“Educating the Heart Through Chavez:
Community, Computers, Creativity, Culture, Civics, and Caring”
2002 Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) proposes a multifaceted, three-month service-learning program in honor of Cesar Chavez. “Educating the Heart Through Chavez: Computers, Creativity, Culture, Civics, Community, and Caring (the Seven Cs)” is a semester-long, two-tiered service-learning project administered by CSUN’s Center for Community Service-Learning (CCSL) in collaboration with its College of Humanities, six academic departments, a community center, four elementary schools (that participate in the Los Palmas Park After-School Community Enrichment Program (ASCEP), two middle school campuses, an adult computer program, and an innovative high school program serving new immigrants. The common goal is to create and implement a series of interwoven learning and community service projects that will give the participating children and adults new knowledge, skills, and power while instilling an appreciation of cultural diversity, community service, and civic engagement in all participants.

The Seven Cs is comprised of six projects unified through a series of interdisciplinary activities, and culminating in a community-wide oral history, essay and photo exhibition, a bus shelter beautification project and performances of an original play. The play and its companion exhibits are entitled Cesar Chavez: An Inspiration. They will open on the City of San Fernando’s designated Cesar Chavez Day, April 7, 2002, and conclude with an exhibit and performance at CSUN on April 28, 2002. In addition, student designed K-5 community projects will be completed by April 1, 2002 and will be on display at their designated sites for the entire month of April.

In 2000, Governor Davis signed into law Senate Bill 984, authored by Senator Polanco, creating Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning. On April 1, 2002, Californians across the state will unite in community awareness events that commemorate Cesar E. Chavez and his values for the second year. Cesar E. Chavez believed that people have an obligation to contribute to their communities and help those in need. Chavez was committed to the idea that service not only strengthened a community, but it also benefited those individuals that joined together to improve a community. Cesar stated that "the end of all education should surely by service to others".

The values that Cesar Chavez strove to live out in all his endeavors include:

• Service to Others- empowering individuals by engendering self-help, self-determination, and self-sufficiency rather than charity;

• Sacrifice,- recognizing the obligation every individual has to contribute to their community despite having to endure great hardship;

• A Preference to Help the Most Needy- supporting efforts to reach those in need, those dispossessed, those most forgotten individuals in our society;

• Determination- instilling an attitude that through steadfast commitment, patience, and optimism, people can overcome great adversity;

• Non-Violence- achieving social and economic justice and equality through bold and courageous action;

• Tolerance- promoting and supporting ethnic and cultural diversity as a means towards informing and strengthening communities;

• Respect for Life- holding land, people, and all other forms of life in the highest regard;

• Celebrating Community- sharing expressions of culture and identity through art, song and dance;

• Knowledge- pursuing self-directed learning, the development of critical thinking, and constructive problem solving;

• Innovation- creating strategies and tactics to resolve problems and situations that often seem insurmountable.