ABOUT Ben
I’ve been a local organizer helping to rebuild a sense of camaraderie and community in San Francisco.
Let’s transform City College campuses into local community resources.
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Let’s gather young and old from Chinatown to the Mission and give them a place to connect, learn, and engage.
City College leaders should have renewed focus and attention on the needs of their surrounding communities and to build infrastructure for community outreach.
To forget more community ties, City College branch campuses in Chinatown and The Mission, for instance, could aim to go beyond campus buildings to support residents with services where they are, including boys’ and girls’ clubs, public libraries, and all types of community-based nonprofit organizations that are located in our communities.
City College could be among the many community colleges across the U.S. who are making college resources more accessible to everyone — including adult learners who may be juggling classes alongside work, family, and childcare responsibilities. This could include evening and weekend workshops, academic help, and a variety of support services for community members including hot meals from the college’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies Department for unhoused people in the area.— plus non-credit courses in basic computer skills, résumé writing and other practical subjects.
Partnerships between City College branch campuses and their surrounding neighborhoods can enrich the lives of students, staff, faculty, institution leaders, and community members. To engage in fruitful partnerships, City College must embrace a role
as key stakeholders in building a more just and equitable community—listening and responding to the needs of the community. This can start with an initiative to truly listen and gather the experiences of individuals, organizations, and businesses in the local area.
