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Collaborative Program

Student Ambassador Program

The UC|CSU Collaborative for Neuroscience, Diversity, and Learning is proud to launch the inaugural cohort of Student Ambassadors for the 2024-2025 school year. This is a statewide cohort of 10th and 11th grade students interested in sharing their own learning experiences, conducting an action research project, and uplifting their voices and those of neurodiverse learners.

Program Goals

Identify systemic barriers and provide practical, timely, evidence-based solutions to address needs/challenges faced by CA educators.
Create agency in all those working with students through knowledge about how to meet the diverse needs of learners.
Create a network to multiply the impact of efforts to improve educational outcomes.

Program Model

Pre-Program Planning, Recruitment, Selection and Design

Core Activities

  • Collaborate with stakeholder team to finalize design of customized curriculum and program structure.

  • Provide evidence-based practices and curricular recommendations for civic engagement and social justice leadership experience and final project.

Full Group Civic Leadership and Action Research Seminars

Core Activities

  • Students learn steps for engaging in a civic leadership action-research project. Sample topics include: design thinking, stakeholder mapping, collecting and analyzing qualitative data, creative brainstorming, prototyping and iterating.

  • Students participate in interactive leadership training focused on skills such as: active listening, giving and receiving feedback, project management, conflict resolution, and growth mindset.

  • In teams, students prepare final project highlighting their authentic voice and findings from action research for presentation to an external audience.

Structure

  • 8 full-group meetings

  • 90-minute interactive leadership seminars with small group breakouts and guest speakers

Small-Group Follow-Ups and Individual Project Coaching

Core Activities

  • Small group student research teams meet with assigned staff for 30-45 minutes monthly for final project development including research support, answering questions, and final project preparation.

  • Feedback and coaching on final project preparation and delivery.

  • Staff available for additional as-needed support.

Structure

  • Office hours for additional support as needed

Post-Program Recap, Evaluations and Future Recommendations

Core Activities

  • Assist in preparation of program recap that can be broadly shared to highlight and empower authentic student voice

Structure

  • Partner with UC|CSU Collaborative on program evaluation and iteration.

Virtual Meeting Dates

Prospective Participant Information Session:
September 12, 2024
7 to 8 p.m.


Program Launch:
September 26, 2024
4 to 7 p.m.

The 2024-2025 Student Ambassadors will meet virtually from 5 to 6:20 p.m. on the following dates:

October 17, 2024
November 14, 2024
December 5, 2024
January 9, 2025
February 6, 2025
March 6, 2025