The Draper Center for Community Partnerships offers an assortment of engagement opportunities through its student-coordinated programs. Each of the following provides a mutually-beneficial opportunity to get involved in the world around you. For more information, or to get involved, contact the program coordinators or stop by the Draper Center office.
Alternabreak
Alternabreak is a week-long community engagement trip during Spring Break. Students commit their break to volunteering with organizations in the larger community, addressing social issues on topics such as the environment, education, homelessness, and hunger. Student Coordinators lead 3 trips each spring, in San Diego, San Francisco, and Oakland. You can sign up to participate on a trip during the fall.
Community Based Research & Learning (CBRL)
The Draper Center partners with faculty at Pomona College to design and develop Community Partnership (CP) courses to promote Community-Based Research and Learning (CBRL). CP courses are full-credit courses that incorporate a practicum-based approach to learning academic topics, and involve partnering with community organizations to establish engagement initiatives between students and communities. CBRL organizes and facilitates events that encourage faculty and student engagement with the communities and their histories, host information sessions for students interested in taking CP courses, and develop resources for faculty potentially interested in teaching a CP course.
English as a Second Language + (ESL+)
Coordinators: Nate Rubin '26, Joshua Gomez '28
Email: pomonaesltutors@gmail.com
The English as a Second Language + (ESL+) Tutoring Program gives staff at Pomona College the opportunity to improve their English speaking, writing, reading, computer literacy skills through one-on-one meetings with students. Interested staff sign-up and are paired with one or more 5C students who put together weekly lesson plans. The program is a great opportunity for staff and students to build valuable relationships and learn from each other.
Health Bridges
Coordinators: Ethan Du ‘26, Abigail Krenz ‘26, Marina Saffold ‘26
Email: healthbridgesclaremont@gmail.com
Health Advocates work side by side with low-income and/or Low English Proficiency (LEP) patients in their native languages to navigate the hospital system and obtain health resources for which they are eligible.
Hunger and Houselessness Initiatives/Food Recovery Network
Coordinators: Stefanie Howard '26, Dani Anabtwawi '26, Keli Fisher '26 (fall),
Email: drapercenter@pomona.edu
The Food Recovery Network works with the Pomona College Dining Halls to distribute leftover food to our community partners who work with those who experience food insecurity. Volunteers coordinate pick up and drop off each day to ensure that food is not wasted and members in our neighboring communities have access to fresh food.
Latine-identity Empowerment Advice Friendship (LEAF)
Coordinators: Alexa Tapia-Plazola '26, Denise Hernandez '27, Kimberly Murillo '27
Email: uncommongoodatdraper@gmail.com
The LEAF Program, in partnership with Uncommon Good, is a non-academic mentorship program that pairs current college students from the 5Cs with youth from the Inland Empire from grades 4-12. This program creates a safe space for individuals to explore themes of friendship and advice.
Music Mentors Program
Coordinators: Syd Godwin ‘26, Matthew Chang ‘27, Ben Sauer '28
Email: musicmentorsofpv@gmail.com
Music Mentors is a student led organization that partners with Uncommon Good to connect 5C students with youth from surrounding underserved communities to provide free music lessons.
Leadership and Engagement in Gender and Sexuality (LEGS)
Coordinators: Miriam Clement y Caridad '26, Paul Yan '26, Isaiah Moliga-Puletasi '29, Kitty Chadwych-Healey '27 (spring)
Email: claremontlegs@gmail.com
Leadership and Engagement in Gender and Sexuality (LEGS) is a collaboration with the Queer Resource Center of The Claremont Colleges that brings local LGBTQA high school students and Claremont Colleges students together on a weekly basis. College students and high school students both develop leadership and facilitation skills while establishing sustainable community bonds and exploring aspects of their own and others' identity.
Learning IN Collaboration (LINC)
Coordinators: Julie Hsu-Chu Chen ‘26, Helen Grace Ball '26, Sarah Muller ‘27, Lily Watkins '27
Email: learningincollaboration@gmail.com
LINC partners Pomona College tutors with local under-resourced schools. Volunteers will work one on one with elementary school students during the school day to help students develop their literacy and mathematical skills and improve their overall performance in school. The program hopes to both engage students and families in their academic journey.
Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS)
Coordinators: Edidya Solomon ‘26, Leo Torres ‘26, Sharon Nejad '26, Jimena Sanchez ‘27, Briselda Nuñez '28, Shixiao Yu '28
Email: pays@pomona.edu
The Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) yearlong program works to support high school students in their preparation for postsecondary study and to inculcate a culture of college-bound achievement. During the summer, PAYS participants engage in a rigorous, four week liberal arts curriculum intended to push students’ academic boundaries and to foster community among students and college mentors. College students can volunteer to be a College Advisor or Tutor while seeking summer employment as a Resident Assistant, Teaching Assistant, Writing Tutor or Math Tutor. To get involved, or to find out more, send an email to the coordinator team or drop by the Draper Center.
Pomona Partners
Coordinators: Lawrence Stampino-Strain '26, Chloe Mei Espinosa '28
Email: pomonapartners@gmail.com
Pomona Partners is a non-academic mentor program for Fremont Academy students focusing on self-realization, empowerment, and social awareness. With coordination through the Draper Center for Community Partnerships, volunteers design and implement a curriculum that includes weekly visits to Fremont as well as two off-site field trips per semester. Pomona Partners hopes to cultivate mentor relationships and foster a peer group for success in high school and a college future. To get involved, or to find out more, send an email to the coordinator team or drop by the Draper Center.
Rooftop Garden Project
Coordinators: Arianna Lawrence '26, Joanna Lam '27, Mariam Loria '27
Email: rooftopgarden47@gmail.com
The Rooftop Garden Project is a collaboration between Pomona College and Teen Green, a part of Uncommon Good. The program aims to increase awareness around environmental concerns, sustainability, and gardening; build leadership and presentation skills; and develop positive mentoring relationships between Pomona and Teen Green students. Environmentors and mentees work together to develop short workshops and collaborate with other members of the program to cultivate a garden on top of Sontag Residence Hall. We meet biweekly on Thursdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Sista2Sista (S2S)
Coordinators: Edidya Solomon '26, Werlie Cius '26, Semi Osunkeye ‘28
Email: pomona.sista2sista@gmail.com
Sista2Sista plans to encourage unconditional sisterhood, growth, and self-reliance. Through mentorship, workshops, and discussions, this program plans to heighten students’ understanding of what it means to be a young woman in the world today, and how to see this as a strength to build a solid foundation for the future.
Pomona College Community Engagement Center (PCCEC)
Coordinators: Amirah Lockett '26, Max McCarthy Neal '26, Daniel Velazquez '26
Email: pccec@pomona.edu
The Pomona College Community Engagement Center (PCCEC) is an innovative and inclusive safe space dedicated to providing educational opportunities, community collaborations and connections to resources. Our mission is to create an empowering environment that promotes personal growth, creativity, mutual validation, and community support. Together, we strive to inspire sustainable change and positively support the city of Pomona and the surrounding communities.
Young Men's Collective (YMC)
Coordinators: Kelvin Kissi '26, Chris Simpson '26
Email: youngmenscircle@gmail.com
Young Men's Collective provides a supportive space for young men of color to develop through discussions, workshops, and mentorship. YMC equips young men with the tools to thrive and positively impact their communities.