CAMARILLO — Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) today announced that applications are now open for the second year of its Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability & Equity (RISE) Grant Program. GCHP will award one-year grants of up to $400,000 to help providers and community-based organizations support Medi-Cal members in navigating federal changes to coverage requirements.
We’re feeling lucky at the Museum in March!
We’re channeling Santa Paula artists Jessie and Cornelis Botke in the photo above as we dance into a brand-new month at the Santa Paula Art Museum. Join us for a green-themed Free Family Day on Sunday, March 1, and mark your calendars for the premiere of Cornelis Botke: Painter of the Western Scene on Saturday, March 14!
Scroll down to see all of our March events and classes.
Climate disasters like extreme heat, wildfires, poor air quality, and flooding can strike our region at any time. Community Resilience Hubs are trusted, local spaces — like schools and libraries — that support neighborhoods before, during, and after climate disasters. Each Hub is unique and offers services and resources for the specific needs of the community.
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We’re excited to present you the culmination of five years of collective labor – published in the fall – we’re now celebrating and excited to share our publication with events in Mexico City, Los Angeles, Oaxaca City, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara!
Join us on Saturday, February 28, 2026 from 7-10 pm at The Culver Hotel, Culver City for a conversation with the curators, artists, and contributors that made this publication possible!
New research co-authored by Roark Chao demonstrates a new micro–light-emitting diode design that improves both efficiency and beam directionality.
From wildfires and flooding to extreme heat, Southern California communities are facing intensifying climate challenges. Southern California Edison (SCE) — the electric utility company that delivers power to homes and businesses across the Central Coast — is working toward providing safe, reliable service and preparing for increasing climate risks.
Community members who are not already subscribed may sign up to receive our newsletter in English here and in Spanish here.
SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College is inviting the community to enjoy a series of live musical performances this spring featuring student musicians, faculty artists, and special guest performers in Boyd Concert Hall (bldg. F) on the Santa Maria campus.
These performances are open to the public on the following dates, times, and locations:
IN-PERSON EVENT: FROM SKILLED EMPLOYEE TO TEAM LEADER: SUPERVISORY & LEADERSHIP FUNDAMENTALS
February 25 @ 8:00 am
You were promoted because you’re great at your work. Now you’re responsible for making sure others do it well, and that requires a completely different skill set. Join the Workforce Development Board of Ventura County and the Economic Development Collaborative for a focused, high-impact course designed for skilled employees who have recently moved into a supervisory role. This course bridges the gap between “doing the work” and “leading the work,” helping participants transition from operator to process leader. Check-in: 8:00 – 8:30 am. Address: Workforce Development Board of Ventura County Office, 3rd Floor, 2901 North Ventura Road, Oxnard. Price: FREE.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
VENTURA — Celebrating its 40th year, the California Strawberry Festival returns Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001). The family-friendly event features Strawberry-themed favorites, including strawberry nachos, chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry kabobs, strawberry popcorn, margaritas and more.
Festival goers can also enjoy nearly 150 arts and crafts vendors, an expanded Strawberryland for kids, live entertainment on three stages, carnival rides, and a “build-your-own” Strawberry Shortcake Experience.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Signups for summer camp at the Southeast Ventura County YMCA branches are underway with camp locations at the Yarrow Family YMCA in Westlake Village, Simi Valley Family YMCA day camp sites and at the Conejo Valley YMCA.
“We’re happy to bring summer camp back to the Conejo Valley YMCA site,” Katie Oberman, Yarrow Family YMCA child care senior program director. “It has a perfect outdoor space for games, water sports and nature hikes, and indoor spaces for STEM activities and arts and crafts.”
The book by Mario T. García, a distinguished professor of Chicano/a studies and of history, is the first comprehensive text on Rupert García’s life and art.
THOUSAND OAKS — California Lutheran University scholar-athlete Camden Hyde been named to the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team (Winter). The junior men’s basketball player is being honored by the Allstate National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA ) for his leadership in community service, academics and athletics. Annually, 60 student-athletes throughout the country are recognized for the fall, winter and spring seasons.
