Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: California State University, Long Beach

Title of entry: Beach Proud: Help Welcome the Next Wave

About this entry: Day at the Beach (DATB) is a free, annual spring open house hosted by California State University, Long Beach for newly admitted students and their families. The event offers an immersive introduction to campus life, giving attendees the opportunity to meet faculty, staff, tour student housing, and explore college-specific showcases.

Recognizing DATB as a strategic opportunity, the Alumni Engagement team lead the Volunteer/Participant Subcommittee, taking an active role in the event's planning and execution. In doing so, the office pursued a dual objective: expanding college participation on the Beach Volunteers platform (Galaxy Digital) while advancing the university's broader goal of cultivating campus and community partnerships that strengthen alumni relations.

The results were significant. All seven academic colleges were brought onto the Beach Volunteers platform and a dedicated alumni recruitment campaign launched specifically for DATB successfully drew graduates back to serve the Beach community. Together, these efforts mobilized over 130 volunteers from every academic college and key administrative divisions, generating more than 540 service hours in support of admitted students and their families.

The impact extended beyond the numbers. By unifying volunteer coordination across divisions through the Beach Volunteers platform and re-engaging alumni through meaningful service, the Alumni Engagement team enhanced the visitor experience, reinforced institutional pride, and established itself as a strategic partner in the university's enrollment and community-building efforts creating a sustainable model for volunteer engagement that will carry forward well beyond this single event.