Lin Myat: With 91.9 KVCR News, this is Lin Myat. When you think of climate action, do you picture college students planting trees, advocating for clean air or tackling food insecurity? In Riverside, that's exactly what's happening. I spoke with Reyna Roberta, the Assistant Director of climate action at the University of California, Riverside. Her work and the work of student fellows in the UCR College Corps program covers more than just climate action. From climate action to education, this team is focused on building a sustainable Riverside.
Reyna Roberta: College Corps is a statewide program that gives college students the opportunity to serve their communities while gaining meaningful hands on, you know, experience at UCR.
Lin Myat: College Corps consists of three categories, Climate Action, education and food insecurity.
Reyna Roberta: Fellows are placed at their service site where they serve throughout their academic year to help address real community needs. This service is designed to complement their academic journey while also building professional skills, leadership, and deeper understanding of what is civic engagement. And in exchange for their service, fellows do receive a living allowance through stipend that are dispersed throughout the years and education awards upon completion of the program. So this financial support really does help the cost of living and educational expenses which also make service more accessible for students.
Lin Myat: The UCR College Corps is supported by a team of seven professional staff who guide and mentor approximately 150 students in advancing their focus area.
Reyna Roberta: Like I mentioned before, I am one of the assistant directors for the UCR College Corps program. I currently oversee the climate action focus area. So in my role, I help to oversee and support the climate action focus area, which means that I help to ensure that our fellows are well equipped to contribute to meaningful service. In addition to supporting our fellows, I also serve as the liaison between our program and our community host partners for the climate action focus area, and these are local organizations both on and off campus, where our fellows complete their service hours, and we work with incredible partners who provide our fellows with opportunities to not only make a positive impact in the community, but also gain The hands on experience that I previously mentioned, and just in general, professional development that will really help them in their future careers.
Lin Myat: The organization has partnered with eight climate action sites, fourteen education sites, and six food insecurity sites. They support community-focused initiatives across Riverside.
Reyna Roberta: So the work that our fellows do within the climate action focus area, it really depends on the specific site that they're placed at, as each site focuses on different aspects of environmental service. Fellows contribute to a variety of projects that help improve, you know, the local environment.
Lin Myat: Throughout climate action work, students directly support the Riverside Community by advancing sustainability and promoting environmental justice in underserved areas.
Reyna Roberta: So the work that our fellows do within the climate action focus area, it really depends on the specific site that they're placed at as each site focuses on different aspects of environmental service. Fellows contribute to a variety of projects that help improve, you know, the local environment. So, for example, reducing food waste on campus, working in gardens, supporting greener practices within you know, labs and residence halls here at UCR.
Lin Myat: One recent initiative led by UCR College Corps was a community cleanup in partnership with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, making a visible impact in improving local neighborhoods.
Reyna Roberta: One of the recent or just in general, one of our initiatives in the program that we've been involved in is organizing community cleanups in collaboration with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful, KRCB for short. And we've been partnering with them, you know, since the beginning of the program, and I feel like they're an amazing organization here in Riverside that really do, as the title says, they really do help keep our community clean and beautiful.
Lin Myat: Looking ahead, we hope to see climate action and sustainability become a shared responsibility in Riverside with more residents, students, and organizations actively involved in creating a cleaner, greener future for all.
Reyna Roberta: Looking ahead, I would really hope to see Riverside continue to grow as a community that values and, you know, prioritizes our environment. And I hope to see more greener spaces, cleaner streets, and just greater awareness of how just even like really small, like everyday actions can make a huge, you know, impact and a huge difference down the road.
Lin Myat: From 91.9 KVCR News, I am Lin Myat.