Advocacy on the outside: Advancing support for system‐impacted students through grassroots leadership

Abstract

AbstractCommunity College Reentry Programs (CCRPs) are campus‐based programs that serve formerly incarcerated students by providing targeted services attuned to their needs. Currently, there are 62 community colleges in California that have CCRPs. While emerging research has begun to examine the experiences of students in these programs, little is known about the staff who lead them. This study uses a grassroots leadership perspective to examine how CCRP staff lead for organizational change. Through the presentation of two case narratives of CCRPs, I show how staff lead reform efforts towards advancing justice and equity for their students on campus and in the community. My findings have implications for strengthening aid for these programs and better supporting their staff.