Farber Educational Campus
Civic Engagement
What is Civic Engagement?
Civic engagement refers to the active participation of individuals in their communities to address public concerns, influence decision-making, and contribute to the common good. Whether through voting, volunteering, advocating for causes, or joining local organizations, civic engagement encompasses various actions aimed at improving societal well-being. It highlights the responsibility individuals have to participate in their communities, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability toward collective progress.
By understanding the definition of civic engagement and its broader meaning, individuals can see how their actions directly impact the health of democratic society. In essence, to define civic engagement is to recognize the importance of active citizenship in shaping better futures for everyone.
Students and teachers at the Farber Educational Campus partner with the Civic Education Center to develop meaningful civic engagement projects that can impact student learning as well as have community impact. Students in California - who participate in civic engagement work and projects - are eligible to apply and receive the The California State Seal of Civic Engagement. This seal is on their diploma and they get recognized at graduation.
March 4th 2023 Buyback Day
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Farber Civic Engagement 2025
May 22, 2025
What can civic engagement and problem/project-based learning look like? Well, that's an endless list. Essentially, it is when student address real world problems or issues, do research, consult experts, gather data, get feedback and ultimately present their work and solution (s) publicly.
Well, there was an outstanding example that culminated today at Farber. Leadership Students of Elva Carlos presented to two Fresno Unified Operations and Transportation Leaders.
Leadership Students Jesus Maldonado Martinez, Estrella Reynaga and Priscilla Silva Soto presented a project about School Transportation to Farber to Paul Idsvoog/Chief Operations and Classified Labor Management Officer and Ramiro Salas/General Manager of Transportation.
They were presenting the problem related to Fresno Unified not providing school busses to Farber and associated issues related to students taking the FAX bus to school. They had student and parent survey data, references to the Fresno Unified Mission and Vision statements, examples of how other schools (Patino, Duncan and Phoenix Secondary) have transportation, information about students not feeling safe on the FAX busses and more.
This issue was addressed last year to the FUSD Transportation Department by myself and other staff members to no avail. However, now we have student voice taking a lead and making a much stronger statement.
Mr. Idsvoog and Mr. Salas congratulated the students on a job well done and promised to look at the issues and challenges further. They acknowledged the students' concerns and why it matters. And although there are budget implications and other challenges, this at least moved the discussion a lot further along and may ultimately lead to some solutions.
These students just expanded their resume while serving their community and learning how to communicate with decision makers. Thank you to Ms. Carlos and her students for taking on such an important issue and for working to improve the lives of all students at Farber.
51 Farbers Seniors will be recognized at Graduation with the State Seal of Civic Engagement. Indeed, some juniors have already qualified next year. Meanwhile, Farber is the 2nd highest State Seal Qualifier in the district second only to Edison. The following teachers had students qualify for the State Seal of Civic Engagement: Elva Carlos, Dr. Della Caver, Jadrian Ejercito, Meliza Gonzalez, Jennifer Gross, Jonathan Hinojosa, Cyndi Mello, Mercedes Rodriguez and Robert Vega.
May 6th, 2025
Farber also had four projects for the Country Showcase at the Tower Theater. These included projects around Loneliness and Social Isolation (Caver), Hydroponics and Sustainable Ag. (Ejercito), Early Literacy Program (Gonzalez) and Food Insecurity (Vega). See more Details From The Event Here.
March 6, 2025
Farber teachers participated in a Project Gallery Walk featuring the work of 9 Farber Teachers and their Students. Teachers Elva Carlsos, Jeff Cook, David D’Morias, Meliza Gonzalez, Jennifer Gross, Jessica Herrera, Jonathan Hinojosa, Mercedes Rodriguez and Robert Vega shared their project work from their students with the entire Farber Teaching Staffs from all three programs. Topics included Food Insecurity, Veterans, Stray Animals, Student Hydration, Crime, Homelessness, Police Accountability, Farber Student Transportation, Student Bill of Rights, Lack of Affordable Housing, Domestic Violence, Racism, Mental Health, Gang Awareness, Early Literacy, Community Service, Teen Pregnancy, Kids Making Sense, Atmospheric Chemistry, Youth Park Ambassador and more. As an example of some of the best student products that were produced, Mercedes Rodriguez’ students created a website about their crime and safety called the Fresno Safe Streets Project. This is a great example of students working together while conducting research, consulting experts, presenting their work and solutions publicly, offering resources and more. Another group of her students worked on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. Check out this great Information & Resource Brochure that students produced in both English and Spanish. These have been shared in print and online on and off campus. Watch the original Canva Link Here.
