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Good Trouble Academy (GTA)

John R. Lewis College offers a myriad of community-engaged leadership opportunities to train students to get into “good trouble,” or in other words, develop knowledge and skills in activism and community-engaged leadership.

The Good Trouble Academy (GTA) is a chance for students affiliated with John R. Lewis College to be honored for participating in experiential and academic opportunities relating to our college theme of Social Justice and Community. Learn more below and in this digital GTA brochure!

For JRLC affiliates graduating in the 2024-2025 academic year, you will receive an email invitation to our Good Trouble Academy Canvas Course*. All you need to do to be considered for the certificate is review the Canvas course at your own pace and submit the following two assignments by Sunday, May 4, 2025:

  • Individual Listing of Experiential Opportunities and Academic Courses for GTA, documented as described in the GTA canvas course. 
  • Final Reflection based on this prompt, addressing how you learned about each of the Five Pillars through your experiential and academic engagement.  

We estimate this should take 1.5 - 4 hours to complete, depending on how long it takes you to read/write your reflection and list the relevant experiential opportunities and academic courses you have participated in. For JRLC affiliates graduating in future years, you will receive a Canvas Course invite in Fall after we revise the course and update the requirements.

What is the GTA?

The Good Trouble Academy offers a pathway for students to become social change agents through a combination of academic classes, co-curricular programming at College Nine and John R. Lewis College, and student-initiated opportunities. The design of the academy is based on the Five Pillars of our college, rooted in the life and work of John R. Lewis.

The Five Pillars are as follows and you can read more about them here:

  1. Students are change makers
  2. Commitment to justice
  3. Courageous and interconnected community
  4. Empowering engagement
  5. Sustaining oneself in the struggle

The Good Trouble Academy is organized via a Canvas course to provide students materials to learn more about the themes and values of the Five Pillars and to reflect on those pillars while participating in academic and co-curricular activities that align with each of the five principles. Students track and record the experiences they engage in (class, club, internship, etc.) and are encouraged to reflect on their learning and understanding for the Five Pillars throughout their time at UCSC.  As they near graduation, students are invited to complete the assignments on the Canvas course website documenting their relevant academic and co-curricular experiences and reflecting on how these experiences are aligned with the principles of the Five Pillars as well as how they enlivened their own educational experience at UCSC. 

How is the GTA beneficial to me?

The GTA supports students in building the skills, networks, and knowledge they seek to enact an education that is meaningful and relevant to them, one that is driven by their purpose and passion. Because the program encourages students to undertake experiential learning, engage with others within and beyond the campus, step into leadership roles, and undertake efforts to address contemporary problems, it helps students develop skills that prepare them for life beyond the university. These skills, often referred to as “power skills” or “21st Century skills,” include things such as problem-solving, teamwork, cultural competency, and communication to broad audiences and foster academic and career success. The GTA supports students to articulate their experiences in ways that render their accomplishments and aptitudes legible on the job market or the pursuit of graduate school.

You also receive the following:  

  • The Good Trouble Academy completion certificate
  • A JRLC stole for your commencement ceremony
  • Your name is added to our website of honor

What are the criteria to get a GTA Completion Certificate?

We think it is imperative for our students to have both an experiential and a theoretical foundation related to the Five Pillars of our college theme: Social Justice and Community. 

For students graduating in: Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025, Summer 2025 and Fall 2025, to meet the minimum requirements of our Good Trouble Academy Certificate, you must complete the following:

  • Individual Listing of Experiential Opportunities and Academic Courses for GTA, documented as described in the GTA canvas course. 
    • This is individually directed and is expected to demonstrate a holistic engagement with themes and values represented in each of the Five Pillars.  It could be the approximate equivalent of one Experiential Opportunity and one Academic Opportunity for each Pillar, but the depth of your engagement is more important than the number of experiences you have had. 
  • Final Reflection addressing each of the Five Pillars as described in the GTA canvas course. 

Please note that these lists provide a suggestion of what specific opportunities may fit under which pillars, but it is ultimately open to your interpretation. Categorize your opportunities based on what you took away from the experience and connect them to the pillar(s) you think best represent(s) them. This means that while a class may be on a specific topic that leans more towards one pillar, perhaps you made a stronger connection to a different pillar; if so, you may choose to place that academic opportunity under both pillars or a single pillar. Additionally, it is okay if one opportunity counts for multiple pillars, as long as you’re able to connect that opportunity to each of the selected pillars.

What are the steps to apply for the GTA Certificate of Completion?

  1. Read through each pillar module in the Canvas Course.
  2. Engage with the optional other articles or videos within each pillar
  3. As students near their Graduation date, they are invited to submit the required assignments in the Certificate Application Module of the canvas course:
    • Individual Listing of Experiential Opportunities and Academic Courses for GTA on the form provided.
    • Final Reflection addressing all Five Pillars

How long does the GTA take?

The GTA is at your own pace, so no matter when you start, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of the myriad of experiential learning opportunities and academic coursework that are associated with the theme of Social Justice and Community.

Do whatever works best for you! Perhaps you may spread these opportunities over the course of your entire academic career, or dive deep and immerse yourself in your involvement over a single year, to complete the GTA.

We anticipate that it should only take a few hours max to complete the Canvas submission process, depending on the time you need for your reflection. Just think: an hour or so of your time to reflect on your involvements gives you a lifetime of skills, knowledge, and ability to highlight for graduate school, your career, and your future as a leader in your community, family, or place of work!

How can I do this?

Here are some examples (more coming soon) of how you can take advantage of the Good Trouble Academy:

 

For questions or more information, please email coco@ucsc.edu.