News and Editorials

SVCCJ Announces New Coordinator for
Building Connections Program

February 2008

Ashley Raggio, the new Coordinator for the Building Connections Program was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ashley received her Bachelor of Science in business from University of Oregon and her Master of Arts in Education from San José State University. Her professional experience is a combination of corporate business and various areas of education and community service organizations.

Ashley worked as a corporate recruiter after graduating from college where she identified her passion for people and human potential. This led her to enter into the field of education; first working with learning and developmentally disabled students and eventually finding her place in the University setting. At the University, Ashley acted as the Coordinator for First-Year Experience Programs as well as the AmeriCorps Bridging Borders Education Program.

In addition to her professional résumé, Ashley has given her time as a volunteer throughout her career. Her service has included teaching a first-year service learning seminar as well as creating and advising student service organizations. One of her proudest accomplishments was the creation and funding of the Students In Action Youth Mentorship program at SJSU which eventually led to the establishment of the Cesar Chavez Community Action Center, which serves as a clearinghouse for community involvement on the campus. Ashley is also a graduate of SVCCJ’s Leadership Today Program at SJSU.

Ashley brings to SVCCJ her passion for human potential and her professional experience coordinating volunteers, and working with youth on academic success, service-learning and being a citizen of one's community. She enjoys living in the diverse and dynamic San José area with her husband James and young son Joey.

About the Building Connections Program

Formerly called “Growing Circle”, for 30 years SVCCJ’s premier program for elementary school students has laid the foundation for a life of appreciation of self and others, for conflict prevention and resolution. In 2007 SVCCJ’s volunteers and staff, including psychologists and teachers, completely redesigned this entry age inclusion program to meet the needs of today’s young children in their school environment. The program is a 4 session participatory workshop series that takes over an entire school and delivers a common language and set of behavioral tools and expectations to every classroom. The program is credited by principals, teachers, students and parents with a significant reduction in interpersonal and inter-group conflict and a consequent increase in student engagement with the school’s social environment.

About SVCCJ:

For 43 years Silicon Valley Conference for Community & Justice has been bringing people together to build a better community. Originally founded as the Silicon Valley Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, SVCCJ is a non-profit human relations organization that has led the fight against bigotry, racism and exclusion in the Bay Area and Northern California.. SVCCJ is engaged in 10 major programs to eliminate bias, bigotry, racism and exclusion, and to replace these with respect for diversity and justice for everyone.

The organization empowers people of diverse backgrounds to build just communities where each person is treated with respect and understanding.

In 2005 we became an independent organization, totally dedicated to and operated by the people of Silicon Valley and Northern California.. We are proud to continue this valuable legacy of life-changing programs into the new century.

We enlist those who, without compromise of conscience or of their distinctive commitments, create better relationships among persons of all races, religions, and cultures. 

We help people live together better!