Partnership between Passion Impact & Portland Community College
PCC Community-Based Learning • Financial Aid • Human Services Focus Department
The Advocate for Community Engagement Program, or ACE, is designed to link Work-Study students to the needs of Passion Impact and the Community-Based Learning Programs. Students in Human Services, Social Work, Communications, Public-Relations, and similar focus areas are encouraged to apply. Students will be required to be approved as Work-Study eligible to participate as an ACE.
Explore opportunities for community engagement through one of the four pathway options:
Pathway 1 | Communication
Help Promote Passion impact by publishing information through:
- Social media and other online volunteer platforms (GivePulse)
- Following up with students who have expressed an interest in volunteering (i.e., calling, texting, and emailing)
- Tabling and promotion at PCC Campuses or virtual
- Posting blogs, photos, or videos that incorporate your volunteer experiences
- Contributing to the Passion Impact Newsletter
Pathway 2 | Researcher
Assist other ACE’s by gathering resources as well as:
- Research, vet, and build relationships with community partners that provide avenues for faculty and HS students to build trustworthy connections toward CBL projects and civic engagement.
- Communication with ACE team and work closely with other pathways on a weekly basis
- Utilize, organize and streamline volunteer platforms and other resource tools
Pathway 3 | Instructor Support
Support PCC Instructors who use community-based learning projects/assignments in their courses:
- Assist instructors and students in identifying community engagement opportunities that align with student community-based learning assignments/projects
- Assist instructors and students in utilizing GivePulse
- Communicate one on one with PCC instructors and CBL Coordinator
Pathway 4 | High school Support
Meet with Franklin and/ or McDaniel Students one on one to help connect them to community engagement opportunities:
- Mostly referral based appointments from the High School College and Career Coordinators
- Process intake and outtake forms from students as well as promotional materials
- Help to create an ideal process for both students and community partners
- Coordinate volunteer opportunities with students
- Meet with the ACE team and relay any important information
- Work closely with the Researcher (path 2) to relay up to date and accurate information to students
- Occasional work and communication with the High school Program Director and High School Program Assistant as needed
- Meetings with Franklin High School College and Career Coordinators (in-person)
We hope to see students who enjoy making an impact as an ACE to stick with us through their PCC tenure. In addition, through increased participation and partnership with other Work-Study programs at Portland State University provides the opportunity for students to continue working as ACE’s after PCC.
Are you a student currently enrolled at PCC who qualifies for work study? Learn more and apply by clicking below!
Pathway 3
Andrea Cardenas
I’m a PCC student majoring in Psychology with the hopes of becoming a psychiatrist. I’m a nature lover, avid baker/cook, and fanatic of all things music/traveling. Learning new things makes me tick. There are many things that inspire me to be a part of my community but I would say something that really motivates me is seeing other people I look up to like the youth, individuals from all different ages, and backgrounds coming together for the common goal and love for community service and acts of kindness. It brings me so much joy to see others being as passionate, driven and invested in forms of community engagement in the way that I am. I always find it rewarding as well to also see others take part in forms of aid that add communities for the better and to their success and growth. I am inspired to be a positive addition to the communities that I’m a part of and hope that I am able to help in creating change and add to their existing growth in a manner that supports them and their well-being. I joined Passion Impact because I genuinely wanted to be a part of a team and space that was as passionate about community engagement and service as I was and I also loved the fact that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is at the core of PI’s work and organization and really wanted to continue to learn how I could become invested in efforts like that and be in a setting where that was valued. Once I heard about the opportunity it kind of felt like destiny in a way because I had been searching for a job but none of them were focused or even remotely related to things I am deeply passionate about. So getting this wonderful opportunity to be a part of such an amazing place and team that is centered around matters I care about has been so fulfilling. In just the short amount of time that I’ve been with Passion Impact they have had a lot of influence over me and have really changed me as an individual for the better. Instantly after my interviews with both Davida and Stefan who are some of our organization’s leaders, I knew that it was a place and space that I wanted to be a part of and I feel so lucky that I get to be here everyday. It’s such a positive and supporting environment which I really respect and appreciate. Everyone on our team seems so excited to be here and are genuinely devoted to the crucial and impactful work that we do in regards to community engagement and outreach. I would have never had the opportunity to take time every week to explore organizations that exist out there like I do now and actively do research on them and have a space like Padlet to share that kind of information out there into the world. Nor would I have had a chance to really connect with PCC Faculty and Students and get them interested and active in opportunities on campus and within our communities and be a part of community engagement centered work. I feel really grateful for the fact that PI and Hannah made us aware of the CBL programs that are at PCC and that they gave us the opportunity to connect with faculty who are a part of that area of study. Their courses tie a lot into our roles as ACE’s and what our work is rooted in so I look forward to getting to work with them and get to know them better this year. Overall Passion Impact has had a very positive influence over me and I couldn’t be more excited and fortunate to be here. I feel so proud to be a part of such a wonderful community and team and could go on and on about how amazing Passion Impact is. In my position as an ACE, I hope to make meaningful impacts and changes within the communities and individuals I get the opportunity to work with. I aim to make contributions to others that are significant for them and hope that the work that I do only adds to these communities and their success. A fun fact others may find unique about me is that I love to collect vintage postcards when traveling that are from like the 1700’s-1900’s but not in the typical way one would where you get them from like a gift shop or something but rather ones that have been given or rather left-behind to be taken by vintage/antique shops or even estate sales. There’s so much history to them and I just enjoy getting to read them and imagine the lives and stories of these people’s messages to each other.