The seven are being honored for providing Northridge students a place to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real-world situations--whether having the students work in a gang prevention program, serve as math tutors to middle school children or helping elderly immigrants obtain their citizenship.

"This is the first time CSUN has ever honored the community organizations at which our students serve," said Maureen Rubin, director for community service learning at CSUN's Center for Innovative and Engaged Learning Opportunities. "Students in the program should be doing way more than just filing and answering phones. The organizations and individuals that we are honoring are truly co-educators of our students. They mentor our students and teach them valuable, real-world lessons that will help them succeed and continue to contribute to the community after graduation."

Those to be honored are:

• Manny Velasquez, education director of Positive Alternatives for Youth, for his role in MOSAIC (Mentoring to Overcome Struggles and Inspire Courage), a gang prevention program sponsored by Learn and Serve America;
• The Van Nuys Community Adult School, for its support of Project SHINE (Students Helping in the Naturalization of the Elderly), a program in which CSUN students help elderly immigrants learn English and obtain citizenship;
• The Multicultural Learning Center, for its contributions to America Reads, a national literacy program for K-5 kids that seeks to help all children learn to read;
• Bert Corona Charter School, for helping CSUN students succeed in their efforts to help middle school students learn math and get ready for college through America Counts;
• Project Steps at North Hollywood High School, which hosts CSUN students who help low-income students get ready for college through providing academic support, counseling and a variety of college-prep workshops affiliated with GEAR UP;
• EROS at Cal State Northridge, through which CSUN students in AmeriCorps strive to develop a regional network of student leaders committed to serving and strengthening local partnerships with P-16 educators focused on education, public safety, environmental initiatives and human needs; and
• Roscoe Canyon Head Start, which hosts CSUN students serving in Jumpstart, a national program that builds early language, literacy and school readiness in disadvantaged preschoolers.

The May 3 conference will bring together representatives from government, education and community agencies to explore ways they can work with Cal State Northridge faculty and students in addressing some of the major challenges facing Los Angeles.

Rubin said conference organizers felt it was time to recognize the critical role that community-based organizations play in maximizing student learning outside the classroom.

"Those honored make sure that students become aware of community needs, meet the people with whom they will be working when they graduate and learn life lessons that will be of immeasurable value throughout their professional careers," she said.