Created and directed by acclaimed choreographer and artistic leader Karen Parks, CEO and Artistic Director of Stagebound, Inc., Decolonized: The Matriarchs is a multidisciplinary performance that reclaims and elevates the Black female narrative through expressive movement, voice, and storytelling. Parks is widely recognized for her work exploring themes of identity, culture, and healing through the performing arts. Her work has been featured throughout California and beyond, engaging audiences in meaningful dialogue around history, resilience, and empowerment.
Argentine beef has been in the news a lot lately. President Trump recently issued an executive order allowing more Argentine beef to enter our country tariff-free. Presumably, this is a “win” for U.S. consumers who are agitated about affordability.
However, economists are skeptical. They are saying that the impact on consumer prices will be minimal, given that the tariff-free beef represents not even 1% of the total beef supply. So much for the “win.”
In addition, Midwest farmers are not at all thrilled with this gift to Trump’s friend, Javier Milei, president of Argentina, a flamboyant right-wing populist and libertarian. They see Trump’s directive as a slap in the face and a lack of support for the American beef cattle industry.
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ meetings are available in Spanish. Watch live on our Spanish YouTube Channel, or Cable TV subscribers can access Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) in language settings.
Advance requests are still needed to interpret public comment originating in Spanish. To provide public comment in Spanish, contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240, before 4:00 p.m. the Friday before the Board meeting.
We’re thrilled to share that the Community Song Circle is officially SOLD OUT!
Thank you to everyone who RSVP’d — we’re so inspired by the enthusiasm for this gathering of music, connection, and shared expression.The Community Song Circle, part of our Embodied Arts Workshop Series, brings people together to raise their voices in celebration of community, nature, and our shared humanity. Santa Barbara–based community song leader Heather Stevenson has been leading song circles since 2019, creating inclusive spaces where participants feel uplifted, inspired, and soothed. In this workshop, you’ll learn short, meaningful songs taught by ear. No experience or ability to read music is required. Each song highlights our connection to the Earth and the natural world, fostering community, peace, joy, and healing.
NEW AT THE ATRIUM GALLERY!
23rd Annual Ventura County Employee, Retiree & Family Art Show:
“What’s Your Happy?”
“What’s Your Happy?” is now open to the public at the Atrium Gallery and will have a free opening reception TOMORROW, Feb. 19, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
We welcomed hundreds of guests for an inspiring first look at Pages to Posters: The Visual Worlds of Simms Taback. This exhibition celebrates learning, community, humor, and cultural connection, values that shaped Taback’s work. Vibrant original posters and illustrations are on display, along with Taback’s Caldecott Medal and his design for the first McDonald’s Happy Meal box. The evening featured refreshments and live jazz by The Dennis Berger Trio, sponsored by the Ventura Music Festival.
WATCH THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS:
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared a disaster for the late December 2025 storms, which occurred from December 16 to December 25, 2025. SBA now offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs, including faith-based organizations, with financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
View SBA’s disaster declaration HERE
Researchers have mapped out methods for assessing its societal benefits, an effort that could lead to more effective uses of remote sensing technology while increasing benefits to people at large.
SANTA BARBARA — Wilderness Youth Project (WYP) and Sea League are partnering this spring break to offer the Big Blue Bridge Spring Break Camp, a week-long program designed to build water safety, swim confidence, and belonging for 24 students, ages 6-12, with priority registration for low-income families from Franklin and Adelante Elementary Schools.
The camp will take place March 30–April 3 and combines WYP’s small-group, nature-based mentoring model with Sea League’s beginner-centered swim instruction at the Santa Barbara High School pool.
SANTA BARBARA — Financial Aid Offices from across Santa Barbara (including Santa Barbara City College, UC Santa Barbara and Westmont College) will participate in a hands-on event to help local students and their families complete their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid) or CADAA (California Dream Act Application). SBCC’s Financial Aid Fest will be held Wednesday, Feb. 25, at SBCC’s East Cliff Campus (details below).
