Crafton Hills College Students Showcase Research and Stories at Inaugural UCR ACTION Summer Institute
Publish Date: Sept. 9, 2026
Ten Crafton Hills College (CHC) students successfully completed the inaugural UCR ACTION (Advancing Community Transformation through Inquiry and Opportunity) Summer Research Institute, a three-week summer partnership designed to introduce community college students to a university-level experience while strengthening their preparation for transfer and four-year study.
Developed by University of California, Riverside (UCR) College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences (CHASS) and the School of Education, the institute provided CHC students with an opportunity to experience what it means to be a UC student, engage in research, build relationships with faculty and peers, and reflect on their own educational journeys as aspiring transfer students.
Students Put Their Stories at the Center of Research
For three weeks, Roadrunners attended the UCR campus & online, participated in lectures, visited support program offices to see what UCR has to offer them, all centered around seeing themselves as future scholars at a UC.
A highlight of the program was the final research showcase, where students presented projects connecting research with their lived experiences as community college students. Through their Counter-Story Projects, “My Journey to Community College and as an Aspiring Transfer Student,” students reflected on their educational journeys, challenges, sources of support, resilience, and hopes for the future.
The showcase demonstrated the students’ growth as researchers and scholars and challenged deficit-based assumptions about community college students. Students shared how their experiences, relationships, and communities have shaped their educational goals and their aspirations to transfer.
From Community College to the University
The institute was intentionally designed to support students beyond the three-week experience. Students will continue working toward their individual transfer and educational goals, with opportunities for continued mentorship and connection with UCR. The relationships established during the institute provide an important foundation for students as they navigate the transfer process and consider their next steps in higher education.
An Inaugural Partnership with Lasting Possibilities
The UCR ACTION Summer Research Institute represents an exciting new chapter in the partnership between Crafton Hills College and UC Riverside. Bringing together a community college and a research university created a unique opportunity for students to see themselves as capable of succeeding in a four-year university environment while gaining firsthand experience with undergraduate research.
For CHC, the partnership also reflects the college’s commitment to creating meaningful transfer opportunities and expanding students’ access to high-impact educational experiences.
Ten students entered the program with individual stories, goals, and aspirations. They completed the institute having strengthened their academic confidence, built new relationships, and developed a deeper understanding of themselves as aspiring transfer students.
Their final projects offered an important reminder: students are not simply recipients of education, they are knowledge creators whose experiences can teach us how to build stronger, more equitable pathways to higher education.
The success of this inaugural cohort lays the groundwork for continued collaboration between Crafton Hills College and UC Riverside and opens the door for future CHC students to participate in research, mentorship, and transfer opportunities through this promising partnership.
