About Us
The Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) is the portal for UCLA’s civic and community engagement in Los Angeles. Historically committed to being an engaged, active and valued partner in the greater Los Angeles region, UCLA’s faculty, staff and students have collaborated with a wide range of communities on issues of mutual importance. In 2002, these activities were harnessed in the UCLA in LA initiative. As the operational arm of UCLA in LA, CCP promotes engaged scholarship, partnering UCLA with the community to develop knowledge from research and teaching that improves the quality of life in Los Angeles.
Mission
The Center for Community Partnerships’ mission is to support partnerships between UCLA faculty, staff and students and community organizations to address social issues that will improve the lives of residents in Los Angeles. CCP focuses on three key areas:
- Arts and Culture
- Children Youth and Family
- Economic Development
CCP supports university and community collaborations on research that addresses regional and local issues; sponsors forums and events; and convenes meetings of forward thinkers and practitioners. Our goal is to serve as a portal through which information, knowledge and expertise is continuously exchanged between community and the University.
History
In 2002, UCLA established the Center for Community Partnerships (CCP) and appointed Dr. Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. as Associate Vice Chancellor to direct the work of the Center. The first center of its kind to be a division of the Chancellors Office and directed by an Associate Vice Chancellor of Community Partnerships, CCP oversees the university’s numerous community activities to ensure that a systematic and intentional approach is taken toward civic engagement. As a university in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the United States and a major research university, UCLA’s model of civic engagement is entrenched in its threefold mission: Research, Teaching, Service. CCP’s programs integrate the concept of service into UCLA’s expertise in research and teaching through collaborative partnerships with the civic and community organizations in Greater Los Angeles. The Center creates targeted programs to link community expertise with academic expertise creating new knowledge to address important community issues throughout Los Angeles and enrich UCLA’s curriculum and academic experience.
- To date, the Center has advanced over 180 collaborations between UCLA and community organizations, working on economic development; children, youth and families; and arts and cultural programs. These partnerships are selected on a competitive basis and designated as model partnerships for their best practices and impact on Los Angeles. CCP has awarded over $4.8 million dollars to Los Angeles non-profit community based organizations and UCLA partners to carry out their collaborative work. The Center also convenes community knowledge forums to share learning, and showcase the work produced by the collaborations.
- Launched in 2007, the CCP office in South Los Angeles offers a steady, physical presence within the community to help cultivate a network of relationships integral to successful partnership building. The South Los Angeles initiative provides support to non-profit organizations, UCLA faculty, students and staff for meetings, classes, and community projects. UCLA sustains the South Los Angeles office with a commitment of nearly $300K annually.
In 2006, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected UCLA for its new Community Engagement Classification. UCLA was the only university in the Los Angeles area, chosen for this designation. As one of the first universities in the nation to offer a Civic Engagement minor, UCLA provides students with an analytical and theoretical framework for community-building, governance, and the use of civic resources. UCLA students also participate in community service activities throughout Los Angeles.
