CSUN Students Will Work for the County
As part of an unusual partnership, 36 Cal State Northridge students are earning college credits by working for county government this semester.
The Community-Based Enterprise Education Program is an attempt by CSUN President Blenda J. Wilson and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to encourage students to participate in community service projects as part of their education, county and university officials said.
The students--who volunteered for the pilot project--will work in county departments that are related to their major fields of study, officials said.
This semester, student interns will work in a variety of county departments including Auditor/Controller, Public Works, Coroner, Human Resources, Probation, Mental Health, Health, Community and Senior Services, Sheriff, Parks and Recreation, Public Social Services and Children and Family Services, according to county officials.
The planned research includes a biology major who will study chemical compositions in the Coroner’s Department and an urban studies major who will work on a women’s health care study for the Board of Supervisors.
The program will be monitored by the county’s Department of Human Resources and CSUN officials. At the end of the semester, the students will critique the program and make recommendations to improve county government.
CSUN is planning to expand the program to include other government and community-based organizations in the future, officials said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