A new bio-inspired molecule captures solar energy and releases it as heat on demand, outperforming lithium-ion batteries.
The Ventura County Civic Alliance’s most recent State of the Region Report released in November 2025 omitted our Key Statistics section. The data for that section comes from the U.S. Census website which was unavailable during the government shutdown in October 2025.
Our first article, based on data since collected from the U.S. Census American Community Survey 5 years (Table S0101), will give you our current status and highlights three cities where population growth is bucking the downward county trend.
The last two articles focus on the needs of our population and the nonprofits that serve them.
“This large grants pool not only reflects the remarkable generosity of our 1,450+ members but also their commitment to our community,” says Women’s Fund Board Chair Carolyn Jabs. “It also demonstrates the power of collective giving. By combining our contributions, we magnify the impact of every member’s donation so we can give significant grants to nonprofits with projects that benefit vulnerable women, children, and families.”
Coming from an artistic family, I knew in my youth that one day I’d want to see some of the world-renowned art in Paris. In 2004, I set out to do just that.
After taking several semesters of French at Ventura College, I felt confident enough, though with some trepidation, to face the well-known linguistic judgment (if not the disdain) of the French people.
As we begin 2026, I want to take a moment to reflect on how far we have come — and where we are headed.
If the past few years have taught us anything, it is this: we cannot rely on systems that were never designed to protect undocumented and mixed-status families. And yet, through collective leadership, love, and courage, our community continues to build what did not exist before.
At 805UndocuFund, we did not just respond to crisis in 2025 — we built power.
Please join us February 13, from 5:30–7:30 PM for the opening reception of Pages to Posters: The Visual Worlds of Simms Taback.
SANTA BARBARA — Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love and a time to rededicate our affection for a spouse or partner with flowers, cards, chocolate, and a romantic dinner. But for those who are coping with the loss of a partner or loved one, Valentine’s Day can trigger overwhelming feelings of loneliness, grief, and isolation, with seasonal décor serving as a constant reminder of the loss.
Visitors will tour the nursery to get a behind-the-scenes look at how plants are grown and cared for. Brokaw Nursery produces over 300,000 plants, including avocados and fruit varieties, and exports them to farmers and landscapers locally and worldwide. Family-owned and in business for 60 years, Brokaw Nursery will share its expertise in avocado plants and nursery production.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Simi Valley Family YMCA and Yarrow Family YMCA, branches of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA, are partnering with Simi Valley Soroptimist to collect clean, gently used or new formal wear and accessories. These items will be available at the YMCA’s third annual Prom Closet, where high school students can shop for free prom attire.
Items will be accepted through April 9 at each of the YMCAs.
The newly formed Women’s Legacy of Giving pools all member contributions with 100% of funds directly supporting People Helping People programs serving local children, families, and seniors.
Women are asked to contribute of $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000 for annual membership in the Legacy of Giving. Each woman will then share an equal voice in collective funding decisions, regardless of her giving level.
Pelton joins SBEF as the organization celebrates its 40th year and will lead efforts to support nearly 12,000 students across the Santa Barbara Unified School District through programs that expand access to enrichment, innovation, and opportunity.
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP) is pleased to announce that at its February 6, 2026 meeting, the California State Historical Resources Commission voted to add Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens, along with the adjacent Chung family house associated with the property, to the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). The National Register is the official list of the Nation’s cultural resources worthy of recognition and preservation. The nomination marks an important milestone in recognizing the cultural and historic significance of this beloved local landmark.
The campus ranks first among U.S. public universities, third among all U.S. institutions and seventh worldwide for scientific impact.
The conference highlights social justice–oriented work taking place in schools and educational institutions throughout the region and brings together educators, students, and community members committed to equity and transformative education. The conference provides opportunities to network with others who believe in the power and necessity of social justice in education and to learn strategies for teaching and learning that promote equity, peace, and integrity in public education.
