Our Mission statement
For the purpose of supporting the University's goals of educating students to be leaders of competence, conscience and compassion, Santa Clara Community Action Program will offer opportunities of service, community based learning, advocacy, activism, and leadership to the university community.
As a chartered student organization, Santa Clara Community Action Program promotes the holistic education of the volunteer by serving the surrounding community and by reflecting upon social justice issues, with the intent of challenging the participants to commit to creating a more humane and just world.
As a chartered student organization, Santa Clara Community Action Program promotes the holistic education of the volunteer by serving the surrounding community and by reflecting upon social justice issues, with the intent of challenging the participants to commit to creating a more humane and just world.
Our Philosophy
The Santa Clara Community Action Program is an important part of the educational process that this University offers. It balances theory with practice and creates the forum through which intellectual growth--emerging out of reflection on everyday community situations--can occur. By offering the opportunity for a deeper understanding of community issues, SCCAP educates and cultivates social awareness among the student body. The members of SCCAP believe that if we can stretch the minds of the students to include a love of service and justice in community around them, then in the long run, we have contributed significantly to social change.
Our Vision Statement
Through a continued development of strong relationships between SCCAP staff, volunteers, and the greater community, we aim to grow as a high functioning organization that empowers students to make positive changes in the world beyond their time at Santa Clara.
Our History
In the fall of 1965, SCCAP, originally dubbed the Santa Clara "Christian" Action Program, offered students the opportunity to volunteer at a single agency, the Alviso Tutoring Program. Despite the number of programs, SCCAP was granted club status by the Associated Students.
The first SCCAPers combined their volunteerism with the political activism of the 1960s and became involved in the student protests of the Vietnam War. In 1969 one of SCCAP's leaders flew to Washington D.C. at the height of the war to protest the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. Two years later, two radical SCCAP leaders became disillusioned with the perceived political apathy of the current student population and resigned from their positions in disgust. It was also during this period that SCCAP surpassed the Chess Club in funding, began expanding its programming, changed its middle name to "Community," and obtained the infamous services of the original SCCAP vans, two baby blue Volkswagen buses.
Following the trend of declining student activism nationwide, SCCAP's numbers declined drastically in the 1970s. In 1971, SCCAP welcomed it’s first woman leader. A few years later SCCAP faced the first challenge to its monopoly on student volunteers, as another organization with a corny acronym, SHOP (Students Helping Other People), offered students a chance to volunteer without having to deal with the grueling reflections and awareness programs provided by the SCCAP staff at the time. SHOP failed. During this time SCCAP also went through some changes in its philosophy. Originally focused on the political implications of its work, SCCAP began concentrating on the vocational skills gained by teaching in classrooms, administering care in elderly homes, feeding the homeless, etc.
The 1980s saw another rise with student interest in SCCAP and the social issues SCCAP was involved in. Increasing from 70 to over 600 volunteers, SCCAP attempted to keep up with the times by modernizing its equipment, dumping its old vans and replacing them with a new, fuel-efficient fleet of cars and high-capacity vans, and obtaining new computers. Concentrating on the personal rewards of volunteering, SCCAP continued its 1970s policy of steering clear of religious issues, political issues, and meddling faculty members.
In 1989, SCCAP began what may have been its biggest change yet. SCCAP initiated a restructure period after recognizing its large numbers and receiving financial support from the university. By adding assistant directors and dividing its coordinators into departments, SCCAP empowered its staff to create a more dynamic and educational program for students. It also began experimenting with some non-direct service programs, including the University Events, Communication, and Volunteer Appreciation positions. Though these positions have been eliminated, some of the events and ideas initiated by these coordinators such as Perspectives, the volunteer appreciation banquet, and the Literacy Fest, are still among the SCCAP repertoire of "good ideas." Continuing the theme of expansion that began two years prior, SCCAP went national in 1991 by becoming the northern California hub campus for the Campus Outreach Opportunity League, now defunct.
The past several years SCCAP has worked both at combating slipping volunteerism and expanding its role on campus. SCCAP has concentrated on internal improvements in hopes of strengthening its role as campus educators. And so the position of Resource/Public Relations was added.
