ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes selected Cal State San Bernardino as the winner of the CCAA Cares SAAC Community Service Award for the 2024-25 academic year.
 
The Coyotes women's basketball team worked closely with the Think Together after-school programs in the Rialto and Colton Joint Unified School Districts. The team offered academic support, physical education, personal enrichment, fun, and many intangibles to the middle schoolers in these districts.
 
The middle schools in these two school districts received a grant that allowed their students to travel and play against other schools once a week, and the Coyotes helped bring the final details together. They participated in an activity called Insight Into College Athletics, where the student-athletes shared their collegiate experiences and answered questions for the Terrace Hills Middle School After School Program.
 
After the Q&A, activities shifted outside, where the middle school students had a chance to interact more with the CSUSB student-athletes through demonstrations and instructions on the basketball court.
 
"This activity allowed our women's basketball program to make a memorable, long-lasting, and genuine connection with the participants of the Think Together program," said Cal State San Bernardino's Athletic Academic Advisor Ashli Gamboa-Clark. "It also helped to shed light on our mission, which is to give back to our community and provide insight into the college experience for the youth in the surrounding areas."
 
As part of the CCAA Cares initiative, the conference office will present CSUSB with a commemorative plaque and a $500 prize award. The award is presented to the campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) with the most innovative project, either consistent service and contributions or a singular outstanding event, during the 2024-25 academic year.
 
About Think Together
For Over 25 Years, Think Together Has Built A Roadmap To Support Student Success. Think Together partners with schools across California, serving close to 100,000 students annually through comprehensive, expanded learning programs that boost academic achievement, foster social-emotional growth, and support college and career readiness. To learn more about Think Together, visit their website at thinktogether.org.