IN-PERSON EVENT: CITY OF MOORPARK: READY • SET • GROW: SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS WORKSHOP SERIES
February 12 and 19 @ 8:00 am
Join the City of Moorpark and Economic Development Collaborative for a 3-part series to help business owners improve legal compliance, financial planning and marketing. Participants will receive hands-on, practical training to achieve real results, such as official registration, funding readiness, and customer growth. This 3-workshop series will be conducted in English, with the option to answer questions in Spanish. Hands-on materials will be provided in both languages. Address: Moorpark City Council Chamber, 323 Science Drive, Moorpark, CA 93021. Price: FREE.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
While social media addiction hasn’t been officially recognized as a mental health condition, it shows up in brain scans, according to Kylie Falcione, a graduate student at UCSB’s Media Neuroscience Lab.
The new applied bachelor’s degree program was designed in close collaboration with regional employers and public-sector partners to address growing demand for skilled cybersecurity and network operations professionals. Graduates will be prepared for high-wage, high-demand roles securing critical infrastructure, defense, healthcare, manufacturing, finance and emerging technologies across Ventura and Los Angeles Counties.
VENTURA COUNTY — The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Ventura County Academic Decathlon, which was held last month. The winners were revealed at a ceremony this evening in Camarillo. The three teams with the highest overall scores this year are:
1st Place: Royal High School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
2nd Place: Westlake High School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
3rd Place: Channel Islands High School (Oxnard Union High School District)
In the new year, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art offers a sweeping look at how artists engage with time. Works grounded in personal histories, inherited traditions, and collective memory speak to the past while giving us new ways to access it in the present. Contemporary materials and lived experience illuminate the world as it is now, yet they also open space for reflection and reinterpretation. Digital experimentation and visionary forms gesture toward the future, and at the same time expand how we record, memorialize, and remember. Seen together, these exhibitions reveal art as a continuum—one in which past, present, and future coexist, overlap, and remain vividly alive today.
“The addition of Jacky Holler, Dr. Mark Mitchelson and Tracey Mateko strengthens the Foundation’s leadership with expertise spanning finance, healthcare, operations and community engagement,” said Dr. Julius Sokenu, president of Moorpark College. “Their collective experience and dedication will help advance our mission to support Moorpark College students and programs.”
“In today’s environment, it’s a community win that our writing and work in Chicano literature is recognized at this level,” said Arce, who will formally receive the award Thursday, Feb. 4.
Read more about Arce’s writing
Much like the great religions of the world, the institution of classical music is rooted in centuries of tradition and culture. For me, attending a classical music event in some ways feels the same as attending a Catholic Mass.
The “priest” during a classical musical event is the conductor. We may not applaud during a Mass, or kneel during an orchestra’s performance, but we do rise, sit, and applaud at prescribed times throughout a classical music performance that conceivably dates back several centuries.
Last year reaffirmed what we’ve always known: lasting change is built together and it’s powered by community support.
Across the Central Coast in 2025, working-class immigrant communities organized to defend our neighborhoods and strengthen our shared power. Through conversations at the doors and on the phones, in community meetings and rallies in the streets, neighbors stepped forward as organizers and advocates, winning real protections for affordable housing, environmental health, and immigrant workers.
Our 2025 Community Report shows what our collective power made possible.
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation (SBTHP) hosted the 63rd Annual Meeting on January 24, 2026, in the Chapel at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park. SBTHP members voted to elect new members Andrew Le and Qing Xue to the board for a three-year term.
On view now through March 8, 2026
Sponsored by Brokaw Ranch Company
Art About Agriculture was founded in 2007 by Santa Paula photographer John Nichols and painter Gail Pidduck. Growing up on a ranch in Santa Paula and spending her college summers working in Oxnard’s flower fields, Pidduck has long understood how deeply agriculture has shaped both the landscape and way of life in California and Ventura County.
