Stanbridge University Students Receive Record-Breaking 26 Community Engagement Fellowships

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - October 11, 2017) - The California Campus Compact Community Engagement Student Fellowship Program (CESF) is a valuable program that provides community engagement fellowships and a variety of opportunities for students to enhance their educational experience through service. Stanbridge University students have been awarded an unprecedented total of 26 fellowships from this program since 2016.

Stanbridge University has become the first ever CACC member-campus to receive 26 Community Engagement Student Fellowships in a two-year period. This speaks to the importance of service to Stanbridge's educational programs and the drive and ambition of its students. Stanbridge University has mobilized its student body in support of the fellowship program, resulting in more fellowship opportunities for Stanbridge students, each one tailored to a different field of study and tactically coordinated for maximum impact on those who need it most.

The California Campus Compact (CACC) is a regional chapter of the national Campus Compact, which consists of over 1,000 public and private colleges and universities, and is the only higher education association dedicated solely to campus-based civic engagement on a national level. It represents over 500,000 students, and while the qualifying schools typically receive fellowships for 1 to 2 students per year, Stanbridge University has had the unique opportunity to engage 16 of its students across its Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Veterinary Technician programs with fellowship programs in 2016. In 2017, Stanbridge students have received 10 additional community service fellowships.

"California Campus Compact applauds Stanbridge University's leadership and commitment to engaging students in meaningful service experiences as part of their educational experience," Dr. Elaine Ikeda, Executive Director, California Campus Compact stated. "We are proud to have Stanbridge University participate in our CESF program and know their students are making an important contribution to the community through service."

"Through the CESF program, Stanbridge students have created legacy projects in partnership with non-profit organizations focused on solutions for pressing problems facing the most underserved populations," President Yasith Weerasuriya stated. "Service is a central tenet of Stanbridge's programs, and the California Campus Compact fellowships have been invaluable to our students' service experience and their greater education."

Some of the organizations the CSEF students work with include High Hopes Traumatic Brain Injury Program, Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Life College, Illumination Foundation, the Orange County Zoo, American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the GetWell Network.

CACC CESF Fellow, Ms. Whitney Boetel is an example of how the California Campus Compact Community Engagement program has helped impact our students' educational experiences and professional developments. Over the course of her 100-hour fellowship volunteering with Wounded American Veterans Experience Scuba (WAVES), a non-profit dedicated to helping veterans by providing scuba diving ocean therapy, Ms. Boetel was able to assist WAVES staff with dive instruction and training to learn first-hand about the work they do. She was able to develop a supplement to the WAVES diving curriculum called "Under the WAVES," which expanded upon the work of the original goals. Ms. Boetel incorporated other principles of occupational therapy into the program in order to help veterans to better manage the psycho-social aspects of diving. Ms. Boetel also assisted in expanding the scope of the WAVES Project in Orange County and its outreach to local veteran organizations, allowing more veterans access to the program.

Mr. Steve Rubin, Founder of WAVES says that the Stanbridge students he's worked with have brought amazing effort and aid to their service with WAVES. "All of the students that we have worked with at Stanbridge University have been phenomenal. We are going into our second year of a program that looks at how scuba diving, occupational therapy, and the therapeutic values of water help wounded veterans and everyone at Stanbridge has been incredible. Their passion in their hearts as they work with the veterans really makes a big statement about the quality of students," he said.

The impact of the CESF program on the participating student fellows and on the people and organizations they serve is undeniable, and has become a signature component of the community service initiative at Stanbridge, and in turn, a greater education in humanity and healing.

About Stanbridge University
Founded in 1996, Stanbridge University offers specialized degrees at the Master, Bachelor, and Associate levels in the fields of Nursing and Allied Health. Stanbridge is based in Irvine, California with an annual enrollment of over 1,600 students. For each year from 2009 through 2015, Stanbridge has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. In 2017, Stanbridge University was awarded the 2017 School of the Year Award by California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS) for outstanding educational practices among higher education institutions. In 2016, Stanbridge University was awarded the Gold Award for Excellence in Community Service from CAPPS for offering students quality higher education while simultaneously maintaining efforts to assist the local community. Stanbridge University has been selected as a 2014-2015 School of Excellence by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and also received its 2015 Excellence in Student Services Award for creating a comprehensive student services program that enhances student achievement outcomes. In 2013, Stanbridge University received the ACCSC Community Service Award for outstanding outreach to the local and global community. Institutional Research & Evaluation, Inc., has named Stanbridge University one of America's Best Technical Colleges for each year from 2009 through 2016. For more information, please visit www.stanbridge.edu or call (949) 794-9090.