The Need

Here are just some of the many societal issues that CASA addresses within it's programming.

College undergraduates lack real world experience to provide them insight into careers and social contexts
Practicum courses and mentorship programs give students the chance to earn course credit while gaining valuable experience in research, career paths, and community engagement

College undergraduates face a changing economic climate in a multicultural/globalized world
Our program facilitates learning skill sets and navigating cultural community contexts to better prepare them for their futures

Children in minority/low income communities are in constant need of safe spaces and fun resources during the after school hours.
Our program provides a safe, fun, and educational place for kids to learn after school. We strategically locate ourselves in existing community centers where our program can meet children close to home.

Many low income children lack the educational assistance in preparing them for higher education
Our program provides mentorship from trained college students, who provide a support system and inspiration for youth to imagine their futures and accomplish their dreams.

We live in a society where an appreciation and education for the arts, culture, and expression are rapidly declining
Our program feeds kids the resources to thoughtfully express themselves through art, digital projects like movies, and creative writing. They will tackle community issues and social and school problems they face everyday through fun and engaging mediums that help them share their voices and opinions.

Standardized education has left many multicultural and bilingual families trying to "catch up"
Our program embraces linguistic and cultural differences and uses these as tools in the learning process.

Giving back to the community is not just an activity for wealthy affluent people
We believe all community members - especially those who are still figuring their lives out - need to be involved and learning at a grass roots level. LCM is an opportunity for all college students, community organization members, business employees, and parents and children to engage with each other.

Many college students never leave their campus but later become workers and citizens within a community
We give San Diego college students a chance to earn course credit for helping others out - now that's really a good deal! When they graduate they are more likely to understand the community they are a part of and constructively make better decisions for San Diego.

P-6th graders who are rapidly absorbing the technological, social and educational challenges in a changing educational landscape, but may not have the tools to assess how they are being affected
Our program gives children the access and knowledge on how to assess different technology, media forms, and messages in today's world.

Many universities and colleges struggle to keep a culturally diverse and local population of San Diego students on their campuses
LCM inspires minority and low income youth to plan for their futures and aspire to think about entering college at an early age. Colleges that offer programs within their local communities receive the benefit back twofold: in a more educated student body and more college bound community members!