themes of democratic citizenship through local field trips

The "Citizenship in Action" pilot course explored COLLEGE 102 themes through field experiences and classroom reflections.
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Gabriella Herrera
Students talk with community members at an event.

In winter quarter, the Haas Center launched ETHICSOC 10: Citizenship in Action as an experiential companion course for COLLEGE 102: Citizenship in the 21st Century. The 1-2 unit companion course was designed to extend COLLEGE 102 class conversations beyond the classroom and to bring students from different sections together for shared experiences. 

Taught by Kristina Lobo, Citizenship in Action included four structured field experiences aligned to the themes of COLLEGE 102: civil dialogue, immigration, collective action, and inequality. Each field experience was preceded by a classroom orientation session and followed by a classroom reflection session.

Students engage in dialogue with community members.
Students engaged in dialogue with community members at the event with Braver Angels.

In the first field experience, students built skills for challenging conversations and explored the topic of cancel culture with Bay Area residents. Community members were invited to Stanford’s campus for an event on civil discourse in collaboration with Braver Angels, an organization that hosts events and programs to build understanding among people of opposing political beliefs.

Students assist adult Spanish speakers who are preparing for the U.S. Citizenship exam.
Students assisted Spanish speakers preparing for the U.S. Citizenship exam in Redwood City and San Francisco.

For their second field experience, students assisted adult Spanish speakers who were preparing for the U.S. Citizenship exam. One group traveled up to San Francisco to volunteer with Centro Latino, a full-service community center that provides essential services to elderly members of the Latinx community. The other group volunteered in Redwood City at the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, which provides immigration legal services, education, and civic engagement opportunities.

City council members sit at a table for a city council meeting.
At city council meetings in Redwood City and Menlo Park, students were able to see local government in action.

On their next field trip, the class sought to understand how diverse communities address collective action problems. Students saw local government in action by talking with city council members about local governance and democratic decision-making and attending city council meetings in Redwood City and Menlo Park.

Two students pose with trays of food.
Students volunteered with LifeMoves Opportunity Services Center for their final field experience.

In their last field trip, students explored how communities address rising inequalities, especially for vulnerable groups. They served lunch and learned about the work of LifeMoves Opportunity Services Center, which provides emergency shelter, food, and case management services for adult men and women in Palo Alto.

Citizenship in Action had a powerful impact on students. In her final course reflection, Suraya Mathai-Jackson, ’28, wrote, “These field experiences have profoundly shaped my understanding of what it means to be an active citizen. Citizenship is not just about legal documentation or the ability to vote; it is about participating in civic life, advocating for those who are marginalized, and engaging in the difficult work of dialogue and understanding. Moving forward, I plan to apply these lessons by staying involved in community service, advocating for inclusive immigration policies, and fostering civil discourse in the spaces I occupy.”

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