Spring Semester Brings Whirlwind of Engagement for JEP

If walls could talk, the JEP House would have quite a story to tell about this spring semester. From campus involvement fairs to professional development workshops, from elementary school career days to alumni service events, JEP’s calendar has been filled with an unprecedented number of engagement opportunities.

“It’s been an exceptionally busy semester,” reflects JEP staff. “But seeing our students connect with so many different communities has been incredibly rewarding.”

The semester kicked off with JEP’s participation in January’s Involvement Fair and Social Impact Involvement Fair, where current USC students could learn about service opportunities. In February, the team joined the LEAD California Southern California Gathering at CSU Dominguez Hills, participated in USC’s Black History Month Family Reunion event, and hosted an innovative “Neuroscience of Fitness” workshop for local 4th and 5th graders at Mack.

March has been equally dynamic. JEP welcomed 50 AVID students from Durfee School in El Monte for an open house, hosted a teacher professional development workshop on STEM Cells, participated in USC’s HEAL Program that showcased interdisciplinary projects STEM and Art fields, and had two different staff members present at Weemes Elementary’s Career Day.

A highlight of the month was the annual Day of SCervice on March 22nd, where JEP partnered with Dornsife Alumni to assemble over 300 reading kits with approximately 30 alumni from across USC’s schools. Volunteer Julianne Nguyen noted, “It was wonderful to see what we could achieve together in so little time – and still make time for personal and professional connections, as well.”

Looking ahead, JEP’s event calendar shows no signs of slowing down. In just the next two weeks, student leaders will facilitate workshops at this year’s Young Women’s Leadership Conference, represent JEP at multiple Explore USC Mini Fairs, support College Access Day for high school students, and participate in USC’s Earth Day festival. Another highlight coming up sooner than one might think is the annual JEP Community Service Awards celebration, followed by not one but two events the next day: An exciting Oceanography workshop for 4th and 5th graders at Norwood Elementary and a speaker event for our Trojan Health Volunteers featuring Dr. Gene Chang, THV Director Marcus Chang’s father and well-established gastroenterologist from Chicago.

Late April brings not only more engagement in exciting fairs, such as the Freshman Finale, but also the LA Times Festival of Books, where JEP’s ReadersPLUS program will host a tent featuring interactive activities, special guest authors, and displays of student writing. The semester will conclude with student recognition events and an open house for graduating seniors.

These diverse events serve multiple purposes: introducing JEP to potential volunteers, celebrating current participants’ achievements, forming new community partnerships, and strengthening existing ones. Each gathering represents another opportunity to connect and learn.

“Some of our current students tell us that learning about JEP at orientation or one of the Explore SC Fairs was a deciding factor in choosing USC,” shares a staff member. As the semester continues its busy pace and plans for summer and fall events are becoming more concrete already, as well, JEP staff and student leaders remain energized by each new connection made and each opportunity to showcase the impact of service-learning on both students and communities.