Our History

The Center for Community Justice & Engagement (CCJE) grew from the vision of Delta College’s full-time Criminal Justice faculty, who identified a need to strengthen connections between students, the College, and the broader criminal justice community. As more students engage with their coursework online, faculty recognized the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for students to feel connected to Delta College beyond the classroom.

The initial concept focused on developing educational events at Delta College that students could both attend and help shape. These experiences were intended to encourage greater participation, build a stronger sense of belonging, and create opportunities for students to engage directly with professionals, faculty, and one another.

As the concept developed, the potential for broader community engagement became increasingly clear. The CCJE began to take shape as a way to connect education with service by developing programs and projects that can respond to community needs while giving students opportunities to apply what they are learning in practical settings. Where appropriate, these experiences may also support academic or graduation requirements while allowing students to contribute to the communities they call home.

A further goal of the CCJE is to strengthen relationships among criminal justice professionals, agencies, educators, students, and community members. By creating opportunities to share knowledge, experience, and resources, the Center seeks to encourage collaboration that can support safer and stronger communities.

In 2026, Delta College faculty received an institutional grant to begin developing the CCJE and establish the foundation for its work. As the Center begins this next stage, its focus remains on building partnerships, identifying community needs, expanding educational opportunities, and creating meaningful ways for students to connect learning with service.

At its core, the CCJE reflects a simple idea: putting the community in community college by bringing students, professionals, organizations, and residents together around education, engagement, service, and shared responsibility for stronger communities.