Community-Engaged Honors Program
The Sixth College Community-Engaged Honors Program is a cohort-based, small seminar program designed for highly motivated first- and second-year students interested in the process of engaging in community and building human connections through the lens of Cultural Studies. The program's concepts—community engagement, critical media literacy, and impactful composition—reflect CAT's belief that the ability to analyze and produce media and writing are at the core of affecting positive social change. Over the three-course sequence, students will be challenged to expand their awareness of the ways in which media and rhetoric impact their lives and their communities. These courses will empower students to locate their own agency and apply it to identifying and solving community-based problems. Ultimately, students who complete the program will come away with the skills and tools needed to be critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and changemakers.
For the 2024-2025 cohort, no more than twenty-five students will be accepted into the program. This program is currently only available to non-transfer students, but we hope to have an option for transfer students in the near future.
Important Dates
- Application opens: Monday, October 7, 2024
- Submission deadline: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Learning Objectives
The Community-Engaged Honors Program aims to develop students who are...
Critical Thinkers
By facilitating a social consciousness through the introduction of critical frameworks and theories, students will be encouraged to analyze the world around them, in particular dominant cultural narratives and norms.
Lifelong Learners
By encouraging students to take ownership of their learning, they will discover their own intrinsic and personal motivations for learning. Students will find a sense of enjoyment and develop curiosity to continue learning beyond college.
Changemakers
By providing students opportunities to put their knowledge into action through civic and community engagement, students will develop a sense of responsibility and empowerment to become agents of change in their own communities.
Program Benefits
Cohort Model
Small, seminar-style classes allow for individualized mentorship and the opportunity to develop strong relationships with peers, professors, and community partners.
Service Learning
Contribute to the wellbeing of local communities and organizations through mutually beneficial volunteer opportunities.
Professional Development
Partnerships with community organizations offer the chance to build professional skills and networks across San Diego.
Formal Acknowledgement
A certificate of completion and an end-of-year celebration will honor students who successfully complete the program.
Course Sequence
In order to successfully complete the Community-Engaged Honors Program, accepted students must take the three-course sequence outlined below by the time they graduate.
Winter Quarter: CAT 2CE
During the winter quarter of the year students begin the program, they will take CAT 2CE.
Spring Quarter: CAT 3CE
During the spring quarter after taking CAT 2CE, students will take CAT 3CE. CAT 3CE is approved to fulfill the university Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement.
Future Quarter: CAT 90 or CAT 124
During a future quarter before graduation, students will complete a designated community engagement or experiential learning opportunity through CAT 90 or CAT 124.
Program Timeline
Students interested in joining the 2024-2025 cohort of the Community-Engaged Honors Program will apply during Fall 2024 and, if accepted, begin the course sequence in Winter 2025.
- Fall 2024: Apply to program
- Week 2: Application form and optional recommendation form open on Monday, October 7, 2024
- Week 4: Deadline to submit applications is Sunday, October 27, 2024
- Week 6: Applicants notified of acceptance decision
- Week 7: Accepted students enroll in CAT 2CE
- Week 2: Application form and optional recommendation form open on Monday, October 7, 2024
- Winter 2025: Take CAT 2CE
- Spring 2025: Take CAT 3CE, which fulfills the university Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement
- Future Quarter: Take CAT 90 or CAT 124
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to participate in the Community-Engaged Honors Program, students must meet the minimum criteria listed below.
- Be a first- or second-year student
- Be enrolled in CAT 1 during the quarter they apply
- Not have previously completed CAT 2 or CAT 3
Questions?
Please contact Jeanne Monahan through the Virtual Advising Center with any questions about the Community-Engaged Honors Program.
