The Equity team demonstrated the impact and reach of the California Community Colleges Student Ambassador Program through two significant engagements in recent weeks. These efforts highlight our commitment to addressing basic needs and supporting student success across the state.

Presenting Best Practices at the Basic Needs Summit

At the 2025 Basic Needs Summit held at Napa Valley College, Marisela Hernandez, FoundationCCC Equity Manager, co-presented with partners from Ventura College on a panel titled “From Challenge to Collaboration: Wraparound Support for Basic Needs.” The presentation highlighted the integrated approach that has made the Student Ambassador Program a model for peer-led outreach, as well as the collaborative efforts between Basic Needs and undocumented student services and Pride centers. 

The team discussed how coordinated support systems, including CalFresh outreach toolkits and trained peer ambassadors, create a network that connects students with essential resources such as food assistance, financial aid, and support services. This wraparound model has proven instrumental in helping students maintain enrollment and achieve their educational objectives.

The summit, convened by the Real College California Coalition and partners, brought together students, practitioners, and advocates to share innovations in basic needs support across California Community Colleges.

Showcasing Student Impact at Los Angeles City College

On December 4, the Equity team hosted a Student Ambassador site visit at Los Angeles City College for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, one of our largest grantors supporting the program.

Nine exceptional current and former foster youth Student Ambassadors participated in the visit, sharing stories about their experiences and demonstrating the profound personal and professional growth fostered by the program.

The ambassadors’ testimonies provided the Hilton Conrad Foundation with direct insight into how peer-to-peer outreach is transforming campus culture around basic needs awareness and creating pathways for student leadership development. The site visit also served as an opportunity to highlight Los Angeles City College Guardian Scholar program and resources and services available to their students. 

These engagements reflect the Equity team’s dedication to both scaling best practices across the system and demonstrating measurable outcomes for our funding partners, ensuring that the Student Ambassador Program and Basic Needs initiatives continues to expand its reach and deepen its impact on student success throughout California’s community colleges.

Learn more about the California Community Colleges Student Ambassador Program >