Now having celebrated its 53rd anniversary, it faces the challenge of being recognized as an important part of campus and as a credible organization that attends to the needs of the volunteers and community. The past years of SCCAP history are all a part of what SCCAP is today. However, we have the ability to assess the needs of our community now and, in turn, use SCCAP as a means of affecting society and humanity. We have an incredible opportunity to continue creating an organization that is committed to the community of which we are a part. Diversity of staff can bring an even greater understanding of community and help get more students involved. SCCAP is only limited by the imaginations and actions of each of us, so let's be creative!
The one thing that has remained unchanged over the years is our commitment to service and to the education of Santa Clara students through service and advocacy. Let us work together to develop goals that continue to move us toward the fulfillment of our purpose. If we accomplish this, we have enabled growth and contributed significantly to our world and all of humanity, making it a more just place to live.
The first SCCAPers combined their volunteerism with the political activism of the 1960s and became involved in the student protests of the Vietnam War. In 1969 one of SCCAP's leaders flew to Washington D.C. at the height of the war to protest the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. Two years later, two radical SCCAP leaders became disillusioned with the perceived political apathy of the current student population and resigned from their positions in disgust. It was also during this period that SCCAP surpassed the Chess Club in funding, began expanding its programming, changed its middle name to "Community," and obtained the infamous services of the original SCCAP vans, two baby blue Volkswagen buses.
Following the trend of declining student activism nationwide, SCCAP's numbers declined drastically in the 1970s. In 1971, SCCAP welcomed it’s first woman leader. A few years later SCCAP faced the first challenge to its monopoly on student volunteers, as another organization with a corny acronym, SHOP (Students Helping Other People), offered students a chance to volunteer without having to deal with the grueling reflections and awareness programs provided by the SCCAP staff at the time. SHOP failed. During this time SCCAP also went through some changes in its philosophy. Originally focused on the political implications of its work, SCCAP began concentrating on the vocational skills gained by teaching in classrooms, administering care in elderly homes, feeding the homeless, etc.
The 1980s saw another rise with student interest in SCCAP and the social issues SCCAP was involved in. Increasing from 70 to over 600 volunteers, SCCAP attempted to keep up with the times by modernizing its equipment, dumping its old vans and replacing them with a new, fuel-efficient fleet of cars and high-capacity vans, and obtaining new computers. Concentrating on the personal rewards of volunteering, SCCAP continued its 1970s policy of steering clear of religious issues, political issues, and meddling faculty members.
In 1989, SCCAP began what may have been its biggest change yet. SCCAP initiated a restructure period after recognizing its large numbers and receiving financial support from the university. By adding assistant directors and dividing its coordinators into departments, SCCAP empowered its staff to create a more dynamic and educational program for students. It also began experimenting with some non-direct service programs, including the University Events, Communication, and Volunteer Appreciation positions. Though these positions have been eliminated, some of the events and ideas initiated by these coordinators such as Perspectives, the volunteer appreciation banquet, and the Literacy Fest, are still among the SCCAP repertoire of "good ideas." Continuing the theme of expansion that began two years prior, SCCAP went national in 1991 by becoming the northern California hub campus for the Campus Outreach Opportunity League, now defunct.
The past several years SCCAP has worked both at combating slipping volunteerism and expanding its role on campus. SCCAP has concentrated on internal improvements in hopes of strengthening its role as campus educators. And so the position of Resource/Public Relations was added.
Now having celebrated its 53rd anniversary, it faces the challenge of being recognized as an important part of campus and as a credible organization that attends to the needs of the volunteers and community. The past years of SCCAP history are all a part of what SCCAP is today. However, we have the ability to assess the needs of our community now and, in turn, use SCCAP as a means of affecting society and humanity. We have an incredible opportunity to continue creating an organization that is committed to the community of which we are a part. Diversity of staff can bring an even greater understanding of community and help get more students involved. SCCAP is only limited by the imaginations and actions of each of us, so let's be creative!
The one thing that has remained unchanged over the years is our commitment to service and to the education of Santa Clara students through service and advocacy. Let us work together to develop goals that continue to move us toward the fulfillment of our purpose. If we accomplish this, we have enabled growth and contributed significantly to our world and all of humanity, making it a more just place to live.
