Puentes 

Puentes Community Engagement Courses build outreach, documentation, and advocacy skills; grassroots ethics; knowledge of Santa Cruz County; and professionally useful training. These courses emphasize placement-type service learning more than our other courses.

Puentes Courses

Puentes Promotores courses (76, 152) teach grassroots ethics and skills in outreach and advocacy, in coordination with professional providers who are working to create change in our region. The course each year is thematic, and works to advance a general project our partners are working on–e.g., housing justice, Census response, parent involvement in schools.

Puentes Legal courses (188A/B) teach principles and introductory skills for students assisting at sites offering legal aid services specifically.

The success of these courses depends on maintaining good relationships–with providers and advocacy organizations who host and supervise students in their placements as well as community allies. If you are interested in becoming a Puentes partner, please contact us! 

Puentes Promotores

Working on youth outreach and advocacy at the Diversity Center, 2015

 

Puentes Promotores courses develop a range of advocacy and outreach skills, along with background knowledge on issues relevant to our region.

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Puentes Legal

photo credit: Erika Mahoney

We are proud to partner with Watsonville Law Center, which has developed a phenomenal regional development program with volunteers and interns.

Puentes Legal courses work to close the justice gap in our county by training students in practices that support legal aid, information workshops, and grassroots education.

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This class helped me commit to going to law school!

Emily Wheeler

I really enjoyed helping others and being able to learn more about the legal process for immigration.

Jackeline Rivas

Great experience. My lecturers were very passionate and knowledgeable about Legal Aid work.

Janetzi Jauregui

Puentes Promotores Faculty

Leslie López

Leslie López

Leslie Lopez is a social anthropologist, and a Lecturer at UCSC--in Community Engagement at Oakes College, and in the Community Studies Department.   At Oakes, Leslie has specialized in program design and development, creating the Writing Center (2011-13); the Corre...

Puentes Legal Faculty 

Marina Garcia

Marina Garcia

Marina Garcia is a Department of Justice Accredited Representative with the Immigrants’ Rights Program at Centro Legal de la Raza (Centro Legal), and the Central Coast Coordinator for Immigrants’ Rights at the Watsonville Law Center (WLC).   Marina has worked...

Henry Martin

Henry Martin

Henry Martin is a practicing attorney and Director of the Watsonville Law Center (WLC), a nonprofit legal service provider funded by the State Bar of California Legal Services Trust Fund Program. WLC serves low-income families on the Central Coast in areas of law...

Puentes Promotores Courses 

Oakes 76: Social Geography & Justice

Each year it is offered, Oakes 76 takes on a project that seeks to build Oakes College’s community relationships on campus and in the community, while building students’ understanding and skills.  The course topic may change depending on the project we’re addressing with our community partner.  5 units.  Satisfies PR-S.  Enrollment: Oakes students or by permission code.

Oakes 152: Transformative Literacies

Transformative Literacies (152) works with community partners to advance ongoing projects for community development. Using Promotor skills and ethics, students will work to develop existing resources and community organization to advance critical participation on this issue–stronger social networks, public awareness, issue identification, and channels or tools for constructive change.   5 units.  Satisfies PR-S.  Enrollment: Oakes students or by permission code.

Puentes Legal Courses