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This Fall, uAspire launched an innovative partnership with CivicCapstone, through which we placed 3 community college students as consultants in uAspire’s California policy team to gain advocacy training and provide input to our policy agenda informed by their research and experiences. 

A one-of-a-kind student-led pilot, CivicCapstone recreates the work-based consultancy capstone model found in Masters in Public Administration and other graduate programs for community college students. This creates a hands-on learning experience and access to networking for  community college students in California hoping to further their involvement in the world of public policy. uAspire was proud to be a founding partner in this pilot and use it to introduce our student participants  to a host of coalition partners, including NextGen Policy, Coalition for California Welfare Rights Organizations, and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

What is CivicCapstone?

CivicCapstone is a program that pairs community college students with nonprofit organizations to participate in and complete a consulting project. Fellows in the program gain access to professional development workshops and the opportunity to expand their network.

Nathaniel Stephen founded CivicCapstone because, as a former community college student, he recognized how difficult it was to find resume-building professional work experience. Community College students are often ineligible for internships and are overlooked by employers who focus more on recruiting from bachelor-degree granting institutions. CivicCapstone serves as an innovative measure to circumvent the lack of opportunities for ambitious community college students. The program, run by Nathaniel, sources both semester-long clients and handles the application process to admit community college students.

Learn about our program participants:

Kyle Fong - Kyle was eager to work in the professional world. uAspire was helped provide key skills that he can use throughout his career. Working closely with uAspire’s California Policy Director, Kyle learned the world of policy first-hand by proposing policy changes focused on and drafting bill language. Kyle met representatives from  other non-profits, such as Nextgen Policy and CCWRO, who gave him advice on rules in the legislative world and how to succeed in it. For his final capstone project, Kyle analyzed the California Welfare and Institutions code and proposed changes that would help students transferring between schools in different counties to maintain their CalFresh eligibility.

Austin Diaz - The experience Austin was given with uAspire had let me branch out and build upon myself. In the time we shared, the group was able to hear from speakers that were already down the path in career fields. They had given their insights and knowledge they built through their own journeys. As this was his first fellowship and introduction into what the future holds in store, Austin was inexperienced in how to conduct himself. Through their mentorship, Austin learned how to properly conduct business relationships. Austin delved into the policies with uAspire and, through this, learned what it takes to change and update policies to current times. 

Shawn Vallesteros - During his fellowship with uAspire, Shawn gained valuable insight into the policy landscape and the professional world. He worked alongside experienced mentors who introduced him to the processes behind shaping and improving legislation, while also guiding him in building strong professional habits. Shawn had the chance to connect with leaders from various organizations, each offering unique perspectives that helped broaden his understanding of advocacy and policy change. Through hands-on projects and meaningful conversations, he developed new skills, strengthened his confidence, and discovered how he could contribute to real solutions facing students and communities.

Nathaniel Stephen - Nathaniel, the founder of the CivicCapstone program, decided to participate as a Fellow to gain firsthand experience, which will help him keep improving the program for the next cohorts. He is very proud to have founded this program, but even more proud to have worked with uAspire and the Fellows. It was amazing to see how much support uAspire put into this program by providing guest speakers as well as the opportunity to work on real policy issues, specifically reworking a policy bill draft regarding student housing. As for the Fellows, Nathaniel is in awe because of how much they have grown professionally. He was amazed to see the Fellows become confident and polished presenters at their final presentation with the VP of Policy at uAspire. He is forever grateful to uAspire and the Fellows for all the hard work that went into making this pilot cohort a success.

What’s next?

Following the successful completion of this pilot program, uAspire is excited to once again serve as a host for the Spring term and continue partnering with CivicCapstone again in the future. We also encourage our other organizational partners to also become program hosts as well. For those interested in participating in CivicCapstone or partnering with the program host, please reach out to CivicCapstoneProgram@gmail.com.